The Vale of Rheidol Railway - News

An interesting story. Certainly the long time IMR shed foreman Donald Shaw didn't welcome visitors to his empire. Until the big clear out of derelict rolling stock in 1974/5 the cabs, tanks and other parts of long dismantled Nos 2 & 7 were to be found in a pair of M wagons behind the now demolished carriage shed. I do know that a seasonal fireman acquired a chimney numeral from No2 c.1970 and I have a copy of No7's worksplate cast from the original which had been acquired by a now deceased IMR enthusiast and cast in the IoMSP foundry! ISTR that some of the plates from Nos. 5, 8, 9 (maybe also 7) were auctioned a few years ago having been in the possession of the locos former owner i.e. before 5, 8 & 9 were re-acquired by IoM Rly's.
Ray.

 

I see the NGG13 has been for a trip up to Devil's Bridge

https://www.facebook.com/twohootsdevilsbridge

 

And there was me expecting a top feed, polished brass and copper!

Very good to see.

 

Drone footage of a test run (no sound):

 

Our new book, Vale of Rheidol Railway in Detail is now ready for Pre-Order with delivery expected this week. You can order from our new website on the link below, with more products being added to the website all the time.

https://ticketisland.co.uk/ticketi_slpos_gallery?bi=valeofr&pt1=New+In#pos_tag


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I've ordered my copy, it looks like it's going to be very good

 

Could someone familiar with the VOR locomotives tell me where the boiler water feed is? I have a GWR list of boilers that states top feed, and after it the word fountain. However the next boiler on the list says back plate and fountain. TIA Jim C

 

Pretty sure they have topfeeds.
Ray.

 

Looking a a photo of the blackhead, there’s no sign of any feed.

 

Thanks.

 

Just checked in the new VOR book, all three have top feed fitted boilers. The original Davies & Metcalfe design had back-head feeds from the original injector design.

 

Not exactly news as such ..... it's been on YouTube for 8 years!

This (silent) clip [8'14"] posted to YT by Paul Plowman dates from 1965, before the VoR moved into the mailine station. It seemed worthy of posting the link here for two reasons.

Firstly, it contains the only colour images I've seen of the short-lived "Cambrian Bronze Green" livery on carriages boldly lettered 'VR' (which I doubt caused too much confusion with Volks Railway!) and which apparently didn't wear well at all, necessitating a rapid repaint of all the carriages into BR blue in 1968.

Secondly, whilst the loop at Aberfrwdd appeared to still be in situ, I believe it was out of use by this point, which likely explains the movement of No.8's train to the (now rarely used) southernmost platform at Devil's Bridge, to await an 'up' service, prior to it's departure.

The Devil's Bridge shunt was the pattern followed on the summer peak timetable, involving two trains, when I first knew the line, a few years later .... by which time the 'rail blue' VoR service was using the ex-Carmarthen bays in Aberystwyth station. Hope it's of interest.

 

I visited the line in July 1963 with my black and white film camera. I presume the attached picture was taken at Aberffwrd. The train is taking the right hand loop (a 1955 picture shows a northbound train on the left hand loop), which I assume means the Up loop was padlocked out of use at this time as it was the following year - photograph in 'VOR in detail' page 387.

 

Super stuff!!

 

VoR have just announced No. 60's first public service will be the 10.30 from Aberystwyth on Tuesday 19th July.

 

According to the VOR loco roster 60 will hauling the 10:30 & 14:00 trains on 19-21 & 26-28 July.

 

Its been a while since I last travelled on the VofR BUT I am slightly conflicted by this, for almost all its life its been the haunt of the 3 iconic and identical tanks, but now no longer

Oh & please paint it Rail Blue as it was when I first went!

 

A Garratt in rail blue?

 

I was just surprised it's test run last year didn't reveal the first NGG ever in Swindon green, with a copper capped chimney and brass safety valve cover!

I am given to wonder why all that grunt is needed. It's not as if the platforms can cope with longer trains, even if the line had the stock for three full-length trains (that'd be a nice problem for VoR management to solve!).

 

I'm going to be in the area in August, so hope to see it in action.