Vintage train carriage lifted from couple's garden

A couple donated a vintage train carriage from their back garden to a trust

A rare, vintage train carriage which a couple had used as a makeshift shed has been lifted out of their garden to be donated to a railway trust.

The Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust will restore the carriage, which a couple found in their new home's garden. It was lifted from their property by a 100-tonne-crane on Wednesday.

Sarah Cripps and George Pike from Cannington in Somerset decided to donate the carriage to get it "back to where it deserves to be".

"It's really unusual. A lovely little surprise when we viewed the house," Ms Cripps said.

Sarah Cripps and George Pike say it was a "surprise" when viewing their new home to find a carriage in their garden

The couple moved into the home two years ago and had used the carriage "as a shed" until they decided to donate it in March this year.

"We just knew we couldn't take care of it properly," Mr Pike said.

Melvyn Marshman, director of the trust, came to pick up the carriage and said it was "like Christmas".

"How often do you get a railway carriage at the back of a garden? We snapped it up," he added.

Putting the carriage back on the rails will be a "dream come true"

According to Mr Marshman, the carriage had likely been retired in 1930, after being built in 1880. It is one of only five of its kind in existence.

It will be restored at Shillingstone in Dorset, which used to be part of the Somerset line.

"It had a good life before it was retired," Mr Marshman added.

"The idea is to get a whole train fully restored with passengers. It would be a dream come true."