FIVE-YEAR-OLD’S SOCK CHANGE BOOSTS TALYLLYN CARRIAGE APPEAL

The Talyllyn Railway’s £20,000 appeal to restore ex-Corris Railway coach No. 17 (SR484) received an unexpected 83p boost this month – in a sock.

Five-year-old Owen Jones, whose father and grandfather are volunteer fireman and driver on the TR respectively, gathered all the loose change he could find in his house in a sock, giving the accumulated coins to his grandfather – Gareth Jones, also a member of the railway’s board – to donate towards the appeal.

TR General Manager Stuart Williams says: “So far, we have raised over £4,000 towards the restoration of carriage No. 17 in just over a month, but we still have a long way to go so every penny counts. We are very grateful to Owen for his contribution. If every visitor to the railway gave us 83p we’d very quickly reach our target. Thank you Owen, and the Jones family for your support.”

Meanwhile, the railway has decided that its four ‘new’ semiopen four-wheel carriages will be built in-house, using temporary premises on the nearby industrial estate. The railway said that the carriages – replacements for existing life-expired stock – would be built by a contractor using the existing frames (SR473).

Elsewhere, both Fletcher, Jennings 0-4-2ST Talyllyn and 0-4-2T No. 7 Tom Rolt have been dismantled for overhaul; No. 7 is expected to return to service next year following re-tubing.

The TR has established the requirements for its proposed new works on the Ty Mawr industrial estate. A layout has been established, a level survey carried out and drawings are being produced. Funding sources are being investigated.