‘Captain Baxter’ is coming to 'Talyllyn 150 - The Grand Finale'

Following on from the success of our‘150th Party’ gala last year, we are delighted to

announce it will be hosting its first standard gauge locomotive in steam for its ‘GrandFinale’ gala over the weekend of 1 – 3 July 2016. Built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co., like the Talyllyn Railway’s own original locomotives ‘Talyllyn’ and ‘Dolgoch’, ‘Captain Baxter’ will be joining its two narrow gauge cousins for a gala which celebrates ‘Dolgoch’s’ 150th anniversary and concludes the railway’s 150th birthday celebrations. ‘Captain Baxter’ will be running on a specially laid section of track at Tywyn Wharf station, offering a unique opportunity to see standard gauge steam in action on the railway.

‘Captain Baxter’ is based at the Bluebell Railway, which is the world’s first preserved



standard gauge passenger carrying railway. It started operations in 1960 from Sheffield Park station in East Sussex and now extends to East Grinstead. However, it was inspired in part by the success of the Talyllyn Railway, which became the world’s very first preserved railway in 1951, inspiring a movement that now spans the globe. Therefore, it is appropriate that the two railways are working together to make this event happen.

Built in 1877 by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. ‘Baxter’ was delivered to the Dorking Greystone Lime Co. Originally it was their locomotive No. 3, but was later named ‘Captain Baxter’. It was persevered when the quarry closed, and moved to the Bluebell Railway in 1960, being returned to steam in 1982.

‘Captain Baxter’, ‘Talyllyn’ and ‘Dolgoch’ will be joined by a fourth Fletcher, Jennings built locomotive, ‘William Finlay’, which has recently been purchased by the Narrow Gauge Museum Trust based at Tywyn Wharf station. It too was supplied to the Dorking Greystone Lime Co., but it was built to the unusual gauge of 3 ft 2½ in, and is being cosmetically restored by the Museum for static display.

A spokesperson for the Talyllyn Railway stated:

‘Our 150th Party, when we had the locomotives ‘Prince’ and ‘Russell’ in steam at Tywyn Wharf, caused huge excitement. Now we are going to offer another unique sight with a standard gauge locomotive, ‘Captain Baxter’ in steam at Tywyn Wharf, and one which is a cousin to our own ‘Talyllyn’ and ‘Dolgoch’. What is more we will be welcoming another Fletcher Jennings locomotive, ‘William Finlay’, which will be on display throughout the gala before being moved inside the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. This is going to be another once in a lifetime event that is not to be missed.’