When I blogged recently about the Boardwalk Empire subway I mentioned that the London Underground/ London Transport Museum didn't have any rolling stock older than the late 1930s. Well, that won't be the case for much longer!
Metropolitan Railway Carriage Number 353 will become by far the oldest fully-working carriage in the London Transport Museum's collection thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund donation. Of 1892 vintage it will be a whopping one hundred and ten years old next year and should be renovated by 2013 in time to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground system - the world's first below-ground transit network.
Not only will we get a beautifully restored 19th-Century Underground carriage (which will be touring the London and South-Eastern regions upon completion - ooh, must keep an eye out for it!) but the work required to get it back to its former glory will also give up to 160 people the chance to gain a qualification related to restoration work and carpentry, so there's an extra bonus involved to boot.
You can read more about this piece of history on the London Transport Museum's website here, where you can see it in its current condition. All the more reason to look forward to what's in store come 2013.
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