Fire Queen arrives at the Vale of Rheidol Railway

Believed to be the oldest narrow-gauge locomotive in existence, Fire Queen is a unique steam locomotive that previously resided at Penrhyn Castle.

The locomotive will arrive in Aberystwyth in late January, and will be on public display in the new museum, display and events building when the railway opens for the new season in late March 2024.

The Directors’ Coach is also going on display, prior to a move to the Bala Lake Railway. Fire Queen, her tender and the Directors’ Coach were on loan to National Trust Cymru, and were accepted in lieu of tax by HM Treasury in 2021. They temporarily resided at Penrhyn Castle pending permanent allocation.

This will be a temporary visit, as Fire Queen will eventually return to Parc Padarn to be displayed in its original shed. This building is set to be restored by Cyngor Gwynedd, using Levelling Up funding granted by the UK government. Whilst this restoration work is being carried out, Fire Queen will be temporarily allocated for display at the Vale of Rheidol Railway in Aberystwyth.

In addition, the Directors’ Coach has been allocated to move from Penrhyn Castle to the Bala Lake Railway. It will be temporarily displayed at the Vale of Rheidol Railway alongside Fire Queen during the coming season, before moving on to Bala.

Both Fire Queen and the Directors’ Coach will spend the season on display in the restored 1938 engine shed at Aberystwyth station. This building has recently been transformed into a museum, display and events space as part of a larger project called “Wales to the World”, which is developing the terminus at Park Avenue into a Great Western-style station suitable for the modern tourist.

The public will be able to view Fire Queen and the Directors’ Coach at the Vale of Rheidol Railway from late March onwards when the railway opens for the season. The railway then runs daily until the start of November.