A RAIL preservation group’s attempts to restore a historic train which was destroyed by fire have been given a lifeline.
The owners of the Caledonian Railway at Brechin were left searching for £25,000 when a blaze ripped through their recently restored 1940s LMS brakevan.
But they are now on the right track to rebuild it as the charity received an offer to sponsor the project — worth £20,000 in maintenance costs — leaving them less than £1,000 away from their target.
The offer, by Murray Engineering and Construction — a shed and wood specialist in Brechin — means a total of £5,000 will cover the restoration work.
Andy Pegg, events manager for Caledonian Railway, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic after such bad news. They got in touch on Facebook and offered to provide the materials, which is the expensive bit.
“We think it’s going to need a new hardwood frame and softwood cladding and they don’t come cheap.”
Douglas Murray, managing director, said: “I have the material which needs moving in the yard anyway, so it makes sense to move it where it’s needed.
“It was a spur of the moment decision but the railway’s long established and a part of the town — we don’t want to lose it.”
Caledonian Railway had set up a crowdfunding page to raise money, with an initial goal of £5,000.
This has already reached £3,225 and Mr Pegg said with that cash, alongside a further offline donation of £1,000 and the sponsorship, the railway can soon begin the task of rebuilding.
He added: “The help and support we’ve received has been phenomenal. And it isn’t just from Murray Engineering. We’ve had several offers from people to help. We had no idea we were so well loved in the community — we just didn’t realise.
“We thought we did our own thing and no one paid attention but it’s overwhelming the support we’ve received — the response has been a real morale boost.
“We’re confident of getting back up and running soon.”