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Railway cinema carriage restored by volunteers

News imageSteve Foxon An old black and white photo showing a 1970s train carriage, but only with a couple of windows at one end. The rest is panelled, as it needs to be darker for a cinema coach, which it is labelled as on the side. It seems to be next to a shipyard, with the top of a large ship behind it.Steve Foxon
The restored carriage can seat up to 25 visitors

The UK's last remaining cinema train carriage, first opened by Princess Margaret in 1975, is to screen films once again after nearly 40 years.

Rescued by volunteers at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway heritage line, it was originally created as part of an exhibition train celebrating 150 years of the modern railway.

2025 marks the 200th anniversary and after a six-year project the coach can welcome visitors again to watch British Transport films using a projector.

Visitors to the heritage railway in Wiltshire this weekend will be able to watch the films inside the restored carriage.

News imageSteve Foxon An old black and white photo showing Alan Willmott next to a large reel projector speaking to a woman, who is smiling at him. They are both smartly dressed in suits.Steve Foxon
Alan Willmott (left) was the former manager of the coach and feared it would scrapped before

The carriage's former manager Alan Willmott feared the rolling stock would be scrapped and left vital paperwork to a family friend when he passed away.

Steve Foxon and his dad, Rob, took on the challenge, using money left to them by Mr Willmott to help fund the restoration and transported the carriage to Swindon and Cricklade Railway.

News imageSteve Foxon An old black & white photo from 1975, looking down a train carriage, which has cinema seats rather then usual seating for travelling. Around of the third of the seats have people in them, all looking at the camera. Some men in suits, women in dresses.Steve Foxon
The cinema carriage was opened in 1975 as part of an exhibition train for 150 years of the modern railway

Mr Foxon, a curator at the British Film Institute, said: "Alan was the closest person I had to a grandfather.

"Sitting in the carriage absolutely warms my heart and takes me back to my childhood. It's exactly what Alan would have wanted and there isn't a better way to honour his memory. My dad was a close friend of Alan's and he's absolutely over the moon."

He added the work by the volunteers is "stunning".

News imageMartin Rouse A view slightly from behind of the now restored carriage, with vintage red cinema seats and a projector screen in the distance with a film being shown. Rob and Steve Foxon are at the back, their side profiles can be seen from this angleMartin Rouse
Father and son Rob and Steve Foxon were friends of Alan and wanted to get it restored after his death

Martin Rouse, who led the volunteer renovators, said: "The coach could've been returned to passenger use but so much history would've been lost. What we have now is almost unique, nowhere else offers this facility, and it's great to see what it's become."

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