The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway
Trecwn Van 215
"The great wheel change"
Van 215 shown here awaiting the W&L wheel changing gang in April 2000. The object of this operation was to obtain better wheels for the Tool Van which was proving troublesome at certain points on the line due to it's very worn flanges. Another factor was that the tool vans wheels turned on the axles which also caused some unique problems. Van 215 had good flanges on a conventional axle.
A very lucky find indeed, the van
was purchased by a local resident to the railway for use as a hen
house but he decided to keep it intact and indeed persuaded the
merchant who sold it to him to throw in a piece of 2'6"
track to keep it on in his farm yard. There has been a lot of
corrosion on the corner pillars due to the chemicals it carried
and the red oxide paint is not original. The bright yellow
interior is original and I believe was to denote it carried
gunpowder (or cordite) in it's time working for the Admiralty.
The van has double doors both sides, and a rather interesting
sliding roof section for lowering mines in (we were told). The
vehicle has now received a "new" set of wheels and is
scheduled to be stored in one of it's owners outbuilding to avoid
further deterioration and the W&L has also a "new"
set of wheels for the tool van!.
Next Page W&L Line Maps
Updated 28th April 2003 © Brian Tucker 2003