1998 News

For the Enthusiast

News Update, 27th November 1998.

The flail mower has had another trial, this time working on the hedge on the north side of the line between School Bridge and Pendre loop. The Engineering Department are reported to be very pleased with its performance.

The boiler of loco No. 2 "Dolgoch" has passed its hydraulic test, and work on the loco continues. In the paintshop, the cab and bunkers have been receiving attention to the lining.

News Update, 25th November 1998.

Relaying at Ceunant Coch is now finished (although the nature of the job means that tamping will take longer than usual to reach a final state) so that the railway is complete again.

Following a change of Home Office policy a party from Onley YOI came to the Railway last week and accomplished much useful work. Also, a party from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers has been working on the hedges over the weekend.

The valves on locomotive 2 have been reset; one of the volunteers involved was comparing the results with predictions on his laptop. As always in the past with this engine, a satisfactory setting for the forward running notch produces some very strange back gear events.

News Update, 23rd November 1998.

The self-propelled flail mower, which has been under construction at Pendre for some time, made its first outing last Thursday (19th November) when it made a short trip from Pendre to Wharf and back, and on Sunday (22nd November) it had its first trial hedge-cutting run. Various jobs remain to be done before the machine will be complete.

News Update, 11th November 1998.

In the workshops, diesel No. 5 "Midlander" has had its input splines renewed, and the gearbox is being reassembled. The flail mower is reported to be progressing well.

The autumn Outdoor Week has now ended. The relaying work at Ceunant Coch has been completed except for a short length at the bridge there, which still requires some work.

News Update, 7th November 1998.

In connection with the Outdoor Week works at Ceunant Coch, loco No. 7 "Tom Rolt" worked engineering trains to the site on 2nd and 3rd November. The bridge work includes installing drains to prevent future problems of water building up above the arch. Relaying work is also taking place in the area, involving taking good jarrah sleepers down to Pendre for redrilling.

The valve gear overhaul on No. 2 "Dolgoch" is complete, and the rear springs have been overhauled. Fitting the new tyres required modification to the brake hangers. The major boiler work has been completed and the boiler is being readied for hydraulic testing. A new smokebox is to be made. The work on this loco is not high priority, but is being progressed whenever other jobs allow.

Diesel No. 5 "Midlander" failed on 22nd October with a problem with the drive from the engine to the gearbox. It should be able to be repaired fairly quickly.

News Update, 2nd November 1998.

The public running season finished on Saturday, when trains were pulled by No. 4 "Peter Sam" and No. 7 "Tom Rolt". An engineering train hauled by diesel No. 10 "Bryn Eglwys" was also in operation, comprising carriage No. 22 (bogie brake 3rd), two ex-Bowaters bogie flats, one ex-MoD flat, the tool van No. 35, and ex-Corris brake van No. 6. Diesel No. 9 also made a sortie to Brynglas. In the evening, No. 4 pulled two return trips to Brynglas in connection with the members' bonfire and barbeque at Rhydyronen.

Autumn Outdoor Week is now in full swing. The major project is the rebuilding of the bridge at Ceunant Coch (between Quarry Siding and Abergynolwyn) which has been suffering from middle-aged spread above the arch. The S&T department are taking the opportunity, while the line is severed, to install a replacement control unit for Forestry level crossing (between Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol) which should improve reliability considerably. Two illuminated 'U' signs (which indicate that the Token Station ahead is unmanned) have been installed at Abergynolwyn on signals A5 and A10, replacing manually-operated flaps. This will speed up opening and closing of the box by saving the Blockman a long walk.

In the paint shop at Pendre, loco No. 3 "Sir Haydn" is being rubbed down prior to repainting. Carriage No. 3 (Brown Marshalls four-wheeler) is receiving attention to an area of rot at the bottom of its north-western corner. No. 9 (short bogie 3rd) is also in the paint shop, for replacement of its roof covering and other work.

