Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

Cymru - Wales

Mixed train departing Welshpool Raven Square

"The Countess" in GWR livery and carrying the number 823, as allocated by Swindon in 1930, hauling two Austrian balcony coaches, from the Zillertalbahn, a sheep wagon, coal/mineral truck, cattle wagon and a brake van. Seen here departing from Welshpool Raven Square station and about to climb the Golfa Bank, with over a mile at 1 in 29 ahead of it.

"The Countess" - over 100 years old

The Countess was built in 1902 by the Beyer Peacock Company at their Gorton works in Manchester. Here she is pictured awaiting departure from Welshpool (Raven Square) Station with a train for Llanfair Caereinion. She has recently returned to traffic after having a major overhaul including a new boiler and other new bits to see her well for her centenary.

My crew and I with "The Countess" at Welshpool Station

"The Earl"

"The Earl" has entered into operation in 2000 after many years in store, although she did visit the Rainhill 150 trials at Liverpool, Didcot and York museum whilst at rest. For their centenary year 2002 both these historic loco's ran together once again on the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway. The Earl was built at the same time as The Countess and was W&L Number 1, later to become GWR Number 822 after the absorbsion of the Cambrian Railways in 1922.

Here we see her passing Dolrhyd Mill in the late afternoon on August Bank Holiday Sunday 2001.

Spring on the Golfa bank

With the steepest part of the line just over, the gradient easing from 1 in 29 to 1 in 41 above Golfa halt. This is a most picturesque part of the line combining fine view across the valley to the Powys estate and an ever changing wild flora and fauna. Here we see massed ranks of wild Bluebells, Endymion non-scriptus (Apl-June) encroaching on the railway track, making a bright blue carpet. Here is locomotive 14, better know by it's original owners number "85", a contrast in terrain for this loco as it ran originally in Sierra Leone before being saved from the scrap man and being repatriated to the UK in 1975 as shown here on arrival at Llanfair after a test run and now as running.

Some of the Flora to be seen along the Welshpool & Llanfair. Every season brings a new crop of wild flowers here we see the Sweet Violet Viola odorata (March-May) at the line side near Golfa halt. If you look out of the "Llanfair Train" window you can also see the wild Primrose Primula vulgaris (Mar-May) and even the occasional Cowslip Primula veris (Apl-May). Other species you may spot include: Harebell Campanula rotundifolia (July-Oct), the bright white flowers of the Blackthorn bush Prunus spinosa (Apl-May) which are followed by the blueish-black berries, better known as the Sloe. The Devils bit Scabious Succisa pratensis (June-Oct) and its nodding blue "pincushion" heads can be seen near Castle Caereinion station. The bright yellow double buttercup like heads of the Globeflower Trollius europaeus (May-Aug) are a delight not to be seen much farther south of here. These are but a few of the wide range of colourful wild flora the railway provides a haven for, after nearly 100 years of careful management the railway has become a nature trail through a most beautiful parts of rural Wales. Come and see for yourself!

Track Work

See the efforts of our intrepid track gang who have relayed in just 7 days the 23 lengths around Dolarddyn Curve, and see how well organized the Permanent Way Department has become, aided by more modern power equipment and good preparation.

Visit the Track Week 2001 Page to see the work completed at Dolarddyn Curve and link to more recent track work.

Visit the Tamper Heaven Page to see "Terrance" the Tamper in action.

Track Work Update 2004
See where we are up to with the track work along the line and other updates of the railway.

The old water tower near Llanfair Caereinion

Just under half a mile from Llanfair the old water tower still stands (although it is no longer used) and was the only water stop on the line for many years. Here we see loco 14 taking water just after here rebuild in 1979 and then 21 years later a picture of the sad state of this old piece of the railways history. One of the columns has the magic letters "GWR" cast into the tops so this begs the question of how long has this tower been here? The original water point was known to be near Dolrhyd mill but thought to have only been a temporary facility. Did the GWR replace an earlier structure on the same spot after they took over the line in the 1920's or did the Cambrian acquire some GWR bit's years earlier? One well known W&L member of long standing thinks the tank resembles a GWR broad gauge tender and it has a line of rivets running down the side as if for a coal space! Does anyone have any ideas as to it's origins? One recent bit of news from Ralph Cartwright (author of "The Welshpool & Llanfair Railway" a comprehensive history of the line) was that it is thought the GWR installed this tower in the 1930's if so what was the previous one like?

Locomotive Line Up

Some of the W & L locomotive fleet seen here in 1994, from left to right: No12 "JOAN" 0-6-2 Kerr Stuart 1927 ( brought from Antigua in 1971), No 10 (also known as 699.01) "SIR DREFALDWYN" 0-8-0 Societe Franco-Belge 1944 ( bought from the Styrian Government Railway at Weiz in 1969), No 1 "THE EARL" 0-6-0 Beyer Peacock 1902, No 2 "THE COUNTESS" 0-6-0 Beyer Peacock 1902, No 14 "85" 2-6-2 Hunslet 1954 (brought from Sierra Leone in 1975) and visiting engine No 105 "SIAM" 0-6-0 Henshel 1956, on loan from the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway.

Welshpool & Llanfair Railway Loco Page 1

More details of the W&L Loco fleet, part one.

Original freight train at Llanfair

822 "The Earl", in 1950's BR livery, returning from an early morning chartered freight train shunting at Llanfair yard in the summer 2000. Note: behind the brake van you can just see the fenced off area where the new loco running shed was then being built.

A replica of the original sheep wagons sees regular use on passenger trains for carrying customers bicycles or the companies lawn mower. We see a "mixed" train here crossing the rather overgrown site of a slew occupation crossing just before Coppice Lane road with SLR number 85 in charge.

Visit also:

Terrance in "Tamper Heaven" See the W&L's track tamper in action

The "Tubize" in action See the new Belgium loco in use on the W&L

New Trecwn Van Wheels Wheel changing

Latest News:

News & Track Work Update
See where we are up to with the track work along the line and other news about the W&L

Archive maps of the line and area

For the further details on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway you can Visit the W&L official site.

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