By Ed Chatterton
Property hunters have the chance to snap up a railway enthusiast’s dream home at a bargain price – after a train carriage converted into a luxury holiday cottage went up for sale for just $93,000.
The Stannington Pullman is a 75ft (23m) long converted railway carriage which has been fully refurbished to provide accommodation for up to four people.
The first-class property in Morpeth, Northumberland, also comes with a touch of Hollywood glamour as it sits on the tracks which were used in the original Mission Impossible film.
Co-owner Emma Williams purchased the 1978 train from a rolling stock company after it reached the end of its working life in 2020 having served inter-city routes to London and later around the East Midlands.
She then went about renovating the carriage into a stunning home featuring gas central heating, a separate shower room/toilet, two bedrooms and a fully-fitted shaker-style kitchen.
The dining area is also made from an authentic leather East Midlands Railway booth with original tables and chairs. It has been operating as a £220-a-night holiday let for the past three years.
Currently positioned near the East Coast Mainline five miles to the south of Morpeth, the quirky home is being heralded as the ideal property for trainspotters and rail buffs.
The tracks on which the carriage sits also form part of the sale package, along with the ballast underneath it, the outside decking and all the fixtures and fittings.
Emma, who is selling the home privately, said the project took two years to complete from first concept through to its opening in 2022.
She added: “We’d originally looked at putting a couple of log cabins on the land, but with the site being so close to the East Coast Mainline, we had the idea of converting a train carriage instead.
“After finding the right option for the space we had, we came up with a design that both provided everything that you’d expect from high quality holiday accommodation and also retained the character of the carriage.
“It’s been a brilliant project to create, especially with the amazing response we’ve had from our guests over the last three years, and it’s been extremely popular all year-round, but it’s now time for the train to pull out of the station and find a new place to stop.”
The 47-year-old carriage was originally built as a Mark III Tourist Standard Open, before it was rebuilt for Grand Central as a Mark III Trailer Standard and finally reconfigured as Coach 41207.
Emma added: “Train enthusiasts and former railway workers have naturally made a significant proportion of our guests, especially given the great views that the Pullman has of the East Coast Mainline.
“But its been popular with people who were just looking for a quirky place to stay and also with children with special educational needs who’ve loved having the chance to stay in a train.
“We think any number of buyers could be interested, from holiday park owners or destination venues who want to add an extra dimension to their site through to people like us with some land to use for something interesting or someone who just wants to use the Pullman as their own personal bolthole.
“We’re happy to give help and advice on how to transport and set up the carriage, and we’d love to think that it goes to someone who’ll enjoy having it as much as we have.”