Over in the workshop, the flail mower continues to make progress, with the Engineering Manager hoping to make initial trials of the hydraulic system within a few weeks. Diesel No. 8 was also present, with its new cab being assembled in place. A fire alarm system has recently been installed at Pendre.

During October, a "First Class Sunday" experience was offered to passengers, combining a ride on the railway, Sunday lunch at the Dolgoch Falls Hotel, and afternoon tea at Abergynolwyn. The experiment was very successful, and the arrangement will be offered again next year.

The 1999 timetable leaflet has been published, in a new colour-coded format. The times should be available on the web site shortly.

AGM News Update, 29th September 1998.

The Annual General Meeting of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society was held on Saturday 26th September at Neuadd Pendre. The draft minutes of the meeting are now available. In the ballot to name No. 10, the Simplex diesel loco which arrived last year, the selected name was Bryn Eglwys.

News from the Line, 18th September 1998.

(Extracted from the September 1998 "Talyllyn News". Items already mentioned on this page are not repeated here.)

Pendre and Wharf Developments

Much thought has been given in recent months to the best way to improve facilities at Tywyn Wharf station and at Pendre. A proposal has been formulated for a new engineering complex on the industrial estate next to the line just east of Pendre (near Ty Mawr bridge). The land here is currently owned by the Development Board for Rural Wales, and in principle a financially attractive package is available. Discussions continue.

The Ty Mawr development would allow the removal of all Engineering Department facilities from the south side of the line at Wharf. Current plans would see the line shortened slightly, with the addition of a traverser at the west end of the line. This would actually increase the maximum length of train which could be run round by some 20 feet, and would allow pedestrian access to the land on the south side of the line, which is earmarked on current plans for museum and heritage purposes. Traffic, Operating and Commercial activities would be gathered on the north (platform) side, probably in a mixture of one- and two-storey buildings.

Obviously, these developments will not happen overnight, nor by themselves; a lot of planning work and fund-raising will have to take place before the first sod can be cut.

General News

Traffic has been somewhat reduced in the early part of this year compared to last, however the fare increase has meant that the effect on revenue has not been so drastic. The poor weather and the relative lack of foreign visitors, especially from Japan and other areas of the far east, have had an adverse effect. The high rate of the pound and the World Cup have also made their mark. It is hoped that the peak summer and September will make up some of the shortfall. Party bookings have been healthy, requiring careful juggling of bookings to avoid excessive strengthening of trains.

A notable success recently regarded a very high bill for sewage disposal at Wharf and Pendre, based on the volume of water supplied as measured by Welsh Water's meters. This was successfully challenged on the grounds that much of our water consumption is exhausted to the atmosphere as steam!

The revised arrangement of the Traffic Office at Wharf has now been subjected to intensive use; the alterations have helped but there is still very little room in the office.

Mutual Improvement Classes (MICs) have again been run during the peak season, covering a wide range of subjects met in the operation of the railway. This winter's training programme is now being devised, covering the new Major Incident Plan and the revised Operating Rule Book.

A memorial train for Harold John Parker will run on Sunday October 11, leaving Tywyn Wharf at 13.30 and pausing at Brynglas, where his ashes will be interred in the new Garden of Remembrance. The train will continue to Abergynolwyn where refreshments will be served. All staff and members who knew Harold will be most welcome to join his family for this special occasion.

Jeremy Wilkinson has resigned as the Company's solicitor after 30 years, and has been succeeded by Nicholas Briggs, a former locomotive department volunteer.

Engineering News

Outdoor work

Clearance of lineside vegetation has taken place east of Quarry Siding, where a new fence will in time be erected. Fencing has been replaced on Brynglas bank, and repaired at the top of Doldeheuwydd bank where some cattle caused damage.

Attention has been paid to the pointwork at Quarry Siding loop, but new switch rail fishplates will be needed on the east end pointwork. Drainage work has been undertaken in Tadpole Cutting (east of Brynglas) and near the Abergynolwyn up home signal.

