Nostalgic ride for couple on historic railway in Skegness

Pam and Roger Biggs on the footplate of the 1903 vintage steam locomotive Jurassic,. Photo: John Raby.

A couple had a ‘remarkable experience’ when they boarded a historic carriage at Skegness.

Pam and Roger Biggs from Bedworth visited the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway to see the Jurassic – a historic steam locomotive on which an ancestor worked on at Kaye’s quarry Warwickshire.

The Jurassic is one of six similar narrow gauge locomotives built by the Bristol Company, Peckett and Sons, to take limestone from the quarry to be made into cement.

It was built in 1903 and after being taken out of service in 1956, was sold five years later to the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway,

Pam’s grandfather was William Frederick Hancocks, who enlisted in the Coldstream Guards and took part in the third battle of Ypres in 1917 for control of the tactically important ridges near that western Belgian town.

It is estimated to have cost the British 300,000 casualties; the Germans 200,000.

The couple rode in the Jurassic in which, coincidentally, William may have travelled to the trenches in France before his death in action.

Pam said: “It was a remarkable experience at Skegness to see two significant relics from my grandfather’s life.

"We were made very welcome by everyone on the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, and we realise we are now very much part of the history of this unique heritage railway”.

The latest restoration project at the railway is a near-century old railway carriage that has been out of use for 37 years. This is thanks to Piper Windows, a local firm of window manufacturers have donated the safety glass necessary to re-glaze the vehicle’s windows.

The carriage is one of four built in 1925 for the Ashover Light Railway in Derbyshire, by the Gloucester Rail, Carriage and Wagon Company.

John Chappell, spokesman for the LCLR, said: “Piper Windows’ generosity will help our volunteers significantly to complete the restoration and save the railway money, which can now be used to enable rotted timbers to be repaired, the roof to be sealed, the seating to be installed and the bogies and air brake systems to be renovated ready for repainting and a return to service.”