Talyllyn: The Root of Preservation
THE ROOT OF R AIL PRESERVATION
Nicola Fox provides a review some of the achievements of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society since it ran its first trains back in 1951.
It is 70 years ago this month that the first ever preserved railway service operated, and led to a global heritage movement. Nicola Fox provides a whistle-stop review some of the achievements of the Talyllyn Railway since that first train… and outlines some of its celebratory plans.
IN THE Fathew Valley on May 14, 1951, history was made as a group of enthusiasts ran the first train in preservation. Crewed by volunteers, the notion seemed whimsical; volunteers running a railway, for the sake of running a railway. The event was reported in passing in the railway press, and the brevity of the report belied how momentous the occasion was. Seven decades later and the preservation movement has grown to encompass about 200 railways across the length and breadth of Britain – and more globally. The story of the founding of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society (TRPS) and the saving of the railway has been told countless times, but in the 70 years since that first train in preservation, the Talyllyn has changed immeasurably in many ways. In others, the line remains a time capsule of its Victorian self.
So, what has 70 years of preservation looked like?
The locomotive fleet
After that initial jubilation of saving the line subsided, the volunteers set about the business of running a preserved railway. With TR locomotive No. 1 Talyllyn out of action owing to an ominous bulge in the firebox and No. 2 Dolgoch on its last legs, the society had already acquired two locomotives from a nearby railway that shared the same unusual 2ft 3in gauge – the Corris Railway. The Corris Railway had closed in 1948 and the two locomotives offered for the price of £85 each to the Talyllyn, which refused. However, station master Campbell Thomas – perhaps seeing that they might be of use one day – kept the two locomotives covered with tarpaulins to protect them from the elements (and prying eyes, perhaps!), even going as far as enlisting the staff of Machynlleth Motive Power Depot to grease the moving parts. Whether Campbell Thomas was a would-be preservationist or simply a man who
“Among the early volunteers, the railway had the good fortunes to attract the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, whose Thomas The Tank Engine books were proving very popular. He turned up for the 1952 season and was promptly handed the guard’s f lag, and set to work guarding the trains for two weeks.”
didn’t want good machinery to go to waste is unknown, but his efforts meant that by the time the TRPS had been formed, both locomotives, although stored outside, were still usable. A price of £25 per engine was negotiated, which was later reduced to the bargain price of £30-12s-9d for both. The two 0-4-2STs were transported to Tywyn (then Towyn) via the main line and craned onto the Talyllyn metals, touching down at their new home on March 17, 1951. Formerly Corris locomotives Nos. 3 and 4, they gained names to become TR Nos. 3 Sir Haydn and 4 Edward Thomas. Initially it was believed that No. 3, being in the better condition of the two locomotives, would run the bulk of the service. But the combination of No. 3’s narrow tyres and the track being over gauge meant that keeping the locomotive on the rails was undesirably difficult. Therefore No. 2 remained in service longer than originally intended until No. 4 could be overhauled and take over the running of the service, allowing No. 2 Dolgoch to rest and receive some much-needed attention. The locomotive fleet increased further with the addition of No. 5 in 1952, a lightweight diesel locomotive nicknamed ‘The Lawnmower’ that had been built from cannibalised parts including a Ford Model T engine, previously used on L T C Rolt’s narrowboat, and a TR slate wagon. Although its service was short, it hauled the Fridays-only winter passenger service until 1953. In the same year No. 6 Douglas, an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT, was donated to the railway and entered service a year later following regauging. As the railway’s prospects improved, enough money was raised to restore Talyllyn to working condition, and the first Talyllyn Railway locomotive returned to service in 1958. Over the years, the line also acquired further diesel motive power, many of which had to be rebuilt or regauged. This included an ex-coal board Hunslet, another Ruston & Hornsby and, more recently, two Baguely locomotives. However, the crowning glory of the Pendre locomotive department was the building of TR No. 7 Tom Rolt. The brainchild of preservation’s longest serving volunteer, John Bate (see TRM Sep 2018), this locomotive was built at Pendre from parts of a 3ft gauge Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT that had previously worked for Bord na Móna (the Irish Peat Board). Imposing and powerful, Tom Rolt was named after the author and founding member of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society, L T C Rolt (Tom) and was completed in 1991. Many at the time thought the job was too
big to be completed at Pendre but the eternal can-do spirit of the Talyllyn won through.
Back in 1951, like the aged locomotives, the track itself was also in dire need of repair. Worn-out rails sat upon rotten sleepers with no ballast to be seen. Volunteers were instructed: “Whatever you do, don’t dig the turf out from outside the rails; they’re they only thing that’s keeping it to gauge!”
