An empty train carriage originally designed to be the pinnacle of luxury train travel is for sale along with its coastal section in a seaside subdivision in Taranaki.
The carriage was part of the Silver Star luxury overnight train that ran between Auckland and Hamilton in the 1970s before it was retired and now lies in the middle of an empty coastal section surrounded by hedges.
Taranaki man Craig Julian had planned to transform the three-metre wide, 19-metre long carriage into a bach when he found it in a Thames yard about 10 years ago.
The Silver Star train had been purchased by an Indonesian company that runs the Eastern and Oriental Express, but six carriages had been left in New Zealand for spare parts.
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Julian, who admits being drawn to different things, had known the carriages were at a foundry in Thames and popped in to enquire about them when he was passing one day.
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He was told the entire six carriages had been sold the week earlier, but he was given the owner’s name and a vague direction of where he worked.
He tracked down the owner who agreed to sell him one of the carriages and it was transported by a Tauranga trucking company to a 1108sqm section on Anglers Avenue, in Warea, New Plymouth, in 2016.
“I just literally happened to be in the right place at the right time and I can assure you that doesn’t happen very often.”
The 19-metre-long carriage sits on a 1108sqm section that looks out to the water. Photo / Supplied
Formerly the pinnacle of luxury rail travel in the 1970s, the carriage is now surrounded by wild flowers and shrubs, with a view of Mount Taranaki behind it. Photo / Supplied
Julian had originally planned to put a transportable home on the section, but changed his mind when the chance to buy the carriage came up.
“I’m interested in unique things I guess and I thought having a railway carriage on a property is quite a unique thing to have. They were quite well known when they were sitting in Thames because when I went and saw the guy in the office he said he would easily have a couple of enquiries every week about buying them.”
He lived nearby the Warea section and had wanted to turn the carriage into a studio with a bathroom at one end and an open-plan living area and bedroom. His plan would have included putting the carriage back on its bogies and then onto a piece of train track and surrounded by a wrap-around deck to complete a train station vibe.
However, a change of circumstances meant the 50-year-old’s dream of renovating the carriage and moving there permanently never transpired so he made the decision to sell.
“If I was younger, if I was still in my 20s I’d be going for it (doing it up) in that thing.”
Julian had even asked his son who lived in Wellington if he wanted to take over the project, but he declined.
The owner had planned to convert the coach into a bach. Photo / Supplied
Since listing the property, he had received several offers from people wanting to buy just the carriage but was adamant about selling as a package.
He hoped the next owner would carry on his dream to complete the carriage conversion.
The area, which is just 35 minutes from New Plymouth and 20 minutes from Ōpunake, is close to a boat ramp and popular surf spots.
The property is priced by negotiation but has a price indication of $360,000, while a bare section several doors down at Lot 12 Anglers Avenue is inviting buyer enquiry over $299,000.
Harcourts listing agent Shelley Landon-Lane said it was a unique and niche opportunity for someone looking for something completely different.
“It’s not going to suit everybody. It is something very different and unusual and unique, but I see it as a really good opportunity for someone who wants to build an alternative home in a very beautiful setting with the mountain behind you and the ocean in front of you.”
Landon-Lane said it was “one of the best scenic commutes” driving along the coastline from New Plymouth to Warea.
“I’m sold on the coast. I love anywhere from Ōakura down to Ōpunake – anywhere down there is amazing.”
The Anglers Avenue subdivision was converted from farmland about 20 years ago and has a mix of properties ranging from utility sheds and tiny homes to larger houses.
Landon-Lane said initially the rules around what could be built on the sections was extremely limiting, but those restrictions had eased over the years.
- Lot 9 Anglers Avenue, Warea, New Plymouth, is for sale by way of price by negotiation
