That was the year that...

Narrow gauge news stories from the archives and their legacy...

From 40 years ago

Welshpool Raven Square opened

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway extension to Raven Square station, Welshpool, was opened on Saturday 18th July 1981 when the inaugural train hauled by locomotive No. 10 ‘Sir Drefaldwyn’ arrived at the new station.

The opening was performed by a portion of the scheduled 11.00 departure from Llanfair Caereinion, formed by a consist of three ex-Sierra Leone coaches, being worked forward to Raven Square by No. 10 and the leading coach of the service train. This train was reserved for persons having contributed to the required finances for opening the extension.

On arrival and after breaking the tape across the entrance to the new site the train was greeted by local civic dignitaries, press and television, and members of the W&LLR Society.

The first public train to arrive at the new Raven Square station was the 13.30 train from Llanfair Caereinion, this being double-headed by locomotives 10 Sir Drefaldwyn and 14, the ex-Sierra Leone Hunslet 2-6-2T.

The Sylfaen to Raven Square section was closed to passengers on 7th October 1931. The new section of line will see trains operating over the

1 in 29 Golfa incline, the steepest gradient over which a British preservation society operates a passenger service. (NGN, July 1981).

Welsh Highland Railway, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, 60cm gauge Saturday 18th July saw the official opening ceremony performed by the chairman of Gwynedd County Council before an audience of invited guests including the local member of Parliament, representatives from the other Great Little Trains of Wales, the local and railway press and last but not least, Mrs Miriam Jones in Welsh national costume – Mrs Jones was station mistress at Beddgelert in the 1930s – and Mr Gorony Roberts who was ‘Russell’s driver in the 1930s.

The inaugural train was hauled by ‘Glaslyn’ (RH297030/1952), resplendent in lined blue livery with the railway’s name emblazoned on the bonnet sides. (NGN, July 1981).

A milestone moment in what at times was to be a tortuous tale – but four decades on Glaslyn still runs at Gelert’s Farm and the entire Welsh Highland line has been rebuilt.

Extracts from Narrow Gauge

News, the news journal of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society – for more details of the Society and how to join up, go to www.ngrs.org.uk or see the advert elsewhere in this issue.

Photo: Basil Roberts, W&LLR Archive The W&LLR had achieved its aim of returning to Welshpool but much was still to be done at Raven Square. Judging by the addition to no 14’s headlight in the picture above it was taken close to the wedding of Print Charles and Diana Spencer on 29th July 1981, so around a week after the station was opened. The bay platform road was still to be built and the watering facilities were also rather temporary! Raven Square was not officially opened until May 1982 and did not gain a station building until 1991.