The annual weedkilling train was run at the beginning of July, after waiting over a month for the necessary three days! The headshunt in the Wharf engineering sidings was relaid by a "Tracksiders" gang.

Steam locomotives

No. 1 "Talyllyn" was taken out of service for a few weeks for building up and turning of the rear wheelset flanges and attention to the rear spring plank and brasses. A fairly extensive overhaul of the valve gear was also undertaken, though one eccentric strap is badly worn and will be replaced over the winter. New wooden buffer faces are being fitted.

No. 2 "Dolgoch" (out of service) has seen occasional work by volunteers.

No. 3 "Sir Haydn" has run well, except for some steaming problems caused by blocked tubes. The driver's air brake valve has proved troublesome, and investigations are in progress. The air brake pipework in the cab has been replaced and re-routed in the course of this work.

No. 4 "Peter Sam/Edward Thomas" is running well despite some signs of tube leakage after a day's work. The inspection door gaskets have been replaced.

No. 6 "Douglas" ran a warm rear axlebox; after cleaning and scraping there have been no further problems. The smokebox dart bar was replaced to a stronger design, and the lubricator filler plug sheared off and had to be replaced. A Pendre-made swivel plate was used to turn the loco to face uphill again.

No. 7 "Tom Rolt" received a replacement spring after a leaf broke. It is currently in use but will require attention to the left hand side connecting rods before long.

Diesel locomotives

No. 5 "Midlander" is available for traffic, after suffering electrical problems which burned out all the negative wiring.

No. 8 "Merseysider" (out of service) continues to make progress.

No. 9 "Alf" has received various minor running repairs.

No. 10 is running well, and in heavy use. Various modifications and running repairs have been made, and a thicker grade of oil is to be used to prevent the oil pressure dropping on tickover. The loco's name is to be decided at the TRPS AGM on September 26th.

Carriage and Wagon

No. 16's brakes were not releasing properly, and have been modified to include a pull-off spring similar to that on carriage 10. The experimental Guard's ducket has proved popular, but some attention has been necessary to parts of it which have swollen badly. No. 18 has also received attention to its air brakes. The east end drawgear on No. 21 has been overhauled following complaints of rough riding.

Repairs are due on wagon No. 2 (ex-Corris Railway), for which the steel has been delivered. Work has continued on the new ballast wagon body.

Winter carriage work is likely to include re-roofing of No. 9, which has been leaking in bad weather. Nos. 2 and 3 will probably be treated with the rubber compound used on the roofs of the other original four- wheelers. No. 4 ("Lulu") requires attention to the woodwork, amongst other things to repair damage at the north-east corner caused a few years ago when it had an argument with Wharf road bridge.

Buildings and civil engineering

The Dolgoch toilet block is now in full use, though some internal work remains to be done over the winter. Landscaping around the building, and completion of the new signal cable run, also remain as winter tasks.

Minor jobs have included attention to various loose platform edging slabs, a new door for Wharf cafe, repairs to the fence behind Pendre works, and continuing work on the gas cylinder stores, also at Pendre.

A fire alarm system has been installed at Pendre by contractors, with assistance from staff and local volunteers. The Pendre general locks have been changed.

Workshops

Attention has been focussed on the new flail mower. The machine looks close to completion but still requires mounting and plumbing of the fuel and hydraulic oil tanks, the installation of the hydraulic circuits, and assembly of the control linkages.

A Vauxhall Astra van has been purchased, and the railway has also been given an older but serviceable estate car. These should help to reduce the high mileage bills which result from the use of private estate cars.

Outside work has included the overhaul of the hanging basket brackets on Tywyn High Street, ready for this year's floral displays.

S&T and Electrical

New sensors have been fitted to Forestry Crossing, but the control unit relays are worn out and a new control unit is to be built ready for installation when the season ends.

Abergynolwyn signalling refurbishment has continued, and more work is planned for the coming winter including illuminated 'U' signs on the up and down home signals.

