SINGLE LINES

■ TALYLLYN Railway (TR) has vacated the unit it has been using on the industrial estate near Tywyn Pendre. Contents moved back to the TR include the chassis of Fletcher Jennings 0-4-2ST No. 1 Talyllyn (now in the shed at Quarry siding – the boiler is being retubed by TR volunteers at the Mid-Hants Railway) and the wheeled chassis frame for the new four-wheel open coach which TR is constructing. The Vale of Rheidol Railway has been contracted to build a new TR ballast wagon.

■ CROWLE Peatland Railway took delivery of four 3ft gauge wagons from the Isle of Man on September 1.

Three are former Lochaber Railway tipper wagons now on long term loan to the Lincolnshire line, which will undertake restoration work needed after a period stored at the Manx Electric Railway’s Dhoon Quarry sidings. The fourth is a single side chute ballast hopper which has been donated to the Crowle Peatland project.

■ ISLE of Man Steam Railway’s 1881-built bogie carriage

No. F11 returned to Douglas on August 11 following rebuilding in a unit at Balthane Industrial Estate, Ballasalla. The delivery vehicle departed with bogie carriage No. F10, which will receive similar restoration attention.

■ YOUNG Amerton Railway volunteers have started work on restoring steam-outline Baguley 0-4-0DM 2085/1935 Golspie. Built in Burton-onTrent for Trentham Gardens Railway, the loco then went to Alton Towers (where it was never used) before arriving at Amerton, meaning it has never left Staffordshire!

■ JOHN Ellerton (who latterly preferred to be called Ivan) died in August. He owned the Fairbourne Railway between 1984-1995, his somewhat controversial stewardship seeing it converted from 15in to 12.25in gauge.