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The Oldest Coach in the World


Stubby47

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  • RMweb Gold

This is perhaps a little known fact, but the oldest passenger rail vehicle in the world is in the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro.

 

I've been in the museum many times since moving to Cornwall, but have never really taken much notice of this exhibit until a photo of a Bodmin & Wenford brake van was shown to me by 2ManySpams.

 

This directors coach has many of the same characteristics as the brake van, so a quick trip for research purposes was arranged for this morning.

 

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The bonus item

 

Upstairs in one of the side galleries, I found a small hand cart, saved from the Geevor Tin Mine from the far west of the county.

 

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  • RMweb Gold

As it's dated 1810, it would have had a 1 horse power traction unit at the front. With a complement of probably well propotioned gentlemen, complete with greatcoats, tophats and individual supplies of alcoholic refreshments, it was no doubt designed to be a single vehicle train, hence the lack of buffers or indeed brakes.

 

However, there are similarities, I believe, in the underframe and body suspension mechanism - these will be investigated further.

 

The bonus item, I thought, would make a nice bonus item.

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