An incorrect repair caused serious damage to the carriage lighting system, all but the two unused spare battery management units being destroyed. Urgent repairs have been carried out.

Winter outdoor work

The October outdoor week will run from Oct 31 to Nov 8 inclusive; work to be tackled this winter is as under:

Lifting joints between Dolgoch and Quarry Siding
Lifting joints in Brynglas loop
Cardium work (fishplate oiling) if dry
General clearance of excess lineside vegetation
Fencing
Hedge laying
Clearance of surplus materials at the lineside
Removing lineside growth in cutting east of Brynglas
Removing stream arisings from Cynfal
Further work to prepare the lineside for flail mowing
Removal of redundant S&T duct and cable on south side of Wharf cutting
Landscaping round new Dolgoch toilet block
General drainage work
Improvements to footpath between Nant Gwernol station and footbridge
Footbridge maintenance
Coffee break if wet

Talyllyn Tracksiders

The Tracksiders held a most successful working week at the Spring Bank Holiday. Work tackled included:

A new footpath leading to a new viewing platform east of Dolgoch station.
Relaying of the ballast dock headshunt at Wharf.
Helping with painting and polishing in the museum.
Clearing vegetation from the driveway and slate bank at Abergynolwyn, and at the style and plaform at Cynfal.
Painting the post box at Wharf.
Helping with the "Awdry Day" at Tywyn Wharf on Thursday.
A steam-hauled works train on Friday.

25 Junior Members took part during the week, contributing 111 Tracksider days' work in total. Many thanks to all who took part! The Tracksiders will again be meeting in Tywyn on Friday and Saturday October 30-31.

Museum

In connection with National Museums Week, Elfyn Llwyd, MP for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, visited the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, together with the Talyllyn Railway and the Tywyn Wurlitzer. A special train comprising loco No. 1 "Talyllyn" and the original four-wheeled carriages were used to convey the party to Pendre.

Gary Hope, a student from the Ironbridge Institute, has been working over the summer in the museum on a number of projects. A new display has been produced about Henry Haydn Jones, former owner of Bryn Eglwys quarry and the Talyllyn Railway, as well as the local MP from 1910 to 1945.

Millennium matters

The Millenium Committee has been busily considering how to celebrate 2000/2001, when we will be marking not only the new millennium, but also the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society and the start of railway preservation worldwide.

One topic to have received consideration is the selection of liveries in which the loco fleet should be turned out in 2000/2001. One idea is a livery "swap" with the Puffing Billy Railway in Australia, the Talyllyn's twin railway. The currently suggested scheme is:

No. 1 "Talyllyn": Maroon, as carried in 1912
No. 2 "Dolgoch": Current light green, as carried in 1950/51
No. 3 "Sir Haydn": Corris Railway brown livery
No. 4 "Peter Sam"/"Edward Thomas": As "Peter Sam" with face, but also available as a Corris loco in red with relative ease.
No. 6 "Douglas": Current Barclay livery
No. 7 "Tom Rolt": Lined out Puffing Billy-style, probably in black

Other suggestions for Millennium & 50th Anniversary celebrations include a millennium party at Abergynolwyn, re-runs of the last train under the "old" management and the inaugural train under TRPS auspices and a visit by a Talyllyn loco to the National Railway Museum.

News Update, 8th September 1998.

The timetable for the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society AGM weekend (September 26-27) is now available on-line; it is a modified version of that used at the May Enthusiasts' Weekend.

In the north carriage shed at Pendre, work has started on constructing the underframe for the original Talyllyn Railway covered van, recovered last August from its resting place of 60-plus years at Rhydyronen.

The frames and wheelsets of No. 2 "Dolgoch" were being painted in the loco shed on Saturday.

The September "Talyllyn News" is now out; I hope to have a summary of recent developments from the line available on-line here as soon as possible.

News Update, 18th August 1998.

