Fire Queen leaves North Wales for Vale of Rheidol
FIRE QUEEN – one of the world’s oldest surviving narrow gauge locomotives – has left North Wales for the first time in over 175 years, to take up a temporary residence at the Vale of Rheidol Railway.
The 1848-built 4ft gauge locomotive was one of two engines – in addition to sister Jenny Lind – built by A. Horlock & Co. for the Padarn Railway, which linked Dinorwic Slate Quarry near Llanberis with Penscoins, above Port Dinorwic on the Menai Strait. Having spent the entirety of its working life and subsequent years in preservation in North Wales, Fire Queen moved from its long-time home at the National Trust’s Penrhyn Castle to Aberystwyth on the Vale of Rheidol Railway on January 19. The relocation comes as part of the National Trust’s review of its railway collection at Penrhyn; having decided to retain Penrhyn-related exhibits, such as Hunslet 0-4-0ST Charles, the rest of the locomotives have been donated to new homes (see separate stories).
Fire Queen, as well as the Padarn Railway directors’ coach, will remain in the VoR’s new museum in the former GWR engine shed at Aberystwyth during 2024 before moving to their new permanent homes. Fire Queen will eventually return to the National Slate Museum at Llanberis and take up residence in the former locomotive shed in which it was stored between withdrawal in 1882 and 1969, when it was moved to Penrhyn. The shed is currently being restored by Cyngor Gwynedd, using Levelling Up funding.
Meanwhile, the 1895-built directors’ coach will eventually be displayed at the Bala Lake Railway, joining several other ex-Dinorwic exhibits, including the brakeman’s van which was used on the 4ft gauge transporter wagons on the Padarn Railway.
BLR chairman Julian Birley said: “Taking on the safeguarding of the directors’ coach is a great responsibility. We are very grateful to the Vale of Rheidol Railway for offering it a home for the time being, as all of our efforts and resources are being directed towards extending our own railway into the town of Bala. It is wonderful that all the artefacts from the unique Padarn Railway are going to be kept together, most importantly here in Wales.”
VoR managing director Llŷr ap Iolo said: “We are grateful to Julian Birley for offering us the directors’ coach for short-term display until the Bala Lake Railway can exhibit it themselves, and also for recommending us to Cyngor Gwynedd as a possible temporary home for Fire Queen. It is good that the public can continue to enjoy it, rather than it going into temporary storage behind closed doors. We are excited to have such a historic exhibit on display in our museum, to be showcased alongside other rare and unseen rolling stock from our collection. We are really happy to have Fire Queen on public display until it returns home to where it belongs at Gilfach Ddu.”
Visitors will be able to view both Fire Queen and the directors’ coach when the railway reopens in late March.