59488 Class 117 Trailer Composite Lavatory

Home Railway	Paignton & Dartmouth Railway	Location History	Paignton & Dartmouth Railway Apr 94-Present
Current Location	Paignton & Dartmouth Railway
Current Status	Stored
Current Livery	Non Standard Light Green & Cream
TRA Designation	5
Partner Vehicle(s)	None
Owner	Dart Valley Railway plc
Website	None
Record Last Updated	25 October 2025
Preservation Modifications Heavily modified internally, few original fittings survive. The coach was gutted in 2008 and the interior rebuilt as a “time travel” visitor centre, with only the ceiling and strip lighting remaining in original configuration. A polished wooden floor and full height display boards line the interior, with the doors/windows hidden behind. Previous modifications include rebuilding as Santa’s Grotto.
Preservation Information 59488 was preserved in 1994 at the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway who were purchasing large numbers of lightweight centre cars at this time. 59488 never operated in passenger service, instead being stripped out internally and used as a vehicle for Santa’s Grotto. The vehicle received an all over black livery for this role. In 2008, the vehicle was converted again, and was rebuilt as a “time travel” static exhibition coach, stabled under the overall station canopy at Kingswear. The vehicle’s interior was completely refitted for this role, with all of the side doors/windows being boarded over, and the exterior was finished off in a non authentic light green and cream livery. After just over a decade in use, 59488 was closed in 2020 as a visitor centre due to the Covid pandemic. Details following this are not 100% clear, but the vehicle appears to have been moved out of the public eye and presumably remains in a static role.
Future Plans Uncertain given that 59488 no longer appears to have a firm role.

	59488 stored outside the restoration shed at Churston, its current use unclear. The proximity to the shed might suggest static use as a stores van? 24/10/25. Mike Peralta

	59488 having been moved to Churston, 17/9/21. Ken Jones

	59488 at Kingswear, 12/9/19. Carl Watson

	59488 undertaking its normal exhibition coach duties, 23/7/17. Carl Watson

	59488 under the canopy at Kingswear, 27/4/14. Chris Moxon

	A closer view of the side graphics on the exhibition coach 59488, 27/4/14. Chris Moxon

	59488 on static display under the overall roof at Kingswear, having been converted into the "time travel" visitor centre, 10/8/10. David McGuire

	59488 & 59503, stored at Kingswear. 59488 has now received a repaint, 17/8/02. David McGuire

	59488 & 59503, still in Network SouthEast livery, stored at Kingswear, 17/8/99. David McGuire

Interior

	A view inside the exhibition space inside 59488's radically modified interior space, 27/4/14. Chris Moxon

	A view inside the exhibition space inside 59488's radically modified interior space, 27/4/14. Chris Moxon