We headed west on Good Friday for Tywyn and some sea air. Whilst some railways were inevitable, we ended up visiting the full set of mid-Wales railways in the week.
Heading west, we stopped off for lunch at Llanfair. Had a dim hope of two of us possibly being able to catch the train from Welshpool through to Llanfair. But their 11:15 departure was just a little too early for us with congestion around Shrewsbury ending any hope of a train ride.
Did mean that we had a good spot to watch ‘The Earl’ arrive just as we were testing the quality of the cake. There was also smoke coming from the shed, where the Zillertal loco was being steamed. Presumably for testing purposes as heading home a week and a bit later, we passed it on the service trains.
In Tywyn, ‘Tom Rolt’ returned to traffic just in time for Easter having received a motion overhaul. Joining ‘Dolgoch’ and ‘Sir Haydn’ on the service trains.
I enjoyed a turn each driving ‘Tom Rolt’ and ‘Sir Haydn’. The Rhydyronen daffodils were in their final throes for this year. Plus, I appear to have gained a reputation for liking custard slices with the Abergynolwyn cafe staff. A reputation that I am happy to uphold!
Had a Spare Driver shed day. In addition to brushing up on some of my diesel driving competence, I was able first thing to keep my daughter happy with a pre-breakfast tour of the shed to see the locos when all was quiet. She has a liking for blue engines so was keen to see ‘Talyllyn’ and ‘Douglas’.
There’s also the good news that the Railway Inn at Abergynolwyn has opened again, under new ownership. We sampled a drink or two and will return in the summer to sample the food.
We took a trip to Barmouth by the best route when you’re a five year old, by Fairbourne Railway and Barmouth Ferry. The journey and the ice cream in Barmouth being sufficient reason to make the journey and we were able to enjoy both ‘Russell’ and ‘Sherpa’ on our travels.
Our week away included my birthday and a trip to Aberystwyth and a ride on the Vale of Rheidol was suggested, to which I quickly agreed. We rarely went to Aberystwyth in my younger years and this was only my third trip on the Rheidol, so it’s still a relative novelty to me. There is the added attraction that the VoR is unquestionably the most improved railway in recent years, with enviable amounts of space and capital to spend on these projects.
The Aberystwyth terminus has been fully redeveloped since our last visit, five years ago. The shop, ticket office and platform facilities are all well laid out and the new museum building is a fantastic space.
Due to pressures of time to get the building work completed in time for the season, the museum currently feels like a shiny stock shed. But once there has been chance to provide the museum with some more interpretive displays, plus hopefully something more hands on for children to do and the cafe is open, they will have a terminus that is the envy of the heritage world.
Aided by a Priv discount, we treated ourselves to a first class ride in one of their recently refurbished brake first carriages and was well worth the money.
I’ve been lucky to ride in some superb first class carriages, from Darjeeling and Simla in India to Pullman observation cars (both narrow and standard gauge) back home and these are as good as any of those. The workmanship and attention to detail are superb. My favourite features being the tile mosaics inside the doors and the painted ceilings. Our ceiling had an underwater theme with fish and a diving puffin, whilst the other first class carriage has soaring red kites. Amazing work given the constraints of an existing carriage rather than a blank canvas.
The VoR under the Rampton leadership had developed a 1930’s Great Western atmosphere about the place. And whilst we enjoyed a trip in chocolate and cream carriages behind the green No 7, the appearance on the other set of a black No 8, complete with ‘Llywelyn’ name restored on a rake of carmine and cream carriages is a welcome willingness now to look at the other eras of the VoR history.
At this point, it felt like a Boyd-esque tour of the narrow gauge railways of Mid Wales. But there was one missing, the Corris. We’d not intended visiting, but Storm Kathleen’s arrival on our last full day meant that our options were limited if we didn’t want to be blown away on the coast. So Annabel and I took refuge from the winds in the sheltered Dulas valley and headed for Corris where we found our third loco No 7 of the week handling the service trains.
After an all too brief a trip, it was time to head back to Tywyn and the honey ice cream shop. Storm Kathleen or not, there was no way we weren’t having one during our stay.
The Corris extension will be great when it happens, they’ve benefited from the new bridge works on the main road in to Machynlleth by using the spoil for their new formation so is one step closer than they were.
There was one last glimpse of ‘Tom Rolt’ heading through the Fathew Valley as we headed for home after a great week away.
Back home, to work, school and the modelling bench now. Whilst I took some buildings, paint and good intentions with me, the lure of socialising was greater and not as much was done as I’d intended. So it’s back to the grindstone now with Burton fast approaching.
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