Talyllyn Railway’s locomotive No.3 Sir Haydn has left for a winter holiday along the coast in Aberystwyth, where it will have a major overhaul at Vale of Rheidol Railway’s workshops.
Although being out of service since the summer of 2012, the locomotive has nevertheless made various publicity trips along both the Severn Valley and West Somerset Railways on a standard gauge wagon.
Most recently, it made a surprise ‘guest’ appearance at Talyllyn Railway’s 150th party, as part of a cavalcade of all the railway’s steam locomotives. Now the aim is to have the locomotive back in service for its 140th anniversary in 2018.
A repair fund has already raised £30,000 towards the overhaul, but how much more will be required will only be known when a full examination, particularly of the locomotive’s boiler, has been carried out.
This overhaul is in line with previous out-sourcing of repairs to locomotive No.1 Talyllyn at Ffestiniog Railway’s Boston Lodge Works in 2013.
Talyllyn Railway’s interim managing director David Ventry said: “Sending locomotive No.3 to the works at Aberystwyth for this major overhaul means that staff at Tywyn will be able to concentrate on routine maintenance and other new developments.
“As we have a number of major new projects coming in the future, we need to ensure we have the personnel available here to enable these to happen on schedule. In the meantime, we can rest assured that work on Sir Haydn can proceed unhindered and the locomotive can be in service in time for its 140th anniversary.
“The Vale of Rheidol’s workshops at Aberystwyth are now developing an excellent track record of locomotive repairs and restoration. It therefore makes eminent sense to utilise their specialist facilities to carry out this work. Once again it demonstrates the trend for working in partnership rather than being in competition and also still helps the local economy.”
Llŷr ap Iolo, director of Vale of Rheidol Trading Ltd, welcomed the “fantastic opportunity” to work with Talyllyn Railway to overhaul an historic Welsh narrow gauge locomotive.
“No 3 Sir Haydn has spent its entire working life in Mid Wales and, like our own locomotives, formed part of the Great Western Railway’s fleet,” he said. “It is fitting that its latest overhaul will take place a short distance from where the locomotive originally worked.
“The Vale of Rheidol has greatly expanded its workshop facilities over recent years, allowing us take on outside contract work and we are delighted that the Talyllyn has awarded us this contract.”
Also under restoration in Vale of Rheidol’s workshops is No 7 Owain Glyndŵr, which last steamed at the local railway in 1998. The workshops have just recently completed the restoration of Kerr Stuart ‘Sirdar’ Class Locomotive No1158 ‘Diana’ and Hunslet Locomotive No605 ‘Margaret’.
Picture caption:
Talyllyn Railway Locomotive No.3 Sir Haydn after unloading at the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s workshops in Aberystwyth. (Photo: P. Mason)
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Editor’s Notes
Talyllyn Railway is a narrow gauge railway opened for goods traffic in 1865 and shortly after for passenger services. These have operated every year since between Tywyn, on the west coast of Wales, and Nant Gwernol just over seven miles inland. In 1951 the line was taken over by the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society and became the world’s first preserved railway.
Operation of the line is primarily by volunteers from all walks of life, with a small paid staff. It is now a major tourist attraction in the mid-Wales area, contributing significantly to the area’s economy.
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