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‘The Earl’ to be overhauled at Vale of Rheidol Railway
14th May 2019
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is to send one of its two original locomotives, 0-6-0T No. 822 ‘The Earl’ for a major overhaul at the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s Aberystwyth workshops, taking the engine out of a long queue for work at its home line.
Built by Manchester firm Beyer Peacock in 1902 for the opening of the W&LLR a year later, 'The Earl' and its sister locomotive ‘Countess’ have been stalwarts of the mid Wales line through its entire life. 'The Earl' hauled the first public train of the preservation era on 6th April 1963, and the two sisters worked most passenger trains until the arrival of Franco-Belge locomotive 699.01 ‘Sir Drefaldwyn’ from Austria in 1969.
'The Earl' continued to work until 1978 when major repairs became necessary, and the loco was withdrawn, afterwards going on extended display at the National Railway Museum in York, the Birmingham Railway Museum and the Great Western Society’s Steam Centre at Didcot. Mounted on a standard gauge well wagon, 'The Earl' also took part in the 1980 ‘Rocket 150’ cavalcade at Shildon celebrating 150 years since the Rainhill Trials and the advent of public steam railways.
The loco returned to the Llanfair Line in 1991 and in 1996 a Heritage Lottery Fund grant enabled a major overhaul to begin including replacement of the boiler – this work was finished in time for the W&LLR centenary celebrations in 2003.
Since then 'The Earl' has been a core member of the line’s loco fleet – in the 2018 season it ran 3,310 miles, or 32 per cent of the total engine mileage that year, before being withdrawn with a fault in October, shortly before its 10-year boiler ticket expired.
While this will be the first time the W&LLR has sent a locomotive away for an overhaul, the move is no reflection on the capabilities of the line’s own mechanical engineering department, which is extremely busy. The W&LLR workshop team are currently in the final stages of a nut-and-bolt restoration of 'Sir Drefaldwyn'; with the popular Sierra Leone Hunslet No. 14/85 in the queue for overhaul and two more locomotives coming to the end of their boiler tickets in 2020 and 2021, it was decided to accelerate the work required on 'The Earl' by having the VoR carry out the overhaul in parallel with the in-house projects.
“We considered several highly qualified suppliers for this overhaul”, said W&LLR Chief Mechanical Engineer Bruce Webber. “The Vale of Rheidol impressed us with its excellent engineering standards and very strong references from previous customers.”
As well as restoring its own 2-6-2T locomotive ‘Owain Glyndwr’ to service after many years out of use, the VoR has also recently fully overhauled the Talyllyn Railway’s Hughes 0-4-2T ‘Sir Haydn’ and is currently restoring a Baldwin 4-6-0T for the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway.
The VoR also shares a common heritage with the W&LLR. Despite a difference in gauge (the W&LLR 2ft 6in gauge, the VoR 2ft), both were operated by the Great Western Railway and later British Railways. Indeed cattle wagons built for the Rheidol line were transferred to Llanfair and on the W&LLR’s closure in 1956 one went to the Ffestiniog Railway, before being bought back by the VoR in late 2017 and restored to its original specification.
Both railways are key players on the Welsh narrow gauge scene and members of the Great Little Trains of Wales marketing group, through which they have a history of sharing information and technical expertise.
Commenting on the decision, VoR General Manager Llyr ap Iolo said that everyone at Aberystwyth is delighted with the commission. “We are proud that the W&LLR has entrusted such an iconic and historic engine to us – we will be working hard to meet the specification and timeline,” he added.
'The Earl' will be transported to Aberystwyth in June for disassembly and forwarding of the boiler to another firm for specialist work. The overhaul will start in earnest in September and a return to steam is scheduled for June 2020, in time for the busy high season on the Llanfair Line.
Dougal returns from epic global adventure
29th April 2019
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s smallest steam locomotive returned to familiar rails on Thursday 18th April, after an epic seven-month adventure that involved an almost 8,000-mile round trip to the other side of the world.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T ‘Dougal’, built in 1946 for a gasworks in Glasgow and resident on the Llanfair Line since 1967, had set off for the Far East nation of Taiwan in September. It was fulfilling an invitation to be the star guest at the signing of a ‘Sister Railway’ co-operation agreement between the W&LLR and the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC).
TSC once owned more than 40 sugar mills around Taiwan, but as sugar production has declined the corporation has diversified into other areas, and now operates five short heritage railways at former mills that it owns.
