Diesel shuntermakes Llangollen Railway historyafter lockdown
“There are several other engines in the collection we would love them to have a look at and I hope we will be able to work together again soon. The findings of the Hetton project will help inform the way we tell the story of the early railways as we develop the wider Locomotion site in the coming years.”
The report includes recommendations to prepare the locomotive for the upcoming bicentenary of the Hetton Railway in 2022, which includes budget for the safe removal of asbestos, allowing a programme of renovation and the reassembly of connecting rods. Due to its age and mechanical condition, the locomotive will not be able to return to steam.
Significance
BUILDING work on theLlangollen Railway’s new Corwen terminus resumed on July6after easing of lockdownrestrictions– and saw the historic firstmovement of a locomotiveover the full length of the extended heritage line in 55 years.
Following the lockdown closure, members of the volunteer workforce assembled to begin preparations for the restart of building work to complete the platforms.
However, during an engineering possession of the line, a contractor’s weed- killing train operated along the length of the railway. Class 08 No. 13265 preceded the weed- killing vehicle and ran through the station to the end of the line at Green Lane. In doing so, it became the first locomotive to run the full length of the line from Llangollen to Corwen since the line was closed due to flooding in December 1964, prior to formal closure in January 1965.
General manager Liz McGuinness said the event was a “momentous occasion” following the completion of the trackwork. Construction of the newstation at Corwen is nowexpected to be completed this summer, she added.
Project leader Richard Dixon- Gough said:“Another milestone was reached after all the frustrations of the lockdown period, which has delayed completion of the works by at least four months. Fortunately, during the shutdown, the works site has survived quiet well, but the need now is to try and catch up with the planned laying of the 40,000 pavers for the platform surface.
“The dryweather during the lockdown period would have been ideal for the work by a contractor once the base layer of fine limestone sand has been spread and the projectmembers nowhope for a further spell of fine summer weather so that work can proceed.”
The hired weed- killer vehicle is an adapted Land Rover Defender additionally fitted with rail wheels to run on the track with spraying apparatus in the cargo space. It allows for rapid spraying of the lineside that has seen significant weed growth and which needs to be brought under control before a train service can run again.
It is one of many items requiring the attention of heritage railways, as specified by the Office of Road and Rail, to ensure they are fit to resume operations.
The station, built under the banner of Corwen Central, will featured on the running- in board as plain Corwen, following the removal of the temporary Corwen East stop last year.