NARROW GAUGE NEWS
Rebuilding facility at Ty Dwr would help Wales capitalise on railway’s heritage assets.
The Talyllyn Railway has announced plans to restore the railway’s original locomotive watering point at Ty Dwr, between Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol.
Before the locomotive shed and workshop opened at Pendre in 1867, the railway’s first locomotive shed was at Ty Dwr, just above Abergynolwyn village, on what was known as the mineral extension. In common with other features on the TR in the 1860s, the watering point’s design was quite simple, diverting water from a stream into timber troughs carried on slate columns. Even when the shed became disused, the watering point remained a convenient source of water during shunting operations.
It continued in use until the slate pillars which supported the water troughs were demolished and the slabs reused to build a retaining wall at the site of a major landslip at Dolgoch in 1955. Later alterations were also made to the site to enable passenger trains to travel through to Nant Gwernol.
To reinstate this original lineside feature, the TR has launched an initial £4,000 appeal to fund its restoration. The restored watering point would not be used for regular passenger trains, but the intention is that it could be used for photographic charters and other special trains.
Chairman of the TR Preservation Society Ian Drummond said: “The restoration of the watering point at Ty Dwr has long been a topic of discussion. Now, as part of our longterm strategy, we are seeking the funds through the Ty Dwr Appeal to make this a reality. The involvement of the railway in Gwynedd Council’s bid for World Heritage status for the North Wales slate industry has highlighted the need to make the most of our heritage assets, and the reconstruction at Ty Dwr is an initial part of these plans.
“The next stage of the Ty Dwr project is to do a detailed survey of the site and draw up plans for the rebuilding as close to the original as can be done today.”
Contributions to the fund can be made online at www. justgiving.com/campaign/tydwr or by sending donations to: The Ty Dwr Appeal, c/o Talyllyn Railway, Wharf Station, Neptune Road, Tywyn, Gwynedd LL36 9EY.
A survey is also to be made of the incline winding house site nearby. The TR was unusual in serving a community by an incline. The winding house was demolished to improve the alignment for passenger trains
before services were extended to Nant Gwernol in 1976.