Under the agreement the W&LLR is making its knowledge and experience gained in more than 50 years of tourist railway operation available to TSC. The return benefits include technical assistance, particularly in the maintenance of the W&LLR’s Diema diesel locomotive that was purchased from TSC in 2004, and cross-level tourist promotion – the UK and especially Wales are becoming increasingly attractive destinations for travellers from the Far East.
TSC fully funded the shipping of Dougal to Taiwan for the signing ceremony on 8th December in the city of Chiayi. This formed part of the launch of the corporation’s annual Sugar Festival, which took the theme of ‘Taiwan and British Railway Culture Exchange.’
Large crowds attended the event, while the presence of Dougal and the signing ceremony, between W&LLR company secretary Michael Reilly and TSC chairman Charles Huang, resulted in extensive coverage by the Taiwan media, including several reports broadcast on national TV news.
Dougal then stayed on in Taiwan and was decorated for Christmas, while its final event before returning home was to take part in the Lantern Festival, an important celebration in the Pacific nation. For this a group of local supporters crowdfunded the making of a special Welsh Dragon lantern for the locomotive to carry, and have since donated the lantern to the W&LLR, sending it home with Dougal.
Dougal was able to be steamed, at reduced pressure, for demonstration purposes in Taiwan. But significant boiler work is required to the locomotive and currently the W&LLR cannot allocate resources, both in terms of funding and volunteer time, to carry out the repairs – particularly as Dougal is too small to haul passenger trains on the steeply graded and challenging route of the mid-Wales line.
Therefore for the present the locomotive has returned to its position in the railway’s display shed at Welshpool Raven Square station. Panels will be produced to tell the story of Dougal’s Far East adventure, and eventually the lantern will be included in a full display documenting the railway’s many global connections in a new visitor centre being created at Llanfair Caereinion station.
W&LLR marketing and publicity director Andrew Charman, who with Michael Reilly attended the Sugar Festival in December as the guests of TSC, described the visit of Dougal as a major success. “We have gained global recognition for our railway while making a host of new and valued friends in Taiwan,” Andrew said.
He added; “TSC has obviously taken the greatest of care of our little locomotive. It has been returned to us in pristine condition, and will certainly impress visitors to our display shed at Raven Square until such time as we can allocate the resources to return Dougal to steam.”
Celebrating a Welsh railway link with Africa
25th April 2019
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway marks Sierra Leone Independence Day on Saturday 27 April with Sierra Leone carriages in the train, guests from the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum, a performance by a bagpiper of the national anthems, plus special displays and activities.
What's the connection? In 1975, when the W&L was looking to augment its passenger fleet with carriages for its unusual gauge of 2'6", it procured British-built carriages and a Hunslet steam engine from the Sierra Leone Railway which had closed the previous year. The engine served the W&L for many years and is now on display at Llanfair Caereinion, awaiting its turn for a major overhaul in the railway's workshops. The carriages at the W&L, part of a gift from the UK to Sierra Leone to mark independence in 1961, comprise a third class seating and a first class with just sixteen elegant upholstered chairs.
The W&L treasures its links with the African country and some of its members are also active with the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum. Two officials from the Museum will be guests of the W&L on Saturday.
Both the carriages will be in the timetabled train which will make three round trips between Llanfair Caereinion and Welshpool on Saturday. Seating in the first class carriage will be first come, first served at no extra charge, but visitors will be asked to travel only one way in this special carriage. Unfortunately dogs may not travel in the first class carriage and due to space limitations wheelchair users and pushchairs will have to be accommodated elsewhere on the train. W&L members' free travel is not valid in the first class carriage.
In addition to displays and activities about the fascinating story of Sierra Leone and how the W&LLR came to be part of its history, the tearoom at Llanfair Caereinion will be celebrating with a dish called "binch", a spicy vegetarian soup which is a speciality of Sierra Leone.
Easter Bunny answers sound of Llanfair Line whistles
13th April 2019
Steam whistles are sounding in the Banwy Valley again, the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway having opened its full 2019 operating season on Saturday, 13th April.
For the past couple of years the popular mid-Wales tourist attraction has run February ‘Winter Warmer’ trains over half its route, between Llanfair Caereinion and Castle Caereinion, to cater for school half-term visitors, but the full season traditionally begins just before Easter. The trains are running again, just in time to welcome a visitor expecially popular with children.
