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	1 August 2024
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 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