Severn Valley Railway bosses are hoping to capitalise on the success of movie blockbuster The King’s Speech – by opening up to the public an armour-plated carriage used by King George VI during World War Two.

Bosses at the Shropshire tourist attraction are inviting train and film fans to view the historic 56-tonne carriage this month at its Engine House Visitor Centre at Highley, near Bridgnorth.

Visitor services manager David Mee today said he was expecting bumper crowds due to the interest generated by the Oscar-winning movie, starring Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter.

Mr Mee said: “Throughout the tourist industry you can see that whenever you get a film about a particular issue it raises awareness and people want to know a little bit more. Lots of people are currently taking an interest in King George VI’s very interesting life and it is an ideal exhibit for them.

“The King’s Speech was a great film that has really sparked people’s imaginations and we want to offer people the chance to learn more.”

The carriage is thought to have been the scene of important meetings between the monarch and Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and Charles De Gaulle.

It was built with reinforced steel frames and armour-plated roof panels and window shutters in a bid to protect King George VI from possible aerial attack by Hitler’s Luftwaffe. It is one of the heaviest coaches ever to run on British rails.

The Queen Mother used an identical version of the carriage during the war, with the couple travelling more than 63,000 miles as they visited bomb-damaged cities across Britain.

Severn Valley Railway received the carriage as a gift from the National Railway Museum in York.

Mr Mee said: “They had two of the carriages and gave us this one as part of their overall aim to let more British people view the nation’s rail heritage.

“Currently we’ve no plan at all to use it as a working train.

“Even though that is theoretically possible and would not take a huge amount of work, it is such a historic vehicle that it is better kept indoors.”

Bosses at the railway are currently working out whether it is possible to allow visitors on board the carriage in future.

Mr Mee said: “That is something we are very much keen to do but it is like any historical exhibit, it needs to be done sensitively, with security and tour guides.

“It might need some investment, but we’re not ruling it out if we exhibit the carriage again.”

The carriage will be on display until April 26.