Fairbourne to recall earliest times with 15-inch Gala visitor

Ahistoric 15-inch gauge locomotive will be one of the star attractions running at the Fairbourne Miniature Railway’s annual Steam Gala over the Spring bank holiday weekend.

‘Prince Edward of Wales’ is one of the original Bassett Lowke class 10 4-4-2 locos and normally resides at the Rhyl Miniature Railway on the north Wales coast.

The 12¼-inch gauge Fairbourne line runs for two miles along a beach in the mid-wales coastal village – regular readers of EIM will be very familiar with it due to the struggles in the engineering workshop documented each month by technical editor Harry Billmore.

The miniature line was, however originally 15-inch gauge, before being converted in 1986 by then owner John Ellerton. Some years ago an extra rail was laid on the outside of the 12¼-inch line to allow 15-inch gauge former residents to make return visits to Fairbourne, and this has since been extended almost as far as the point where the line crosses a road and then turns to follow the beach.

Prince Edward of Wales was built in 1909 and was the first locomotive on the Rhyl Miniature Railway, working the north Wales line until it was replaced in 1920. It later narrowly avoided being scrapped until it was purchased by the Rhyl Steam

Preservation Trust and returned to the line in 2014.

At the time the loco was not working but it was steadily returned to operation and rebuilt into the form it had been in between 1911 and 1969.

The loco also has a strong connection with Fairbourne, or at least its maker and name do. The very first loco on the beach line, in 1916, was a Bassett Lowke Atlantic called Prince Edward of Wales!

This loco, a later more powerful version of the Rhyl engine, was sold on in the 1920s and later severely damaged by fire. All six of what are known as the ‘Barnes Atlantics’ after an energetic early manager at Rhyl, have undergone many changes of identity over the years.

Fairbourne management are also hoping to have a 15-inch gauge Sutton Miniature Railway railcar at the Gala. On the 12¼-inch gauge diesel-electric loco ‘Albert’ will be making another visit from the Littlehampton Miniature Railway and there are hopes of having it double-head services with the Fairbourne’s recently acquired Simplex loco – regauged from 2ft, this has never in its working life previously hauled a passenger train.

Full details of the Gala, which runs from 27th-29th May will be on the line’s website at www.fairbournerailway.com

Photo: FR The Fairbourne’s most recently acquired item of motive power, the former 2ft gauge Simplex, will take part in its first Gala event and possibly pull its first passenger trains.