Fortunately, the notion of inviting the Territorial Army to work on the track as an exercise in 1953 resulted in a more secure track bed and so, by extension, a more secure future for the Talyllyn. Rails were sourced first from Jees Quarry in Hartshill, Warwickshire, and later from Cliff Quarry at Crich, Derbyshire.
Passenger comfort
The locomotives and track weren’t the only concern for the new preservationists. The railway was gaining interest and serviceable carriages were needed. It was still using the original four Victorian carriages and brake van, but it became clear more were required. Initially two open carriages were donated from Penrhyn Quarry to strengthen the Talyllyn set and later a further four bodies were purchased. Other carriages were later acquired, rebuilt and restored as necessary, including vehicles from the Corris Railway and Glyn Valley Tramway.
The improvement in track and a greater number of carriages meant passenger figures moved in an upward trajectory. Passenger demand was such that the station facilities at Wharf were expanded beyond anything they had ever been pre-preservation.
The waiting shelter at the passenger terminus of Abergynolwyn was replaced by a new station building in a traditional style, with a booking office, waiting room and refreshment facilities. The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum made its home on the platform at Tywyn Wharf (first in the former gunpowder store before constructing a small space for the museum), offering another attraction to visitors.
Passing loops were added to increase the railway’s capacity, and yet more carriages were built until, by 1969, the railway was capable of running three sets simultaneously to cope with passenger numbers.
At Pendre, the engineering base of the railway, change was also afoot. In 1963 work was completed on a two-road carriage shed built on the site of a former hay barn. Known as the north carriage shed, this building protected both the carriages and those working on them from the Welsh weather.
The existing south carriage shed was rebuilt with steel frames, and further carriage storage followed in the 1970s with the construction of yet another shed, this time on the west of the site and therefore unsurprisingly named the west carriage shed.
Expansion
More space was also needed for the railway’s growing fleet of locomotives. Its locomotive superintendent, Herbert Rees Jones, was from a family of railwaymen who had worked on the Talyllyn since 1900 and continues to do so to this day. During the early years of preservation, he was living in the cottage adjoining the engine shed. When Herbert vacated the cottage, the decision was made to knock through into the shed and provide safe undercover accommodation for more of the engines.
With all these changes taking effect, the Talyllyn Railway was able to capitalise on the many tourists flocking to see this preserved slice of Welsh history. But where were all these passengers coming from, and how were they hearing about the railway?
When starting up a new venture, it helps if one of your founding members is already an established author with several books under
their belt. Known for his work on the inland waterways and Narrowboat, his charming tale of life of life on the cut, L T C Rolt documented the history of the railway and the first two years of preservation in a style that had universal appeal.
According to fellow volunteer and fireman of the first train, John Snell, dealing with the increasing dilapidation of the line was proving difficult despite the enormous efforts of the volunteers, and the future of the line looked uncertain. However, upon publication of Railway Adventure in 1953, and the wave of publicity it brought, the increased donations and passenger figures began to turn the tide for the better.
Of course, it helps even more if, instead of just one author, you have two! Among the early volunteers, the railway had the good fortunes to attract the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, whose Thomas The Tank Engine books were proving very popular. He joined in 1951 and turned up for the 1952 season, when he was promptly handed the guard’s flag and set to work guarding the trains for two weeks.
On this holiday he walked the line with his son Christopher and was caught by the image of TR No. 1 Talyllyn languishing in the former hay barn. Following discussion with the founders of the TRPS, the Skarloey Railway was born. Set on the fictional Island of Sodor, tales from the real-life Talyllyn, such as No. 3
Sir Haydn’s inability to keep on the rails and the exploits of the volunteers, were woven into the books.
Readers of the series will remember the tale of Peter Sam leaving the refreshment lady behind. This incident occurred on the Talyllyn Railway in 1952 and the guard of that train… none other than Reverend W Awdry himself!
Awdry effect
The book came out in August 1955 and sold around 50,000 copies. At the end of the book was the following note: ‘If you have enjoyed these stories, you will enjoy a visit to the Tal-y-llyn Railway at Towyn in Wales.’ The Awdry effect can be seen on passenger numbers for the following season; the 1955 figures had been in decline compared to the previous year but in the year following publication, passenger traffic increased by a whopping 43%. Subsequent Awdry books included further exhortations to visit the Talyllyn, where engines Skarloey and Rheneas’ twin brothers lived. Over 65 years, after the first Skarloey Railway book was published, the Awdry effect still continues, as visitors come from all around the world, drawn to the Welsh coast to visit the Skarloey’s sister railway. The Awdry effect did not just impact visitor numbers either. The next generation of volunteers consists of many readers raised on the stories of the Skarloey Railway who were later drawn to volunteer – and not just from the UK. The TR claims volunteers from Japan, Denmark and Hungary who heard of the railway’s existence through the books and Awdry’s legacy. Despite his passing in 1997, the pull of his tales is still strong. A YouTube video by the neighbouring Narrow Gauge Railway Museum,
showing one of Awdry’s model railway layouts, netted in excess of 65,000 views!
