£250,000 GRANT FOR VALE OF RHEIDOL CARRIAGES AND APPRENTICES

Four Vale of Rheidol Railway carriages will be restored with the aid of a £250,000 grant from the Coastal Communities Fund. The grant will fund the recruitment and supervision of two apprentices, who will restore the vehicles. Two carriages will provide First class accommodation and two will have access for wheelchair users. One of the vehicles is the former vista car, which has not run for more than 25 years. It had large windows and no ventilation so became extremely uncomfortable as the temperatures rose. It was also extremely heavy. Jac Smith (21) became one of the railway’s drivers in July, following in his father’s footsteps. He joined the railway on an engineering apprenticeship when he was 16. His father, Pete Smith, joined in 1989, when the railway was privatised. ●● Ffestiniog Railway-based Hunslet 0-4-0ST Britomart will visit the railway for its ‘Roaring 20s & 30s’ event on September 16/17, rostered to work two shuttles a day to Capel Bangor and one trip each day to Aberffrwd. Recently arrived Garratt ‘NGG13’ No. 60 will also be on display.