Turning railway coaches/carriages into into holiday homes

McColm · January 12, 2021, 02:12:25 PM

This might not be a whiff in the real world, converting railway coaches/carriages into holiday homes as someone down in Cornwall started something similar when they bought a disused station and found it had a siding with a four wheeled , six door with 18 windows coach in disrepair. They converted the coach into a spare bedroom and went about buying carriages to restore, to use as holiday homes. Their best find is a carriage used by Queen Victoria.
I was brought up playing with 00 or ho gauge but I think something like O gauge (1:48 scale) or G gauge (1:22) although sometimes sold in 1:24 scale would be easier as they are closer to the Dolls House interiors which means I can adapt the furniture and fittings.
As a sideline I would love to create my own version of a military train , either static or from rolling stock. There's several kits available based on real world military trains although using 1/72 or 1/76 scale with 00gauge might pose a few problems .
I'm sure that I can adapt a 'toy military train ' into something more sinister or from the Cold War.

PR19_Kit · January 12, 2021, 03:36:14 PM

The Big Four railway companies did that quite often in the 20s and 30s, and called them Camping Coaches. They were usually parked on sidings near a station which in turn was near a holiday resort. BR carried on with the idea from 1950 or so onwards, and they were pretty popular.

Naturally there were a lot of them down in the South West and I had a holiday in one when I was 9-10 which was at Buckfastliegh. They died out in the 70s when BR 'sectorised' the whole company, but now many of them have been bought privately and refurbished for use again.

scooter · January 12, 2021, 09:33:28 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on January 12, 2021, 03:36:14 PM
The Big Four railway companies did that quite often in the 20s and 30s, and called them Camping Coaches. They were usually parked on sidings near a station which in turn was near a holiday resort. BR carried on with the idea from 1950 or so onwards, and they were pretty popular.

Naturally there were a lot of them down in the South West and I had a holiday in one when I was 9-10 which was at Buckfastliegh. They died out in the 70s when BR 'sectorised' the whole company, but now many of them have been bought privately and refurbished for use again.

Then it'd probably be a whiff if it were done here in the States, with long lost US railroads

Dizzyfugu · January 13, 2021, 12:32:05 AM

http://www.ortrander-kulturbahnhof.de/assets/applets/Wagon_rot_neu.mp4

McColm · January 13, 2021, 01:26:02 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on January 12, 2021, 03:36:14 PM
The Big Four railway companies did that quite often in the 20s and 30s, and called them Camping Coaches. They were usually parked on sidings near a station which in turn was near a holiday resort. BR carried on with the idea from 1950 or so onwards, and they were pretty popular.

Naturally there were a lot of them down in the South West and I had a holiday in one when I was 9-10 which was at Buckfastliegh. They died out in the 70s when BR 'sectorised' the whole company, but now many of them have been bought privately and refurbished for use again.

I used to catch a ride on the steam trains from Buckfastleigh when holidaying down in Devon. The Abbey and Butterfly World are close by. Thanks for the info.

Mossie · January 13, 2021, 01:54:58 AM

There's a pub I pass every day in Hull called Cannon Junction. It's two railway carriages side by side, the entrance being through the arch of a bridge. It's been a long while since I last went in, the carriages used to be in their original livery but have since received an arty graffiti style paint job.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cannon+junction+hull&client=ms-android-huawei&prmd=misvn&sxsrf=ALeKk01ug33Wjx0XyjtdyZUTeHvjec6v8A:1610531648572&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj82L_20ZjuAhWOT8AKHYE6AhQQ_AUoAnoECA8QAg&biw=360&bih=648&dpr=3

PR19_Kit · January 13, 2021, 03:08:32 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on January 13, 2021, 12:32:05 AM

http://www.ortrander-kulturbahnhof.de/assets/applets/Wagon_rot_neu.mp4

LOTS more space on a German Camping Coach, they're so much wider and taller!

There's a place just north of York, right next to the East Coast Main Line, called 'The Sidings', that's a classy restaurant and 'Coachtel' combined.

https://thesidingshotel.co.uk/

The main eating rooms and lounges are in the middle and it has a couple of converted coaches either side setup for sleeping accommodation. One extra coach is done up as a Pullman quality dining coach, and I've eaten in there. It's weird being in a coach that's not moving and watching trains shoot by at over 100 mph right outside the window!

Nick · January 13, 2021, 04:14:40 AM

There's a restaurant in a converted hospital carriage down at West Bay in Dorset. It's parked in rails outside the old station and by the looks of it serves some very good meals. One for late this summer, I hope.
Trevor told me of this one.

https://www.thestationkitchen.co.uk/

PR19_Kit · January 13, 2021, 04:25:25 AM

Good heavens, what a small world!

I used to have holidays at West Bay too, my parents had a (small...) caravan there and we went by train to that very station. It's VERY small, just one platform and a buffer stop as I recall, and about 25 yards from the beach!

I haven't been back there for years, but it looks like it'd be worth having a look at, once we're allowed to of course.

tigercat · January 13, 2021, 05:01:22 AM

https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/w/images/Battle_Space_range,_Triang_Hornby_(THCat_1970).jpg

There are existing ones you could adapt

kerick · January 13, 2021, 06:28:01 AM

I would like to convert a retired airliner to a vacation home. Trick is getting it to the place you want to vacation at. Some guy was trying to run a company to do that. Haven't heard anything about it in a long time.

NARSES2 · January 13, 2021, 06:49:14 AM

Quote from: kerick on January 13, 2021, 06:28:01 AM
I would like to convert a retired airliner to a vacation home. Trick is getting it to the place you want to vacation at. Some guy was trying to run a company to do that. Haven't heard anything about it in a long time.

I don't see why you couldn't, they've been used as restaurants and cafes after all.

McColm · January 13, 2021, 07:07:46 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on January 13, 2021, 06:49:14 AM
Quote from: kerick on January 13, 2021, 06:28:01 AM
I would like to convert a retired airliner to a vacation home. Trick is getting it to the place you want to vacation at. Some guy was trying to run a company to do that. Haven't heard anything about it in a long time.

I don't see why you couldn't, they've been used as restaurants and cafes after all.

There's been a few failed attempts of converting aircraft into restaurants, it seems that the novelty wears off after a while or it could be the wrong location. Planes have been converted into homes, even boats/pleasure craft. I wonder if that would work as a train, remove the tail and wings. Place a few bogies under the fuselage or cut the fuselage and add flexible walkways to connect them. Something narrow bodied; Caravelle or Comet from the Mach2 range or smaller.

tigercat · January 13, 2021, 07:19:03 AM

The last Blackburn Beverley is being turned into an Air Bnb

scooter · January 13, 2021, 07:24:28 AM

Quote from: McColm on January 13, 2021, 07:07:46 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on January 13, 2021, 06:49:14 AM
Quote from: kerick on January 13, 2021, 06:28:01 AM
I would like to convert a retired airliner to a vacation home. Trick is getting it to the place you want to vacation at. Some guy was trying to run a company to do that. Haven't heard anything about it in a long time.

I don't see why you couldn't, they've been used as restaurants and cafes after all.
There's been a few failed attempts of converting aircraft into restaurants, it seems that the novelty wears off after a while or it could be the wrong location. Planes have been converted into homes, even boats/pleasure craft.

Someone in Mexico turned an old 727 into a bus