Cameras... action
As the preservation experiment continued successfully, more people began to take notice. First, British Pathé produced a 2½-minute short in 1955 introducing the public to the ‘sentimental journey’ that awaited them on the Talyllyn. Next up was the BBC, which visited the railway in May 1957 and, after thorough prep and rehearsal trains, broadcast live. With cameras at the stations, and mounted on wagons and open carriages on the trains, the broadcasts showed the quaint engines and the beauty of the line, and included interviews with the train crew and many others connected with the railway.
The guard that day just so happened to be the already-famous Reverend Awdry, lending further credence – if any were needed – to the line. The impact on visitor traffic was huge, doubling the passenger numbers as visitors flocked to the little railway they had seen on television.
It wasn’t only British film companies interested in the line. A few years before, American documentary maker Carson Davidson filmed the line in its preservation infancy and, although somewhat delayed, in 1965, Railway With A Heart Of Gold came out. This gentle documentary romanticises the line while capturing some genuine moments of tribulation! It also captured many hearts, and drew more people to visit this “piece of ornamental scrollwork lifted from the pattern of yesterday”.
The passenger terminus of the line was Abergynolwyn, but beyond that the mineral extension continued up the valley to Bryn
Eglwys quarry. The quarry had closed in 1946 and the last load of slate was brought down in 1948.
A little above Abergynolwyn station was the watering point at Ty Dwr but, apart from one noticeable incident in 1949, reported in Rolt’s Railway Adventure, when the driver and fireman took the locomotive beyond the watering point up to the end of the line ‘to see whether the rails were still there’, the former mineral line hadn’t seen any traffic in years.
Restoration goal
However, from the outset, it had always been the society’s intention to restore the full length of the line, and in the late 1950s work began to see if the quarry route could be made viable. The land was eventually acquired in 1964 and the work to obtain the necessary Light Railway Order that would authorise the route for passenger trains began. Construction of the extension began in 1970.
Although under a mile in length, the mineral extension passed through narrow cuttings, along steep gradients, and teetered on the edge of steep drops in places. To make it fit and safe for passenger traffic required the use of heavy plant and machinery, a blasting contractor and the removal of thousands of tonnes of rock.
So many hours were put into this project by volunteers that those who worked on it became known as ‘the Gwerns’, after the River Gwernol which rushes by beneath the terminus of the mineral line. Ever economical in the use of their assets, the railway took much of the rock excavated during the construction of the extension to provide an extended platform at Abergynolwyn station.
Winding down
Sadly, a casualty of the extension was the former winding house that winched wagons down the incline into Abergynolwyn village. Too narrow for the safe passage of passenger trains and in a very decrepit state, the winding house had to be demolished. Now all that remains is the decaying winding drum perched atop the incline. The extension opened on May 22, 1976, taking the total length of the line to 7¼ miles. The new terminus was named Nant Gwernol. Built primarily to carry slate, the Talyllyn Railway was never intended for the volume of passenger traffic that preservation brought, and even the redevelopments in the 1960s weren’t
enough to cater for the demands of a 21st century tourist attraction.
At the turn of the century, Wharf Station redevelopment began. This was an ambitious project that retained the original station building, set among a new, large – and in keeping – structure that houses the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, offices, and the visitor refreshment rooms.
To protect the railway’s ageing carriages, a large shed for storing carriages and other vehicles was constructed just over five miles up the railway at the site of the former Quarry Siding. Named ‘The Guest House’, after Phil Guest, a long-serving Talyllyn volunteer, the new carriage shed was formally opened on Sunday, May 5, 2012, by long-time supporters of the railway – the actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales.
Currently plans are afoot to further expand the facilities at Pendre, the railway having acquired some land for this very purpose.