Over the Easter weekend, 20th to 22nd April, the Easter Bunny will be much in evidence around the line and children travelling on the train will be encouraged to spot the Easter Eggs placed en route, and on arrival at Llanfair collect their own free chocolate egg from the Bunny.
The Easter Bunny’s visit will be just the first of a number of special events the railway will run over the 2019 season. Some, such as the Vintage Weekends, Fish & Chips and Welsh Tea trains will be familiar, but there are new events too. These include a ‘Rock n’ Rails’ music festival at Llanfair on 8th June, and ‘Theatre from the Train’ on 7th July when travellers will be treated to a wide variety of entertainment and tableaux along the entire route of the line.
Over the winter the railway’s mostly volunteer workforce has been busy on essential but mostly unseen maintenance work, to ensure the line is ready for the new season. Major work undertaken out in the cold winter weather has included the dismantling and refurbishment of a bridge near Llanfair and essential groundwork for the extension to the railway’s stock sheds at Welshpool Raven Square.
Meanwhile in the Llanfair workshops teams have been busy on the extensive winter maintenance required on operating steam locomotives ‘Countess’ and ‘Joan’, while continuing the restoration of No.699.01 ‘Sir Drefaldwyn’ which it is hoped will return to service late in 2019.
Llanfair Line plugs in to electric car charging
14th March 2019
At a ceremony held today the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway officially launched its newly-installed fast-charging points for electric vehicles (EVs).
The two charging points are part of a wide-ranging programme of improvements being undertaken on the popular mid-Wales heritage railway, thanks to an £89,000 grant made to the line by the Welsh Government under the Tourism Amenity Investment Support (TAIS) scheme. This is part of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
The charging points are likely to prove popular with EV users, as they are located approximately midway between the urban West Midlands and the Welsh coast – a route with few public fast-charge points and virtually none of the fast 22kW/hr units. Their installation illustrates the growing use of more environmentally-friendly electric vehicles and the need to provide recharging facilities for them.
Guests at the launch event included Cllr Viola Evans of Llanfair Town Council, who observed the recharging of an e-Niro electric car kindly provided for the event by Kia UK. Among W&LLR representatives present was member Jo Truby, a great advocate of electric cars who uses a Renault Zoe EV as her daily transport.
The charging points will complement a recently completed environmental programme at the railway, which has included the installation of solar panels, setting up full recycling facilities, the elimination of single-use plastics in the tearoom, LED light conversion and composting.
The TAIS funding will also permit the reinstatement of trackwork at Cyfronydd Station and Sylfaen halt, building of a replica of the original cattle dock and restoration of a historic London & North Western Railway grounded brake van at Cyfronydd, and the at Welshpool Raven Square fitting out of newly extended sheds for public access and for use as a special events venue.
The Welsh language will be prominent across the improvement programme, with all-new signage provided in bilingual form to emphasise the railway’s roots in the community.
W&LLR press officer Andrew Charman, who when not volunteering for the railway is a professional motoring journalist, said that providing fast-charging points for EVs is becoming increasingly important.
“The way people travel by road is changing – sales of electric and hybrid vehicles grew 20 per cent in 2018 in a market that overall dropped seven per cent, and many manufacturers are committed to all their cars having some form of electric propulsion by the middle of the next decade,” Andrew said.
“However the public infrastructure to charge these vehicles is still lagging behind, particularly in mid-Wales. By installing these points we will benefiting both the railway and its customers.”
Llanfair Town Council Chairman Cllr Kate Roberts congratulated the railway on the launch of the electric car charging points, commenting; “They will be an excellent addition to what is already a first-class visitor attraction in the town – we wish the W&LLR every success now and in the future.”
Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, described the TAIS scheme as an excellent way for Government to assist the tourism sector to make improvements to local facilities and amenities. “I’ve seen the improvements made in many areas with the help of this funding over the past year,” he said.
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway operates on more than 150 days of the year, between Easter and the end of October, during the February school half-term holiday and popular ‘Santa Special’ trains in December.
The railway has recently earned much praise for a programme to improve access to its trains for passengers using wheelchairs or having other mobility issues. A £42,500 grant from the UK Government allowed the purchase of wheelchair lifts for the two terminus stations and refurbishment of two bogie carriages, allowing them to take larger modern wheelchairs.
