Reopening date target for Llangollen Railway
THE Llangollen Railway Trust (LRT) is aiming to resume operations on July 16 – a date that could be brought forward to July 9 if the necessary approvals are received.
A Llangollen to Berwyn shuttle will run initially on Fridays to Sundays, with hourly departures from Llangollen between 11.00 and 16.00, allowing a 15-minute stopover at Berwyn. All services will use the Class 108 DMU provided by Llangollen Railcars, with the Class 109 Wickham set in reserve.
“We are looking to restart a limited service between Llangollen and Berwyn on Friday, July 16,” said LRT operations director Mike Williams.
“However, if the Dee Bridge works are completed on time and the permanent way is signed off, we will bring this forward to July 9 by way of a ‘shakedown weekend operation’ for trains and staff, pending a more formal reopening when elected local representatives will be invited to travel on the trains and lend their support.”
Maintenance
Scheduled to restart on June 28, the work on the Dee Bridge was expected to take a week to complete. The volunteer Permanent Way (PW) team have to fit the check rails to the timbers, align the track and weld up the rail joints to complete the work started in March when new baulk timbers were installed prior the plc’s receiver suspending work. The works will then be inspected by an independent engineer and, if all is well, the bridge will be signed off. The railway’s PW engineer will then inspect the track between the bridge and Berwyn Tunnel before trains can start running to Berwyn.
Looking beyond Berwyn station, there are essential engineering works needed in the Berwyn Tunnel, the West end point work at Glyndyfrdwy to relay and repairs to occupational crossings at Carrog.
Once the Berwyn Tunnel work is finished, train services can extend to Glyndyfrdwy, initially again using DMUs until the west end points become available. When run around facilities are operational at Glyndyfrdwy, the options are for using steam or diesel loco-hauled services. Upon completion of the occupational crossings, it is hoped to run to Carrog by early August.
The option then is for an engineering train to run to Corwen and drop ballast on the point work and station loop, prior to the tamping of the track through the station, as a longerterm aim.
As part of the railway’s reawakening, further rolling stock has left the line. They include privately-owned blue RB coach No. 1697 to Buckfastleigh for use on South Devon Railway; Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T Jennifer (1731/ 1942) has gone to the Aln Valley Railway; Barclay 0-6-0T ‘No.17 NCB West Ayr’ ( 1338/1913) has been reassembled and is going to the Gwili for completion; and the hulk of GWR Hall No. 5259
Cogan Hall is going to Tyseley to join No. 6880 Betton Grange.
As previously reported, LRT-owned Kitson 0-6-0ST Austin 1 has gone on hire to the Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton.
Further details have come to light on the Llangollen Railway plc’s state of affairs in the Statement of administrator’s proposal, published on May 17. It has been confirmed that the Spa Valley Railway paid £30,550 for RMB coach No. 1864 that was sold prior to the May 12 auction (RM June 2021).
The document also includes details of the creditors. These include outstanding steaming fees owed to the 80072 Group (£40,926) and 5199 Group (£28,773).
Figures
Listed under engineering disputes are the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (£120,000); the LMS PatriotProject (£100,000); the 4709 Project (£9000); and the 3814 Loco Owners (£50,000). Meanwhile, work has continued on the preparation of the line’s resident fleet as part of the line’s reopening by the LRT. GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802 has passed its steam tests and has run into Llangollen station. A1A Locomotives’ Class 31 No. 31271 is also now fit for traffic.
Work on the overhaul of BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No. 80072 has started at Llangollen with the removal of the cab roof and bunker. A new bunker is to be fabricated locally. An appeal is to be launched shortly to help return the popular performer to action.
➜ Donations to support the revival of the railway can be made online at llangollenrailway.enthuse.com or by cheques made payable to Llangollen Railway Trust
Ltd, sent to: The Station, Abbey Road, Llangollen LL20 8SN.