Weathering the storm
The railway has weathered much in its 70 years of preservation, on many occasions quite literally. In 1957 a blocked culvert 4¾ miles up the line near Dolgoch Falls station almost became the railway’s downfall. After heavy rains, 50ft of embankment collapsed, leaving the trackbed precariously poised on the precipice. Not to be deterred – and fortunate enough to have a civil engineer in their ranks – the volunteers moved quickly to effect temporary repairs that would reinstate services, before planning for a long-term solution to prevent the problem from rearing its head again. The line has also been the victim of flooding on many an occasion. A memorable and localised thunderstorm in 1993 caused a flash flood at Brynglas, a small station with a blockpost and passing loop a little over three miles from Tywyn Wharf. The flood deposited debris across the tracks, swept away a hedge, and severely eroded the embankment. Once immediate repairs were made, trains were diverted through the passing loop while the embankment was repaired. Because of this, Brynglas blockpost now boasts a life belt… in case of future emergencies! Further down the valley, Cynfal Halt has also flooded on a number of occasions, occasionally taking on an appearance so reminiscent of a canal that volunteers made a board proclaiming the location to be ‘Cynfal Navigation Bottom Lock’. Never let it be said that preservationists lack a sense of humour. Since then, work has been carried out on the culvert to hopefully prevent the reappearance of the Cynfal Canal.
Down but not out
Closed for much of 2020 due to Government restrictions, the TR kept in touch with its supporters through a series of live-streamed broadcasts of Manager’s Weekly Walkabouts.
A successful, albeit short, summer season followed and the Talyllyn was all set for a busy Christmas season, but the tightening of restrictions in Wales closed the railway down with mere hours’ notice.
With a busy schedule of Christmas lunches booked, the railway cafe was well stocked with fresh produce. Never wanting to waste anything, the chef set to work making an enormous amount of vegetable soup instead, that could be frozen and served upon reopening!
Many milestones
The ongoing situation means Talyllyn Railway’s 70th anniversary celebrations may take a different form than previous events, but the team is committed to honouring the milestones, of which there are several; 1951 was a very busy year for the world’s first preserved railway! On March 17, a private event took place to recreate the arrival of locomotives Nos. 3 and 4 from the Corris Railway, with No. 2 in steam to haul both locomotives to what was to become their new home, Pendre loco shed. The occasion was streamed live to the railway’s supporters on Facebook and later uploaded to the railway’s YouTube channel.
Come what May
At the time of writing, the Talyllyn Railway expects to be open and running public trains during May to allow passengers to travel during this special anniversary month.
A commemorative ‘Founders’ Day Special’ is planned to depart Wharf, and Talyllyn Railway general manager Stuart Williams is adamant that come what may, a train will run on May 14 to mark the occasion.
The Talyllyn Railway is in the rare and enviable position of still being able to run a train comprised of original locomotives and coaches. TR No. 2, built in 1866 by Fletcher Jennings, will haul the railway’s original Victorian coaches with a compliment of railway VIPs.
The important duty of cutting the ribbon will go to John Bate, and as the railway will be open to run trains, Stuart is expecting there will
be people about to see the train off. He said: “At Wharf station we are blessed with space, so people can come down to watch the train off and be part of the day. We will have marshals on hand to keep people distanced if required but we know many people will want to be part of this important Talyllyn Railway milestone.”
Continuing the 2020 tradition, the event will be live-streamed for those unable to attend.
More to come
A further programme is planned to celebrate this extraordinary anniversary, including a celebration of all things Awdry on a weekend in August, where the writer’s own model railway layouts will be on display.
Stuart promises: “This event will take visitors behind the scene and showcase some never before seen artefacts from the Awdry era. “Awdry was instrumental in drawing early attention to the railway, so now, at our platinum anniversary, it seems only right to celebrate his works.”
A gala is planned for September to celebrate the centenary of ex-Corris Kerr
Stuart locomotive No. 4 Edward Thomas (named for the former manager of the prepreservation Talyllyn Railway).
Lightheartedly referred to as ‘The Corris Swap’, this will see TR No. 4 visiting the
Corris Railway for a week to run with twin (replica) locomotive Corris No. 7, before returning side-by-side with No. 7 for an event at the Talyllyn with six engines in steam, for what Stuart has hailed as “a big end to the season”.
The railway’s anniversary is also being commemorated by Network Rail, which is naming one of its Class 97s (formerly a
Class 37) Talyllyn in honour of the railway’s incredible achievement.
This means that there will be two ‘Talyllyns’ running in Wales, although spotters will find it very easy to tell them apart! It is highly likely that this event will happen in the autumn.
When asked what else is in store,
Stuart laughs.
“Running a closed railway really takes a lot of time,” he says. “We are up to our eyes in funding applications at the moment, so although there are more exciting plans in the works, we’re not ready to talk about them yet, but do watch this space!
“It has been such a relief to confirm we can start running trains in time for the 70th anniversary but, more than that, we hope to make the rest of the year a successful season of doing what we do best – running trains and offering a superb day out for both enthusiasts and the general public.”
As preservation enters its 70th year and the Talyllyn gears up for its second season in the shadow of a pandemic, the feeling is one of persevering in the face of adversity, which really is no different to what those early volunteers were doing.
The obstacles may have changed, but heritage railways are resilient and the people who keep them going even more so. ■