Five vintage railway carriages dating back more than 115 years have been broken into and vandalised at a heritage railway site in Ruddington.
The carriages, which date from between 1903 and 1910, are owned by the Great Central Railway Rolling Stock Trust and are currently kept at the centre’s site.
The damage is believed to have happened on the evening of Saturday 9 May 2026.
Pictures shared by the trust show signs of forced entry, with the body of the oldest carriage significantly damaged. An electronic item was also smashed, and graffiti tags were sprayed on the exterior and interior of all five carriages.
The trust said a report had been submitted to Nottinghamshire Police, but added that the online reporting process appeared to direct the matter to British Transport Police. As the carriages are on a heritage railway site, the trust said it was concerned that the information had not been transferred correctly.
The carriages have both educational and financial value, particularly once restored, and form part of the wider effort to preserve historic railway stock.
A spokesperson for the trust said incidents of vandalism placed extra costs on the charity and diverted money away from restoration work.
They said: “These carriages have an educational value when restored as well as a significant financial one. Mindless attacks like this cost the charity additional expense, where we could be applying funds to a positive purpose.”
The trust is now appealing for anyone with information about the break-in or vandalism to come forward.
