Treloar’s was delighted to be invited by the The Watercress Line Heritage Railway to be part of their unveiling of the Merchant Navy-class locomotive 35005 Canadian Pacific following her 14 year restoration. It was also the first running of the phase one accessible carriage designed with the help of the Let Me In team.
During a day of celebration, our Let Me In and internship students, Is and Thomas met the Canadian High Commissioner, as well as the CEO of National Lottery Heritage Fund. The students were also interviewed for local TV news and tested the new accessibility features now installed on the Watercress Line.
Last year, Let Me In students visited the workshops at Ropley and reviewed the design plans for the accessible carriage, where the layout of the carriage was marked out in masking tape on the floor. Our students tested the layout and made suggestions for how access could be improved for their powerchairs. BBC South Today filmed their visit to the workshops in September. Watch the clip on Treloar's YouTube channel.
Phase two is going to include a full carriage designed to be accessible from the ground up whilst in keeping with the heritage theme of the Watercress Line. We are very proud of our ongoing partnership and proud that through this collaboration, our students are contributing to improving the experience for all Watercress Line visitors with mobility needs.
