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The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is now the proud owner of a former Great Western Railway standard gauge five-plank open wagon. The National Railway Museum has made this vehicle available as part of a rolling stock collections review.

The W&LLR intends to put the wagon on display at Welshpool Raven Square station to demonstrate the transhipment of goods that took place between the railway and the main line in pre-preservation days.

Standard gauge wagons were once common beside (although not on) the W&LLR – at the interchange with the main line at Welshpool Station, the light railway had exchange sidings over which goods were transhipped between the two railways. The former cattle docks still exist complete with a short section of mixed-gauge track, and Welshpool Town Council is planning to restore this area as a historical exhibit.

The original major reason for constructing the Welshpool & Llanfair line in 1902-03 was to connect the agricultural area surrounding Llanfair Caereinion with the important market town of Welshpool, carrying coal and other supplies up the valley and returning with livestock, timber and other agricultural products for Welshpool and other points on the main-line railway.

In a conversation with the National Railway Museum, W&LLR General Manager Charles Spencer mentioned his interest in recreating the transhipment scene at the railway’s current Welshpool terminus of Raven Square as part of the Llanfair Line’s mandate to educate the public about the railway’s history.

A transfer of ownership of former Great Western Railway wagon No. W108246, built in 1925, was arranged and the W&LLR organised transport from Shildon to Welshpool, where the wagon is to be placed on a standard gauge track panel next to a siding outside the shed in which narrow gauge heritage goods wagons are displayed.

“We are delighted to be taking responsibility for this heritage vehicle and to have the opportunity of demonstrating how the narrow-gauge railway served the rural community with a connection to the big railway”, said Charles Spencer.  “Having the wagon helps us fulfil our mandate as an educational charity to preserve and display our part of Britain’s’ railway heritage.”

“The National Railway Museum is very pleased to be working with the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway and to have found such a suitable home for this wagon on a railway which was once operated by the GWR”, said Anthony Coulls, Senior Curator at the Museum. “The W&LLR has an outstanding record for preserving and displaying heritage goods wagons, something which is paramount to the museum, allowing the public to appreciate and understand fully. The W&LLR runs transhipment demonstrations which the museum knew would interest railway enthusiasts and helped us to make the decision to entrust the wagon to them.”

The W&LLR regularly runs Vintage Weekends featuring mixed trains, including the railway’s three handsome replica Pickering carriages and heritage wagons hauled by one of the original Beyer-Peacock tank engines built for the opening of the line in 1903. Vintage steam and petrol road and farm vehicles are often on display and on the move at the Llanfair end of the line, and trans-shipment activities with the new wagon will add to the shunting and other demonstrations featured on these weekends.

The W&LLR’s Raven Square station is located one mile up the line from the original Welshpool yard, which was reached by a section of line that ran through the town. Today’s passengers board the narrow gauge train at Raven Square for the eight-mile journey to the farming town of Llanfair Caereinion, where the railway tea room, shop and workshops are located. Trains run at weekends from Easter to October and during the week from May to September.

One notable element will be missing at the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway this coming Saturday – visitors won’t hear the whistle of a steam locomotive!

For just one day on 24th September the railway’s steam fleet is taking a rest, as the W&LLR stages its first-ever diesel day. All passenger train services will be hauled by one of the line’s heritage diesel fleet, led by the 1949-built ‘Chattenden’ which before coming to the Llanfair line in 1968 worked for the Royal Navy on a railway in Kent.

The line’s works locomotives will also be making an appearance during the day, among them another military veteran, an MOD railcar called ‘The Wasp’. Low-down diesel, ‘Ferret’ will be hauling a freight train of former military stock, and the tiny but swift Wickham Trolley, powered by a motor cycle engine, will be moving around Llanfair yard.

Adding to the internal combustion theme, several vintage diesel lorries will be present including a 1960 Bedford.

“While obviously our steam locomotives are the major attraction for most visitors to the railway, there are a growing number of enthusiasts who have a passion for diesel locos, so this day is specially for them,” said W&LLR general manager, Charles Spencer.

“Steam enthusiasts should not worry, however,” Charles continued. “The steam fleet will only be having one day off and will be back hauling trains on Sunday.”
 