Llanfair Line visitors to benefit from £89,000 Government grant
25th January 2019
Charging points for electric vehicles will top a wide range of improvements to be carried out on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, thanks to an £89,000 grant made to the line by the Welsh Government.
The funding has been awarded to the railway by the Tourism Amenity Investment Support (TAIS) scheme, part of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
The improvements at the popular tourist attraction meet a variety of needs, but a common theme will be better access and attractions for visitors.
At the Llanfair Caereinion terminus two electric vehicle charging points will be made available for visitors who will be almost exactly halfway between central Shropshire and the Welsh Coast. The installation of these points illustrates the growing use of more environmentally-friendly electric vehicles and the need to provide recharging facilities for them.
The charging points will complement a recently completed environmental programme at the railway, which has included the installation of solar panels, setting up full recycling facilities, the elimination of single-use plastics in the tearoom, LED light conversion and composting.
Also benefiting from TAIS funding will be Cyfronydd Station, just off the A458 road, where the railway will reinstate a siding to allow the stabling of special trains or heritage goods trains, and reconstruct a cattle dock that once stood on the site, as a marker of the original function of a rural light railway. A historic grounded brake van from the London & North Western Railway will also be restored as a shelter.
Funding will also improve Sylfaen Halt, one of the most visible intemediate points on the W&LLR located alongside one of the few laybys along the A458 to the Welsh coast. Already a popular spot for motorists to pause their journey and watch the trains pass, the halt will see the installation of a new track loop allowing trains to pass each other, an improved passenger shelter and information boards.
At its Welshpool terminus, the W&LLR has already commissioned shed extensions that will double the covered space available to protect historic carriages, wagons and other large artefacts. Funding provided by the grant will make the sheds suitable for public access, provide lighting and security for the exhibits and support interpretative material to explain their role in operating the original railway. It will also enable the sheds to provide undercover facilities to host special events such as exhibitions.
The Welsh language will be prominent across the improvement programme, with all new signage provided in bilingual form to emphasise the railway’s roots in the community.
“Our mandate as a charity is to preserve and to operate our 116-year-old railway as a demonstration of how it supported the local agricultural community which opened it in 1903”, says W&LLR general manager Charles Spencer.
“The volunteers who will be working on all these projects and contributing some of their own funds are very excited about the benefits the TAIS grant will bring, as we welcome more visitors each year.”
Welsh Government Deputy Minister, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “This scheme is an excellent way for us to assist the tourism sector to make the improvements to local facilities and amenities, and I’ve seen the improvements made in many areas with the help of this funding over the past year.
“Facilities such as footpaths toilets, signage, car parking are often only noticed when the provision is lacking or not up to scratch – which shows that they are an important part of the experience that people have of Wales. This is also an investment by the public sector in amenities for those who live in the area and will benefit locals and visitors alike. These projects also make it easier for local residents and visitors to become more active in Wales’ natural environment.”
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway operates on more than 150 days of the year, between Easter and the end of October, during the February school half-term holiday and popular ‘Santa Special’ trains in December.
The railway has recently earned much praise for a programme to improve access to its trains for passengers using wheelchairs or having other mobility issues. A £42,500 grant from the UK Government allowed the purchase of wheelchair lifts for the two terminus stations and refurbishment of two bogie carriages, allowing them to take larger modern wheelchairs.
Entertainment first on the Llanfair Line
7th January 2019
A summer event planned for the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is expected to transform the countryside of the Banwy Valley as never before.
While the fields will still be full of sheep, some of them might be pantomime sheep. A lost Roman legion may march on Castle Caereinion. And the appearance of invaders from space may herald a frightening future for Llanfair.
Of course it’s all for fun and entertainment – special Sunday trains are to be run by the Llanfair Line on 7th July, during which travellers will be treated to what is thought to be Britain’s first ever ‘Theatre from the Train’.
Frequent train departures will allow travellers to view the wild goings-on along the railway’s eight-mile route and these will be matched by colourful events at the stations in Llanfair Caereinion, Castle Caereinion and Welshpool Raven Square.
The event has the support of Welshpool Town Council and has secured sponsorship from the Welshpool-based Potter Group.
Organisers are planning for choirs, musicians and street entertainers to join a host of amateur artistes, young and old, to create a spectacle that will be remembered for years. Several groups have already signed up for the event – anyone interested in joining them and putting on a show is being asked to contact the railway now.
