On the 11th October 1950 the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society was formed at a meeting in
Birmingham following the death of the Railway’s owner Sir Henry Haydn Jones with the aim of
preserving and running the Railway for future generations.
Today, 75 years later, the Annual General Meeting of the TRPS has been held in Tywyn where
dates were announced for a 75th Anniversary Gala alongside the unveiling of a special
Anniversary logo.
On the 14th May 1951 the TRPS operated their first public train, kick starting the global railway
preservation movement as the World’s First Preserved Railway. The 14th May 2026 will see
invited representatives from various Heritage Railways assemble for a special train to mark that
initial run, and then on the 15th, 16th and 17th May – the toys come out to play!
The bumper 3-day gala event promises to live up to the hype, with the theme of “TR Best Hits”
from across the years – each day will feature recreations of iconic moments from across the
TR’s post-preservation era; Friday for the 1950s and 1960s, Saturday for the 1970s and 1980s
and Sunday for the 1990s through to the present day.
Saturday will also see the return of Overnight Steam to the Railway for the first time in 11 years,
seeing steam hauled services running throughout the night and straight through into Sunday
morning!
Further details will be announced in due course.
