I had virtually ignored the narrow-gauge railways. After
all, they were, well, kind of small. Also, their locomotives were generally not
listed in my favourite book [my combined volume], although I knew that there
were one or two exceptions to that. Nor were they part of the national network
that I had devoted my time to, up to that point.
I employed the same rather feeble reasons for ignoring the many
industrial networks across the country, which also continued to operate steam
locomotives after 1968. The consequence was that we never got further than
Birkenhead and Liverpool docks for industrial steam - and even then, it would
have been in passing rather than with intent.
However, now that our beloved standard gauge steam had been
so cruelly taken away from us, it was time to branch out a bit. In June 1970 and
most likely at his instigation, Andy drove us to the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway’s
headquarters at Castle Caereinion, in his Ford Cortina OMA259D.
Here, we were re-acquainted with the two 1902-built, ex-WL
locomotives that had been taken under BR Western Region control from 1948 until
the closure of the line in 1956. We had seen them with their ex-GWR numbers of
822 and 823 on a school railway society visit to Oswestry works. That had been prior
to 822’s return to the line after overhaul in 1961, and in preparation for the
re-opening of a section of the original route.
1 The Earl at Llanfair
Caereinion, Welshpool and Llanfair Railway, June 1970.
No 2. The Countess at
Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool and Llanfair Railway, June 1970.
Ex-Zillertalbahn
Railway locomotive on shed at Llanfair Caereinion, W&LR, June 1970, with
the Bagnall, Monarch, behind.
No. 2 The Countess at
Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool and Llanfair Railway, June 1970.
No comments:
Post a Comment