The annual "Race the Train" event was held on Saturday. Two of the railway's volunteers, Mark Stevenson and Lizi Whitehouse, took part in the 5 mile run in full Traffic Department uniform. Whilst they walked most of the way, they were not the last to finish and raised over £150, which will be divided equally between the railway's Young Members' Group and the Will Williams memorial fund.

The crossing of the engineering yard points at Tywyn Wharf was found to be coming apart on Saturday, and was temporarily removed and replaced with plain rail to allow trains to continue running. It has now been repaired at Pendre and reinstated.

News Update, 27th July 1998.

A hole appeared in the west end of the platform at Abergynolwyn; on Saturday, it was dug out by a gang and plugged with concrete. Two engineering trains ran up to Abergynolwyn, with diesel locos Nos. 5 and 10 and a motley collection of wagons, which were stabled overnight at Abergynolwyn while the two diesels returned to Pendre together, along with the Corris brake van.

In Pendre works, the flail mower is coming together well. The rotating turret has been mounted on the frames, together with the arm on which the cutter head will be mounted. Also in the works, the tyres were being removed from the wheelsets of steam loco No. 2 "Dolgoch" in preparation for re-tyring. In the paint shop semi-open carriage No. 8 was being varnished, and loco No. 4 "Edward Thomas" / "Peter Sam" was having his wheels repainted from black into red.

News Update, 9th July 1998.

Loco No. 6 "Douglas" was turned at Pendre last night to face chimney-first to Nant Gwernol, having faced down the line since September 1997.

News Update, 1st July 1998.

On Saturday, public trains were worked by steam locos Nos. 3 and 4. No. 1 was having minor attention to its inside Stevenson's motion at Pendre. The platform at Wharf has recently been resurfaced, and a short length of 2 foot gauge track is under construction adjacent to Neptune Road for the museum's tub wagon from South Crofty tin mine. Diesel No. 8 "Merseysider" was in the North Carriage Shed with work proceeding on its bonnet cover. A replacement head for the Abergynolwyn up home signal (signal A5) is being prepared as the next stage of the refurbishment programme there.

Victorian Week 1998 is being held between Sunday 2nd and Saturday 8th August.

Peter Sam's Birthday Party is on 31st August.

News from the Line, 1st July 1998

(Extracted from the June 1998 "Talyllyn News". Items already mentioned on this page are not repeated here.)

Talyllyn News editor

The search is on for a new editor for the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society's quarterly magazine "Talyllyn News". John Slater has been in the editorial chair since 1963 and is now 70, and is inviting applications from possible successors among the membership.

Future developments

Wharf and Pendre

The redevelopment of Wharf Station has been discussed at length over a number of years. Little has come of plans to purchase or lease from Railtrack land to the north of Neptune Road, and an alternative plan has been formulated involving providing public access to the south side of the Wharf site. This would involve providing a traverser at the west end of the line, and would additionally increase the maximum length of train which can be run round at Wharf. The engineering facilities at Wharf would be transferred to the Pendre area, and discussions are under way regarding possible ways to make room at Pendre.

Abergynolwyn

The extension of Abergynolwyn station building will proceed next winter, using timber panels. A more permanent stone extension was considered, but would be too expensive.

General News

Another main line steam excursion to Tywyn is planned for September 29th, which is also the Sunday of the TRPS AGM weekend.

The new Rule Book and Incident Control Plan are well advanced and should be in force next year; it is intended that they should be the subject of next winter's training programme. This winter's programme included advanced air brake training and a Blockman's Seminar.

Railway Letter Service

A miniature sheet of four stamps has been produced in memory of the Rev. W. V. Awdry and was first issued on 21st March, the first anniversary of his death. The First Day Covers were carried by a special train hauled by No. 6 "Douglas". The sheet of stamps costs £1.00 and the First Day Cover costs £3.00 plus 70p postage and packaging from Sara Eade, Postmaster, Talyllyn Railway Company, Wharf Station, Tywyn. Gwynedd, LL36 9EY.

