The Merchant Navy class of locomotives was designed by Oliver Bulleid at the beginning of the Second World War and rebuilt in the late-1950s under the direction of Ron Jarvis. 35005 Canadian Pacific is the oldest survivor. The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to help finance its overhaul also supported the restoration of Bulleid-designed, wooden-framed coaches and an out reach project to engage the interest of people of all ages in railway engineering.

Canadian Pacific spent much of its life hauling heavy express trains between London and the South Coast, including those full of holiday makers or boat trains. It was also used for troop and freight movements during the Second World War.

Built at Eastleigh in 1941 by a workforce that would have included many women, CanPac is an excellent local example of heavy engineering. It touched the lives of many throughout its working career, including those who worked on it and those who were hauled by it.

We have funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund and much work has since been done. But we still need to raise further funds to complete the restoration of Canadian Pacific and our Bulleid wooden-framed carriages and return them to service on the Watercress Line over the next two years.

Find out more about the Watercress Line and CanPac at www.watercressline.co.uk