Shrewsbury Flower Show, which claims to be the world’s longest-running flower show, takes place on August 14 and 15 this year and joining in the celebrations will be a steam locomotive nearly as old.
Lilla, from the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway in North Wales, was built in Leeds in 1891 and celebrates her 124th birthday this year. She will be in steam as part of the railway’s exhibit at Shrewsbury.
Alongside the venerable loco, the centrepiece of the railway's presence, will be a brand new £250,000 Pullman observation carriage (pictured) built in the railway's own workshops.
The carriage - yet to be named - carries the number 150 to mark the 150th anniversary of passenger services on the Ffestiniog Railway and will be used as the press office for the duration of the show, promoting both the railway and North Wales in general.
The Pullman brand has been synonymous with the very best in rail travel for a century and a half and the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland team faced a big challenge in reinventing the Pullman experience in Wales for the 21st century. The result is simply stunning, with a carriage inspired by 1930s Art Deco styling but with a modern twist.
When the Welsh Highland Railway, which runs coast-to-coast from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, opened in 2009, new Pullman carriages were built using modern glazing technology to give huge panoramic windows. The Welsh Highland carriage Glaslyn was named by Her Majesty the Queen on April 27, 2010 and has proved immensely popular.
So, to mark 150 years of passenger services, the railway embarked on a mission to build its best carriage ever. With great plans and new shapes in mind, the railway’s bosses went back to craftsmen in their workshop to work out how this modern design could be created using traditional hand crafting methods. The objective was modern style and convenience combined with traditional ambience.
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Further info from Andrew Thomas athomas@ffwhr.com 01766 516072
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