Owned and restored by the West Somerset Railway Association
The WSRA is refurbishing the WSRA owned Taunton Inspectors Saloon carriage with work being undertaken by a fantastic team of volunteers. The average age of a volunteer is 60 and most stay with railway for 10 years or more.
This carriage is of particular historical importance as it was the Taunton Inspector's Saloon carriage (stock number 80976w) and would have been used to cover the Great Western Line (GWR) from Bristol down to Exeter. It was designed by Hawksworth in 1948, the chief mechanical engineer for GWR, and is a significant historical vehicle as the carriage has windows at either end. Originally, these windows would have allowed the Inspector to view the rail track and communicate with the footplate crew should a problem arise. The carriage would have also been used by Directors of the railway for transporting guests and dignitaries.
The Taunton Inspector's saloon has already had a mechanical overhaul including a lot of work on the original wooden body and now it just needs reupholstering to be period correct. The planned refurbishment by the WSRA will bring this unique carriage back into action. It will be available for use on the railway for special occasions and event days; for private hire by small parties, by the directors for entertaining important guests, and for its original purpose “viewing and checking the line”. When not in use the carriage will be on display for public access at Williton Station .
Finally, a brand-new award this year, established in fond memory of a great preservationist and enthusiastic supporter of the National Transport Trust: