Joanna, also known as carriage number six, has left her home at Hayling Seaside Railway bound for a quieter life on a museum railway in Surrey.

The carriage was hand-built and painted by owner Bob Haddock, who named her after his eldest daughter, Joanna, who is now 23.

Mr Haddock, 61, from Cosham, said: 'It was sad to see her go but the museum really wanted her so I said they could take her.

'Since we built the new, larger coaches we used Joanna as Santa's grotto every Christmas and in the less glamorous role of housing the souvenir shop but she still had a lot of character.'

The railway began life in 1988 as the East Hayling Light Railway at Mill Rythe Holiday Camp but Havant Borough Council asked if it could relocate to the seafront in 2001.

It is now a family favourite on the island and during the summer runs daily between Beachlands and Eastoke Corner, and on Wednesday and weekends in the winter.

The railway is so busy the Hayling Railway Society was set up by a hard-working team of volunteers to run and maintain it.

The first three carriages made by Mr Haddock were also named after his other daughter, Annabel, and wife, Marilyn. Together they were pulled by Jack the diesel train, named after Mr Haddock's father, who inspired in him a lifelong passion for trains.

They are all still running.

He said: 'The railway opened August 8, 1988, the day Princess Beatrice was born. I wanted to name it after her but it was too expansive so in the end I just called it Jack and I think it fits just right.'

But it was Edwin, the veteran Ruston & Hornsby diesel locomotive – named after Mr Haddock's son – who pulled Joanna on her final Hayling journey to Chichester Avenue level crossing. From there she was taken to The Rural Life Centre, Tilford, near Farnham, Surrey.

Mr Haddock is not yet ready to give up his steam passion – he is currently building a steam engine with the help of another engineer, which he hopes will be ready by 2011.