“It looks as though passengers on our special trains may be listening to the beautiful music of the harp one moment, and witnessing an invasion of zombies the next – anything is possible,” says W&LLR member Carol Davies, who is organising the event on behalf of the railway.
“Since the idea of Theatre from the Train was first put forward we have had some great suggestions put to us from local people, some with experience of performing and some with none at all.
“We’ve heard from music societies, drama groups, young farmers, a ladies golf team, and many individuals with imaginative ideas.
Carol adds that to her knowledge an entertainment of this kind has never been tried in Britain before; “We are in unchartered territory, but we are open to ideas from everyone and the Welsh countryside provides a huge open-air theatre space.
“We would like to hear from anyone who has an entertaining idea, whether it’s for a solo act or a dramatic group performance.”
A meeting for anyone with an interest in taking part in Theatre From a Train will be held from 7.00pm at Welshpool Town Hall on Friday, 11th January. Potential participants can also contact Penny Jones for information at penny400 [at] outlook.com
Keep an eye on this website for further details leading up to the event.
Llanfair Line and locomotive Dougal star in Taiwan
15th December 2018
A small piece of Wales made a big impression in the Far East on Saturday 8th December, when the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway signed a ‘Sister Railway’ co-operation agreement with the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC).
The signing ceremony was held in the city of Chiayi as part of the launch of TSC’s annual Sugar Festival, which for 2018 is taking a theme of ‘Taiwan and British Railway Culture Exchange.’
Star of the Festival is the mid-Wales heritage railway’s 0-4-0T tank engine ‘Dougal’. The Andrew Barclay locomotive, built in 1946 for a gasworks in Glasgow and resident on the Welsh line since 1967, was specially shipped to Taiwan for the event by TSC.
First connections between the W&LLR and TSC were made in 2004 when the Welsh line purchased a 1979-built Diema diesel locomotive from the corporation. Then after the W&LLR signed a sister railway agreement in 2017 with the Alishan Forest Railway, another major line in Taiwan, TSC suggested similar co-operation.
TSC once owned more than 40 sugar mills around Taiwan, but as sugar production has declined the corporation has diversified into other areas, and now operates five short heritage railways at former mills that it owns.
Under the agreement the W&LLR is making its knowledge and experience gained in more than 50 years of tourist railway operation available to TSC, while the return benefits include technical assistance, particularly in the maintenance of the W&LLR’s Diema, and cross-level tourist promotion – the UK and Wales are now becoming increasingly attractive destinations for travellers from the Far East.
TSC suggested the visit of Dougal to the sugar festival, and this proved a very popular move – this year’s first festival weekend attracted large crowds of visitors. The presence of Dougal and the signing ceremony, between W&LLR company secretary Michael Reilly and TSC chairman Charles Huang, was covered extensively in the Taiwan media, including several reports on national TV news.
“The level of interest in our little locomotive and our railway that we saw in Taiwan was quite incredible,” said W&LLR markeitng and publicity director Andrew Charman. He and Michael Reilly attended the festival as the guests of TSC, Andrew also making a presentation on the W&LLR to an international railway forum held the day before the signing ceremony.
“The railway’s profile has certainly been raised in this increasingly important market, as has that of Wales as a nation and a tourist destination for Far-East travellers,” Andrew added. “We have already had meaningful discussions with TSC as to how both parties can see further significant benefits from our co-operation.”
W&LLR chairman Steve Clews was disappointed to be unable to attend the ceremony due to a prior commitment, but he recorded a video message of welcome that was played at the event. “We are very pleased to be entering into this relationship with our friends from TSC and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relaitonship,” Steve said.
Dougal is expected to remain in Taiwan for at least six months. Further events involving the locomotive to benefit both TSC and the W&LLR are currently under discussion.
Railway marks Armistice with special trains and ceremony
3rd November 2018
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s main operating season ends on Sunday 4th November but a week later two special trains will run to commemorate the Armistice that ended the 1914-18 Great War.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, the railway will run separate trains from Welshpool and Llanfair Caereinion to meet at Castle Caereinion for a brief ceremony.
In order to accommodate other events organised on Armistice Day by the respective branches of the Royal British Legion, trains will depart each terminus at 1.15pm on Sunday, 11th November. They will be piped into Castle Caereinion station, where the Last Post and Reveille will be sounded along with a performance of the renowned poem, ‘In Flanders Fields’. Each train will arrive back at its departing station at 2.25pm.