GREAT LITTLE TRAINS OF WALES PRESS RELEASE

Thanks to a competition sponsored by the Department for Transport, travellers to Wales have a new free guide to tell them how to visit the "Great Little Trains of Wales" and many other Welsh attractions by public transport. Taking the big trains to meet the little trains is the theme of a new 100 page guidebook launched at London King’s Cross station on 2^nd August.  It is published by the little railways, working together with Arriva Trains Wales, and includes ideas for intriguing places to stay and eat, walks, heritage sites and the magnificent scenery of Wales.

"Big Train meets Little Train" is inspired by the Bradshaw’s Guides of years gone by, and suggests a range of trips into and around Wales, encouraging the novice public transport user or overseas tourist to get out and about by rail. There is a feature on each of the eleven little trains, plus two of Wales’ beautiful community lines, run by Arriva Trains Wales. In addition, there are some real travellers’ tales to whet your appetite, including BBC ‘Antiques Roadshow’ expert, Paul Atterbury. There are suggestions on places to eat, journeys to make and places to stay as well as some local tips to get the most from your visit to this proud little country.

Rail Minister Paul Maynard said: "I am delighted that The Great Little Trains of Wales is one of 17 national winners across Britain in our Heritage and Community Railways competition. This new guide for visitors and tourists is a great way of showing the best that Britain has to offer. I look forward to seeing the scheme thrive and be of real benefit to tourists visiting Wales."

In May 2016, a £67,000 UK Government funding boost was awarded to the Great Little Train of Wales (GLTW) from the Department for Transport (DfT) to work together with Arriva Trains Wales to attract tourists from London to Wales. GLTW, which represents eleven railways across Wales, put together an entry for the DfT Heritage and Community Rail Tourism Innovation Competition and secured the grant to implement the plan.

And GLTW have not let the grass grow under their wheels – the pilot edition of their guide and website is being launched at King’s Cross station from 1200 on Tuesday 2^nd August. Traveller and Storyteller, Gavin Young, will be telling stories found during his family’s visit to Mid Wales. The exhibition will remain in place until 7^th August for people to collect their guide.

Newly appointed Chair of North Wales Tourism, Clare Britton, comments: "We are very pleased indeed to be working closely with GLTW and Arriva Trains Wales to promote this excellent venture. It is great to see all the railways working together and we are impressed to see the guide out this summer so the tourism business in Wales can benefit this year. We, at North Wales Tourism, firmly believe that joint working and bringing related products together to make planning easier for visitors is the way forward for a stronger tourism offer in Wales."

Alongside the printed guidebook, a new website is being set up on which it will be possible to read the guide online or to download it. This can be previewed at http://bigtrainlittletrain.owenf.info   
The permanent address will be www.bigtrainlittletrain.com which should go live in the next few days.

Copies of the printed guide are available on request from gltw [at] ffwhr.com

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway will be celebrating Canada Day for the first time on Saturday 2^nd July, in honour of its Canadian-born General Manager.

Stations along the line will be bedecked in Canadian flags, photographs and posters, and visitors will be invited to plot their friends and relations on wall maps of Canada. "Everyone I meet seems to know someone who lives in Canada," says General Manager Charles Spencer. "So I thought it would be fun to see where they were!"

There will be quizzes on the subject of Canada for adults and children travelling on the train, with Canadian prizes to be won (while supplies last). And travellers will also be able to hear a talk given in one of the carriages en route by Dr. Reg Davies, answering the question, ‘What does Canada Day have to do with railways?’

Historian (and W&LLR member) Dr. Davies will explain why the construction of a railway was one of the conditions for the birth of the country. Those who survive the talk will be awarded a handsome folder about Canadian railways from Via Rail, Canada’s national passenger railway.

Meanwhile any visitors holding valid Canadian passports will as a special bonus travel free on Saturday. They can present their passport at either booking office for their complimentary return ticket.

Canada Day actually falls on the 1st July, but there are no trains running on Friday so the celebrations are being held on Saturday instead. Trains run on both days of this weekend, and Tuesday through Thursday next week, with return departures from Welshpool at 11.15am and 2.05pm.

The line’s summer daily service then starts on 9th July and will run right through to September, with extra trains and freight movements featuring at the next Vintage Weekend, on 16th-17th July. The Tearoom at Llanfair Caereinion is open every day for light lunches and refreshments.