Engineering News

Outdoor work

A considerable amount of hedging work has been carried out both by a local contractor (on the north side of the line between Pendre and Ty Mawr, and below Ceunant Coch) and by teams from the BTCV (south-west of Quarry Siding and north of the second of the six bends above Brynglas). Work is ongoing on refencing the north side of the line above Quarry Siding.

The line through Dolgoch station has been dug out for reballasting, and attention also given to the south side of the cutting between the viaduct and the station, from which 21 wagons of mud were removed during Outdoor Week. Some attention has been given to steps and fence posts on the far side of the Nant Gwernol ravine, as part of a committment with the Woodland Trust. Other Outdoor Week tasks included rail sorting, and clearing the arisings from the hedging work.

Steam-hauled works trains will run again this year, every Friday in peak season (July 24 and 31 and August 7, 14, 21 and 28). The trains will depart from Pendre at 6:30pm and return before dark and last orders.

Locos

Steam locos Nos. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 and diesels Nos. 5, 9 and 10 are serviceable. Boiler work on No. 2 is nearly completed, however considerable mechanical work remains to be done. No. 4 appeared disguised as Corris Railway No. 4 for the May enthusiasts' weekend. Diesel No. 8 continues to make progress, but completion remains some way off. No. 10 has had its exhaust system replaced with that off the old Aberdyfi lifeboat tractor (which had just been scrapped), and now has air hoses fitted. A ballot is to be held at the TRPS Annual General Meeting to decide on its name.

Buldings

The newly-rearranged booking office at Wharf is in use though the interior still requires redecoration. The public toilets have been repainted by two local volunteers. At Pendre, the new guttering on the loco shed is complete except for one downspout, and the area behind the works has been cleared. Two new gas store cages have been erected behind the platform. Brynglas blockpost has been repainted, and new cast iron litter bins partially financed by Victorian Week 1997 are beginning to appear along the line.

Museum

A civic visit to the museum was due during Museums Week (16th-24th May) with Elfyn Llwyd MP visiting, along with representatives of the County and Town Councils.

The Navvies

The Talyllyn Navvies' week will be from Sunday 23rd - Friday 29th August. Work days will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday, covering all sorts of jobs including painting, digging, cleaning, preparing trains etc. The week is primarily intended for the 10-14 age group, though those a little older who are thinking of volunteering on the railway are welcome to come too to see what we have to offer. Contact Dale Colon at 14 Freesland Rise, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 9QF or phone 01203 396476 most evenings.

News Update - 15th June 1998

With the running season now well underway, there is relatively little to report. Carriage No. 1 has finally been issued to traffic after its recent repairs, while No. 21 has had one drawhook replaced and a pair of new, slightly longer buffers fitted at the east end. A number of new cast-iron litter bins are being commissioned at various locations along the line. In the museum, the Woolwich Arsenal wagon has been moved from the mezzanine level to the ground floor.

News Update - 3rd June 1998

With the Bank Holiday week behind us the timetable has now settled down to the five-departure service until mid-July. A special train was run on Sunday afternoon for the Woodland Trust and invited guests, to allow them to inspect the woodlands at Nant Gwernol which were purchased, via Talyllyn Holdings Ltd., some time ago. The special lay over in the loop at Abergynolwyn to allow service trains to pass before returning to Nant Gwernol to pick up the party.

The lineside telephones plug-in points have been inspected and tested; the remains of a wasp's nest was found inside one location case! Forestry Crossing has been restored to working order after a timer unit failed.

In the paint shop, carriage No. 1 has had its first coat of varnish and should be returning to service very soon. One of the ex-Corris Railway coal wagons (No. 2) has had its body removed prior to repair.

The Railway's Board and Society's Council have approved the new version of the railway's operating rule book, which will now go forward to HM Railway Inspectorate. Various other operating publications will need to be revised before the new rules are brought into effect, hopefully from February 1999.

