Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway

I hardly ever post (having nothing in particular to say most of the time) but I thought it worth pointing out a couple of interesting pieces of WLLR news deserving wider attention. In any case the railway deserves its own dedicated thread, which seems to be lacking.

Firstly, SLR 85 is going on a national tour before coming home for eventual restoration.

Secondly:

"The 2017 season will be the 54th in which the railway has been operated almost entirely by volunteers, overtaking the 53 years – 1903 to 1956 – that it was run commercially by the line’s three previous owners the Cambrian Railway, Great Western Railway and British Railways"

Presumably this be the first preserved line to achieve this milestone?

More details on both at on www.wllr.org.uk/news

 

will just have to call in then!

 

An interesting claim and you're probably right. The Sittingbourne & Kemsley is probably the next one to achieve this. It loses out because it was operational much later than 1956. What other contenders?

 

The Beddgelert section of the WHR will get to this point within the next decade, because the original line was open for such a short time; but for the FR Co's operations as a whole still have another 50 years to go!

I would have thought the first standard gauge line to reach this milestone would be the KESR, followed a few years later by the GCR, as in both cases the original lines line opened at around the same time as the WLLR.

 

I take it the Middleton has a long way to go yet?

All credit to the Welshpool though.

 

If I've worked it out correctly...

KESR - 61 years in normal service, 43 operated as a preserved line.

SKLR - 61 years in normal service, 47 years as a preserved line.

GCR - 74 years in normal service, 43 years as a preserved line.

Tal-y-llyn - 80 years in normal service, 66 as a preserved line.

So it does like KESR will be the first standard gauge line to be operated longer as a preserved line than commercially, but not for another 18 years.

Impressive achievement for the WLLR all the same though.

 

Opened 1898, closed 1969, so 71 years in normal service. And I think the first preserved stock arrived in '73 (may have even been '72) so 44 or 45 years as a preserved line.
Of course, the GCRN section limped on in service for about another 20 years (although towards the end even an annual weedkilling train would have been news).

 

Leighton Buzzard I think has 49 + 49

 

A couple of visitors coming up ...

http://www.wllr.org.uk/news

 

Excellent news regarding the visit of "Superb" for the gala and glad to see that it is intended to use it on passenger trains.
I presume this will need to be in the company of something else as I don't believe that SKLR locos have ever been fitted with train brakes?
(Unless of course vacuum gear is being borrowed off something else?)

 

Foxfield has 22 years to go - 72 years commercially, 50 in preservation.

 

Bluebell will get there in 18 years as well - 75 years in commercial operation (1882 - 1958 but with a one year closure during that period) and 75 years in preservation (1960 - 2035).

Tom

 

A vacuum ejector and pipework plus W&L couplings will be fitted to Superb before she leaves the S&K.

Nigel

 

Thanks for the clarification Nigel, would be nice to see her working solo.
Would this be the first time Superb has left S&K metals since delivery to Bowaters?

Chris

 

As far as I know Superb has never left the railway before. Premier, Leader and Melior have all been elsewhere in preservation although Melior was the only loco to actually run elsewhere - Whipsnade and at two steam events at Preston Steam Services.

Nigel

 

Superb has arrived and made it to Welshpool already, some pictures on WLLR facebook page, including one with her sister Joan. Hope the hills weren't too much of a shock after 70 years on the flat.

 

The listing has nothing to do with me (thus know nothing of provenance etc), but this might be of interest to some....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Welshpoo...m=202393471198&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

Gala time again, Superb running to Welshpool this year.

https://www.wllr.org.uk/steam-gala-2018

 

Great day yesterday; lovely scenery, friendly staff and authentic locomotives having to work hard. Gala looked well attended too!

 

Castle Careinion this afternoon. Nice to see the lines two original engines together.