The Railway Magazine

Narrow Gauge

- COMPILED BY CLIFF THOMAS Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk

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THE Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways were expected to recommence train operation on April 27 with a basic initial service, and operations expanding as lockdown restrictio­ns ease.

The Ffestiniog Railway’s initial services will be similar to last year, using heritage carriages between Porthmadog Harbour and Tan-y-Bwlch (‘Woodland Wanderer’).

An extended version (the ‘Mountain Prince’) is planned, which will continue to the spiral at Dduallt as far as Barn Cutting, featuring a heritage diesel on the tail, before returning to Tan-y-Bwlch.

Welsh Highland Railway services between Caernarfon and Beddgelert (‘Gelert Explorer’) will run on four days a week and be full days out, with time to explore the village.

When conditions allow,

Welsh Highland trains will be added between Porthmadog and Beddgelert (the ‘Glaslyn Venturer’).

Welsh reopenings

The Welshpool & Llanfair

Light Railway reopened steam operations on May 1 with one-hour trips from Llanfair Caereinion to Castle Caereinion.

Two-hour trips through to Welshpool Raven Square were added from May 4.

Trains run on selected days (check with the railway’s website for details and bookings). U-class 0-6-2T No. 2 Zillertal, on hire from Austria’s Zillertalb­ahn, will provide steam haulage and every train will include the option of travelling (for a supplement­ary fare) in a former Sierra Leone Railway first class carriage, equipped with white leather armchairs.

Other Welsh lines expecting to recommence operations around the time The RM went to press included the Fairbourne Railway on April 27, together with the Talyllyn Railway and Rhyl Miniature Railway on May 1.

Enlish updates

Supplement­ing projected reopening dates for English narrow gauge lines published in April’s The RM, further anticipate­d dates included: Hayling Seaside Railway (April 12); Apedale Valley Light Railway and Kirklees Light Railway (April 17); Bure Valley Railway (May 1); Sittingbou­rne & Kemsley Light Railway (May 2); Leighton Buzzard Railway and Devon Railway Centre (May 22); Volks Electric Railway (May 29); Threlkeld (May – unconfirme­d); South Tynedale Railway (July 3); and North Ings

Farm Museum & Railway (early July).Isle of Man’s Groudle Glen Railway (GGR) had expected to open at Easter, to which end volunteers took a week’s leave from their day jobs to complete ‘Lhen Coan 125’ track work (RM, February) delayed by the island’s January lockdown.

Unfortunat­ely, the Isle of Man’s coronaviru­s situation did not allow for Easter opening. GGR expects its 125th anniversar­y event to go ahead as planned on May 23.

 ?? JOHN TRAVIS/W&LLR ?? U-class 0-6-2T No. 2 Zillertal pictured hauling a Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway pre-reopening test train back towards Llanfair on April 2.
JOHN TRAVIS/W&LLR U-class 0-6-2T No. 2 Zillertal pictured hauling a Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway pre-reopening test train back towards Llanfair on April 2.
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