News Update - 28th May 1998

William Williams, 1921-98

We regret to report the death of Will Williams of Abergynolwyn, at Tywyn Hospital on Tuesday 26th. Will, a Burma veteran, will be fondly remembered, whether lending a hand in the cafe at Abergynolwyn station, cleaning the toilets there (which were always in immaculate condition), selling raffle tickets in High Street, Tywyn, acting as lollipop man in Abergynolwyn village, and especially for his cheery wave and smile from passing trains. Our condolences are extended to his wife and family.

News Update - 26th May 1998

Sunday's Tom Rolt Vehicle Rally was an outstanding success, with over 160 vehicles in attendance. The evening barbeque train was hauled by No. 7 "Tom Rolt" and had to have an extra coach attached at Pendre to cope with the 220+ passengers. Unfortunately, No. 7's air pump failed at Quarry Siding while running round and diesel No. 10 was summoned to assist.

News Update - 18th May 1998

Service trains on Saturday were worked by No. 3 "Sir Haydn", with an engineering train, which had stabled overnight at Nant Gwernol, returned to Pendre after the morning train behind diesel No. 10.

A sizeable group of S&T volunteers were busy in Abergynolwyn block post, attending to the token instrument for the Quarry Siding to Abergynolwyn section. This is now the third instrument to have received a Mk. 3 'remote operator' unit. In this case the reason for the work was to aid further planned rewiring within the block post, and the reinstatement of the up train approaching indicator.

The Bank Holiday week sees the traditional full peak service (see the timetable page for full details), with the annual Tom Rolt Vehicle Rally on Sunday 24th, and Chris Awdry's Peter Sam day on Thursday 28th as additional attractions.

News Update - 4th May 1998

The railway's Enthusiasts' Weekend took place over the Bank Holiday weekend, with an intensive service including a topped and tailed shuttle between Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol. Carriage No. 1 was observed back in service, though it will return to the paint shop after the weekend to allow the varnishing to be completed.

The signals at Abergynolwyn were back in commission for the weekend. Whilst little may appear to have changed outside the signal box, a huge amount of rewiring and reorganisation has taken place indoors, and the signal repeaters on the block shelf have been replaced with LEDs. The down "Train Approaching" indicator has been recommissioned in modified form, with the up indicator (which has been out of order for a number of years) to follow later. The Electric Key Token instrument for the section to Quarry Siding will be rewired in the next couple of weeks and provided with a new Mk. 3 Remote Operator unit. Later, the up home (A5) and down outer home (A10) signals will be replaced.

News Update - 4th April 1998

No. 6 "Douglas" failed last Sunday (29th March) on a photographic special, and was towed back to Tywyn from Tynllwyn-Hen by diesel No. 10. During the week a new left-side radius rod was manufactured at Pendre and fitted, and the loco underwent tests between Pendre and Wharf yesterday (Friday 3rd April). It was in service today on another photographic special run by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. The stock for the charter consisted of carriages 9 and 16 (the latter sporting its new ducket on the Guard's compartment) and tool van No. 35. No. 3 "Sir Haydn" was on the service train, and the PW trolley "Toby" was being used by the Brisol and West area group, who were clearing undergrowth on the south side of Brynglas loop.

The winter work on the Abergynolwyn signals is virtually complete, and all should be ready for the Enthusiasts' weekend on 2nd-3rd May. The 'train approaching' alarms are to be brought back into use shortly, and the key token instrument for the section to Quarry Siding will be rewired during May.

News Update - 30th March 1998

The main running season started yesterday (Sunday 29th March); trains are now running daily until 31st October. In addition, a special train was being run yesterday in connection with a mainline steam special to Tywyn, and a photographic charter was also out and about.

The new diesel loco No. 10 has been piped up for air brakes, for shunting passenger stock. Brown, Marshall four-wheeled carriage No. 1 has been fitted with air brakes, bogie composite No. 19 is ready for service after the attention to its bodywork over the winter (and with new carpet in the first class compartments) and bogie brake No. 16 has had a ducket fitted to the Guard's compartment.

