It's a first class guest house! Couple transform former railway carriages into three holiday homes

  • Three self-catering railway carriages have been converted internally into luxurious lodgings
  • The station opened in 1882 - the last passenger train on the line ran on June 3, 1950
  • The guest house opened 17 years ago - other ventures being set up in the railway-mad region

It's a first class idea offering an alternative to other accommodation out there.

The Old Station in Allerston, North Yorkshire, which used to be a working railway station has been converted into a family home and guest house.

The idea has proved a hit with visitors, evoking romantic images of the great age of steam, Brief Encounter and The Orient Express.

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All aboard the 'sleeper' train...... the guest house has proved a hit with visitors, evoking romantic images of the great age of steam, Brief Encounter and The Orient Express

All aboard the 'sleeper' train...... the guest house has proved a hit with visitors, evoking romantic images of the great age of steam, Brief Encounter and The Orient Express

The station welcomes people of all ages, with children arriving during school holidays and retired people throughout the year

The station welcomes people of all ages, with children arriving during school holidays and retired people throughout the year

The station comprises three self-catering railway carriages that don't look out of place in an area so enthusiastic about trains.

But they have been refurbished and are now luxurious lodgings for locals and visitors.

The guest house business is owned by couple Carol and Mark Benson.

'We were looking to set up a lodgings business in the area and I liked the station immediately,' said mother-of-two Carol, 54.

 
The station was originally called Wilton Station, but changed name just after 1900 to Ebberston Station. Mark and Carol Benson now run the station as The Old Station

The station was originally called Wilton Station, but changed name just after 1900 to Ebberston Station. Mark and Carol Benson now run the station as The Old Station

'I found this place and said to my husband 'I want to buy it. It's very sad and rundown.

'The problem, as my husband pointed out was, 'where are we going to put the people?, and then it came to me - in the carriages of course! The rest is history.'

The station now welcomes people of all ages, with children arriving during school holidays and retired people throughout the year.

The business is owned by Carol Benson, pictured, and husband Mark

The business is owned by Carol Benson, pictured, and husband Mark

The 45-year-old carriages were First Class - they now offer a kitchen, sitting room, and two or three bedrooms

The 45-year-old carriages were First Class - they now offer a kitchen, sitting room, and two or three bedrooms

The 45-year-old carriages are historically First Class and offer a kitchen, lounge, two or three bedrooms and a bathroom too, with central heating and mod-cons such as TVs and DVD players.

The carriages also retain many features from their days as active train carriages.

Carol said: 'We really did keep the railway feel. People know they are on a train.

One of the main bedrooms at The Old Station

One of the main bedrooms at The Old Station

Another First Class sitting room with books, mirrors and comfy chairs as well as the long corridor

Another First Class sitting room with books, mirrors and comfy chairs as well as the long corridor

The guest house train features a kitchenette mixing old style comfort with some more modern features

The guest house train features a kitchenette mixing old style comfort with some more modern features

'When they go to the toilet the light comes on it the carriageway saying 'engaged'.

'We really put a lot of attention into detail. The communication cord is still there. If somebody pulls it I come round and collect £50 - that's the threat anyway!'

Carol and husband Mark, 55, who still has a day job as a surveyor for Network Rail, made the railway station itself their home.

The sitting room - the train also boasts central heating, TVs and DVD players

The sitting room - the train also boasts central heating, TVs and DVD players

'It's just as it was when it was a working station,' she said.

'We step out the door onto the platform and the carriages are situated as if they are pulling into the station - but they don't move.'

The Old Station is on the 16-mile Forge Valley Line, which was opened by the North Eastern Railway Company on May 1, 1882. The last passenger train on the line ran on June 3, 1950.

Such has been the success of The Old Station, which opened 17 years ago, comparable ventures are being set up in the railway-mad region.

Co-owner Carol, 54, mother-of-two, said when she first saw the station: 'We were looking to set up a lodgings business in the area and I liked the station immediately'

Co-owner Carol, 54, mother-of-two, said when she first saw the station: 'We were looking to set up a lodgings business in the area and I liked the station immediately'

All aboard the 'sleeper' train...... 17 years of restoration has seen a former derelict railway station
All aboard the 'sleeper' train...... 17 years of restoration has seen a former derelict railway station

Looking to set up a lodgings business in the area Carol told her husband: 'I want to buy this. It's very sad and run down'

'Well, since converting the carriages, we've noticed there have been a few more set up nearby, which isn't such a surprise!' Carol continued.

'We're okay with it, anyway, we enjoy a bit of competition!'

And to describe The Old Station in three words?

Carol said: 'Oh that's easy! 'First Class accommodation!'

Original charm: the station features old posters and mod cons such as central heating and DVD players

Original charm: the station features old posters and mod cons such as central heating and DVD players


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