Sponsor a Print

Launching the Progress in Prints Initiative!

Sponsor a historic London, Midland & Scottish Railway carriage print and help us to progress our dream to complete the restorations of two Derby-built coaches.

Since our last update in June, we have raised 20% more of our £100,000 fundraising target to complete our Midland Railway carriage restorations. Currently, £92,154 stands in The Century Appeal’s ring-fenced fund.

We are extremely grateful to donors who have given generously so far. Your support has made a huge difference to us achieving a great dream.

Our dedicated Carriage & Wagon team have been making superb progress in the dismantling and assessment of vehicle No. 241. Our team is liaising with other LMS carriage experts to get the details right, ordering parts for the restorations and using up the money already raised!

The Century Appeal – £100,000 for 100 years

Fundraising latest (April 2024): £92,154

The Century Appeal is aiming to raise £100,000 to return two very historic railway vehicles, built a century ago in 1922, to service on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. Our line is a perfect home for these two ‘Cinderella’ carriages, which have never yet been fully restored in their preservation lives, because they are typical of the carriages frequently used on our railway in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.

We have currently raised over 50% of our target so we are well on our way to success!

Explore the pages below to learn about the carriages, the latest news and how you can contribute.

238 + 241 being retrieved from Bolton Abbey (Matt Anderson)

The Century Appeal

How to Support the Project

There are a number of ways to donate to this project.

Sponsor a Seat

These two carriages have 96 seats across both vehicles in 16 compartments. We are offering each seat for sponsorship, perhaps for yourself or for someone else. Each seat is £999, or can be secured with a monthly donation for twenty months of £50. Seats will first be allocated in the first restored vehicle so an early sponsor means you’ll be able to ride in the vehicle you helped to restore sooner. Every sponsor will receive an invitation to the launch of their restored ‘seat’ and a certificate of participation including a visual representation of the carriages.

Regular Donations

Regular income is very important to sustaining the delivery of this project over a number of years. You can donate regularly, in an amount you select, by clicking the ‘Donate Monthly’ button below. Similarly, you are welcome to instruct your bank to set up a direct debit to the Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust (Holdings) Limited, Sort code: 20 78 42 Account number: 50901571, or use the link to the form which you can print.

One-Off Donations

We welcome, too, one-off donations by sending a cheque payable to ‘Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust’, Bolton Abbey Station, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6AF, or digitally by using the form below.