News Update - 9th March 1998

No. 3 "Sir Haydn" was out and about on Saturday giving advanced air brake training to a group of Guards. At Pendre, carriage No. 1 is reported to be in the workshops being fitted with air brake equipment, No. 2 having been similarly fitted recently. The boiler of loco No. 2 "Dolgoch" has been retubed, though a lot of work remains before the loco will see service again. At Wharf, the traffic office alterations are nearing completion and the down home signal was due to be brought back into full use yesterday (Sunday 8th).

Museum News - 26th February 1998

The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum's latest acquisition has arrived in Tywyn. The Baguley petrol loco, works No. 774, has been purchased from the collection at Gloddfa Ganol in Blaenau Ffestiniog, which closed in 1997. It is currently in the gunpowder shed at Wharf station and is not on public display, but details and photographs will be added to the museum's web site as soon as possible.

News Update - 15th February 1998

We regret to announce the death of Harold Parker, General Manager of the railway from 1957-1966. A memorial service will be held later in the year.

This Saturday it was the turn of Pendre blockpost to see a key token instrument rewired; the machine working to Wharf was comprehensively overhauled, so that both ends of this section now have Mark 3 remote operator units. This machine, the most-used on the whole railway, is now in good order for some years to come.

Two special charter trains were being run today (Sunday) for coach parties, one at very short notice. The booking and traffic office alterations continue to make good progress in preparation for the 1998 season. The Sundays-only service starts in a week's time, on February 22nd, with daily services from March 29th. (See the timetable page for full details.)

At Pendre, carriages nos. 1 and 19 are progressing. No. 1 has recently had its new east-end headstock fitted. Diesel No. 8 is currently to be found in the north carriage shed where work on the new body has started. The cab front and the framework for the engine cover have been fitted.

News Update - 9th February 1998

The S&T department overhauled the token instrument at Tywyn Wharf on Saturday, performing a few minor mechanical repairs and completely rewiring the machine. One of the new Mk. 3 remote operator units was fitted. The other signalling circuitry, for the down home signal, is nearing completion, and the alterations to the booking and traffic offices are progressing well.

A number of excavations have appeared around the level crossing at Wharf as it proved impossible to extract the old signal and telecoms cables from one of the wiring ducts. New ducts are being installed instead from the new location cabinet by the ground frame to the level crossing.

A party from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers visited the line at the weekend, working on hedges. A special train was laid on consisting of diesel loco No. 10, the Corris brake van and a bogie brake 3rd. No. 10 has been temporarily fitted with the whistle from No. 2 "Dolgoch" to replace its previous, rather ineffectual horn.

News Update - 21st January 1998

The museum's 2 foot gauge GWR slate wagon has been partially dismantled in the gunpowder shed at Wharf for restoration; it is mainly in good condition except for a couple of broken axlebox castings. Also in the gunpowder shed are the remains of the Talyllyn Railway covered van, which has been dismantled after careful measuring, prior to reconstruction.

The traffic office alterations at Wharf are moving on apace; the door in the booking hall is now where the British Rail agency window used to be, but there is still a gap where the door came from. The Signals & Telephones department have also been busy at Wharf rewiring the down home signal, with revisions to the Electric Key Token wiring due in the next few weeks.

The S&T department have also been busy with the telephone exchanges. The new temporary Pendre telephone exchange is now in service, allowing the old unit to be removed from the electrician's office, making room for the new permanent exchange. The temporary unit will then move to Abergynolwyn, allowing the current exchange there to become a spare. The telephone numbering on the Pendre exchange (which covers the line from Wharf to Brynglas) has also been changed considerably to suit the new unit.

News Update - 8th January 1998

In the paint shop, carriage No. 19 has had its new east end panelling fitted, while carriage No. 1's new east end headstock is progressing well.

The motion work required on loco No. 6 "Douglas" has been completed and the loco worked a number of trains over the Christmas period facing west. ("Douglas" was turned to face west before the TRPS Annual General Meeting in September, at which it was decided to keep the engine this way round until some time in the spring.)