Ex-railway worker builds a train station in his garden including a Pullman carriage and locomotive

[Adlington]

A former railway worker has built a train station in his garden to go alongside a full-size Pullman carriage and locomotive.

Paul Chant decided to lay tracks and add a platform and station building to sit next to his old locomotive and British Rail Mark 3 coach at Piltown Farm, near Glastonbury in Somerset. The 'station' is now a prominent sight for drivers on the A361 between Glastonbury and Pilton.

Piltown Station has a wonderful view north towards the Mendip Hills and Mr Chant believes there is huge potential for the carriage to be used for hospitality.

Comments under the source article (Daily Mail) are generally positive, but not everybody likes the garish graffiti on the loco. Also Mr Chant's neighbours point out that no planning permission was sought from the local council.

 

[JKF]

Streetview here, only loco visible at time of image. Looks like the guy has a sizeable collection of old tractors and other vintage vehicles too.

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[Intercity110]

The phrase ‘pullman carrage’ is innacurate as it is just a HST buffet coach, not a Manchester pullman or older variety coach.

 

[Adlington]

There also is a "Thomas Hill No.136C arrives at Piltown Farm September the 3rd 2020" video. Not exactly an action film: during the full length of 2.5 minutes the locomotive moves two feet (maybe three at a stretch).

 

[AnthonyRail]

How far is it from the original trackbed of the S&D thru Pilton

 

[43096]

The phrase ‘pullman carrage’ is innacurate as it is just a HST buffet coach, not a Manchester pullman or older variety coach.

It isn’t an HST buffet carriage. It is very clearly a loco hauled RFM and would therefore likely to have worked the Manchester Pullman at some point. So not unreasonable to call it a Pullman carriage.

 

[Intercity110]

It isn’t an HST buffet carriage. It is very clearly a loco hauled RFM and would therefore likely to have worked the Manchester Pullman at some point. So not unreasonable to call it a Pullman carriage.

Ah ok. What’s the difference?

 

[High Dyke]

How far is it from the original trackbed of the S&D thru Pilton

About a mile away. The farm is at the left of the map, with the former railway approximately crossing the A-road near the Red icon.

 

[swanhill41]

I personally know this person..Obviously unable to comment on him as a person ,but can say with certainty that he has not nor will he apply for planning permission for
what he is doing..Must admit that his station has been built by a professional as the finish is A1.
Oh by the way this farm is located next to Worthy Farm ,the location of the Glastonbury Festival!

 

[Gloster]

I personally know this person..Obviously unable to comment on him as a person ,but can say with certainty that he has not nor will he apply for planning permission for
what he is doing..Must admit that his station has been built by a professional as the finish is A1.
Oh by the way this farm is located next to Worthy Farm ,the location of the Glastonbury Festival!

Do you mean by that that he does not believe that he is legally required to apply for planning permission or do you mean that he has just ignored the law and gone ahead and broken it? The quality of the workmanship is irrelevant to that.

 

[swanhill41]

The answer to the first is that gone ahead etc..My comment ref quality of workmanship is a statement of fact .

 

[Gloster]

The answer to the first is that gone ahead etc..My comment ref quality of workmanship is a statement of fact .

If you do mean that he ignored the law, I can only say that I hope that the council force him to demolish it. If you think I am being harsh, I know someone (not that far away, although not in Mendip D.C.) who had the same happen next door, when a small cottage was enlarged into a massive house which overlooked their garden, blocked the light and caused numerous other problems. It drove one of the other neighbours into negative equity.

 

[43096]

Ah ok. What’s the difference?

Between HST and LHCS Mark 3s?

Plenty, and including:
Buffers: HST doesn't have them, LHCS has retractable
Couplers: HST have Alliance couplers (fixed buckeye), LHCS has drophead buckeye
Train Supply: HST uses 415V three phase, LHCS has 850V (nominal DC or single phase AC) and motor-alternator (or static converter on Chiltern sets) to generate three phase supply
HST stock has 36-way sockets and through cabling to allow power cars to multi; LHCS has RCH jumpers
HST stock has duplicated brake pipes at vehicle ends

 

[Adlington]

If you do mean that he ignored the law, I can only say that I hope that the council force him to demolish it.

Is there something like a retrospective planning permit?

 

[Alanko]

Is there something like a retrospective planning permit?

I'm not convinced barking mad Worzel Gummidge types go in for that, either.

 

[swanhill41]

I'm not convinced barking mad Worzel Gummidge types go in for that, either.

Oh you are so near the target there!

 

[Alanko]

Oh you are so near the target there!

His wee setup isn't on the route of a historic railway line, but it probably aligns with a Ley line fairly accurately?

 

[swanhill41]

His wee setup isn't on the route of a historic railway line, but it probably aligns with a Ley line fairly accurately?

Bullseye!