Subject to availability, one of the locomotives rostered on these services will be No. 823 ‘Countess’, built in 1902 for the opening of the line, and which operated during both wars.
The fare is a flat £5 per person for the return trip to Castle. However, anyone wearing their own earned medals will travel free, as will anyone whose family name appears on the War Memorials at Llanfair Caereinion, Castle Caereinion or Welshpool.
The tearoom at Llanfair Caereinion and the station at Welshpool Raven Square will be open for hot and cold drinks and confections from 12 noon to 3pm.
“The railway was opened in 1903 and supported the local community through both World Wars”, said W&LLR general manager Charles Spencer. “As the son of parents who both served in the Canadian forces during the Second World War, I am very proud to be honouring those from this area who served.”
Welshpool & Llanfair trains are accessible for wheelchair users at both terminal stations. However, passengers with mobility issues should not alight at Castle Caereinion but observe the ceremony from their carriages. There will be heated carriages on both trains.
Please note that it will not be possible to make a journey from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion and back. The railway also requests that uniforms are worn only by those entitled to do so, out of respect for serving personnel. The railway is grateful for the support of Welshpool Town Council in mounting this commemoration.
Following the commemoration the W&LLR will then be closed for the winter, the next trains the popular Santa Specials on 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd December. More details of these can be found on the website at www.wllr.org.uk, while intending travellers requiring more informaiton on the Armistice trains can also call the railway on 01938 810441.
Dougal heads for Far East
25th September 2018
A narrow-gauge locomotive normally resident at the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is to visit the Far East as part of a new co-operation agreement between the mid-Wales line and the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taisugar).
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T ‘Dougal’, built in 1946 to work at a gasworks in Glasgow, and acquired in 1969 by the W&LLR’s then general manager, will be spending around six months in Taiwan, during which it will be a star guest at a major festival in December.
The initiative is the result of a twinning arrangement that has been agreed between the W&LLR and Taisugar. Similar to an agreement signed in 2017 between the Welsh line and the Alishan Railway, another major line in Taiwan, the twinning promotes long-term mutual co-operation and exchange between the two railways.
The Taiwan Sugar Corporation once owned more than 40 mills around the country, but as sugar production has declined it has diversified into other areas, and Taisugar now operates five short heritage railways at former mills that it owns.
Part of the agreement will see the W&LLR providing the benefits of experience gained in more than 50 years of tourist railway operation to Taisugar, while the return benefits will include technical assistance, particularly in the maintenance of 1979-built Diema diesel loco no 17, which the Welsh line purchased from Taisugar in 2004. Cross-level tourist promotion will also be undertaken at a time when the UK is becoming increasingly attractive desitnations for travellers from the Far East.
The W&LLR board has also agreed to Taisugar’s request to send Dougal to Taiwan on a six-month loan, in order for the loco to appear at the annual Sugar Festival in December – the major celebration of the sugar industry’s year. The theme of this year’s Festival is to be ‘Taiwan and British Railway Culture Exchange.’
While basically in working order, Dougal has not run on the W&LLR since 2013, when significant and expensive boiler work was deemed necessary. As the loco’s small size prevents it being used for passenger traffic, it has remained out of use since with the line’s limited resources necessarily focused on the front-line fleet.
A member of the W&LLR’s engineering team will travel to Taiwan to oversee the locomotive’s unloading and a technical inspection by Taisugar. The sugar company has indicated that depending on the results of this inspection an offer may be made to carry out work on Dougal to bring it up to operating condition. No work will commence until the W&LLR has been fully consulted and agreed to what extent, if any, restoration should be undertaken.
All costs of Dougal’s visit to Taiwan are being fully met by Taisugar, and there will be no call upon the resources of the W&LLR at a time when the railway is fully committed to both current maintenance and future development of the line.
W&LLR chairman Steve Clews has welcomed the agreement with Taisugar, and the bold move to send Dougal to Taiwan. “We are already seeing benefits from our twinning agreement with the Alishan line and we would expect similar benefits to both sides from an agreement with Taisugar, particularly in the areas of promoting tourism,” Steve said.
“As Dougal is currently unable to work on our railway, the visit to Taiwan will enable the loco to make a major contribution to both cementing our growing relations with Taiwan and in promoting the W&LLR to the increasingly important Far East tourism market.”
Dougal will depart for Taiwan later this month. More updates will follow as the visit progresses.