The Gwili Railway thread

Not yet, as mentionned a page or two back we have just completed some civil engineering work which was necessary before tracklaying. Tree clearance is ongoing and we hope to recommence tracklaying in the next month or so.

In other news we held an official ceremony on Thursday to mark the completion of the level crossing gates and unveiled the National Heritage Award plaque.

Welsh Guardsman continues to progress at Llangollen, a new inner steel firebox is due to arrive from the South Devon Railway next week and other work is ongoing.

The vintage carriages are also progressing, while the former Aberaeron Signal Box has now been moved to Llwyfan Cerrig to a temporary location pending permanent siting.

Regards

Matt

 

What's occurring on the railway? How did the new crossing gates ceremony go? Regards tom

 

The Level Crossing gates ceremony has now taken place, and went well. There was a ceremonial "openning of the gates" (no passengers on the train) and the National Heritage Award plaque was unveiled.

The last few weeks have been fairly routine, services ongoing as normal. The Peckett is slowly changing colour as part of the cosmetic effort, Welsh Guardsman and Olwen boilers being worked on offsite, vintage carriages continue to progress, cafe coaches work still ongoing, extension work plans being formulated, just the usual stuff!

Haulwen continues to operate services with Jennifer available as a standby.

Regards

Matt

 

I visited the gwili on Tuesday. It was brilliant to go back for the first time since about 2002 when I was 9! It's looking very good and I had a long chat with a few of the volunteers. The vintage carriages are coming along nicely and the dining train is looking good. The layout in llwyfan cerrig is almost finished and the new signal box looks fantastic. Everything has been tidied up from what I remember and I loved every second. Regards Tom

 

I think its about time we on the Aberayron Signal Box Project introduced what we are doing to the waiting world on here, especially for those who don't read the railway press. So read on friends for the general press release...

Background:

Last year marked the centenary of Aberaeron's connection with the national railway network by way of the Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway. However the station at Aberaeron was closed to all rail traffic in 1965, with track removed soon after. Sometime between 1965 and 1967, the signal box that once controlled trains between Aberaeron and Felin Fach disappeared, and local railway enthusiasts believed that it had been dismantled by British Railways (BR).

Contrary to this belief, the box had been purchased by the late Mr. William ‘Bill’ Fowler of Aberaeron, who was studying at Aberystwyth University at the time. It was dismantled into ‘flat-pack’ form and stored at his mother’s house until he moved to Fishguard to teach History at Fishguard High School (now Ysgol Bro Gwaun). It was during this time that he met his future wife. Wanting to “take a piece of Aberaeron with him”, he removed the box from storage and loaded it onto a Fishguard Fruit flatbed lorry, which transported it to Fishguard.

Mr. Fowler and a group of friends from the Fishguard and Goodwick Rugby team, family and neighbours reconstructed the box in his back garden. It was intended to be used as a study, and it later used by his daughters as a play area. Mr. Fowler, though not a railway enthusiast, was averse to seeing items of historic interest consigned to history, and it was this commitment to preserving history for the benefit of future generations that led to his rescue of the box. He took pride in the fact that he was in contact with the National Railway Museum and had obtained information about the correct paint colours for the box (although it has since been repainted). Aside from teaching, Mr. Fowler was a keen rower and an active member of the local community, having chaired the committee organising the Last Invasion of Britain Bicentenary celebrations in Fishguard during 1997. He died on Boxing Day, 2002.

A former pupil of Ysgol Bro Gwaun, who also happened to be a Gwili Railway volunteer, revealed that one of his teachers had purchased the signal box from BR to a member of the Aeron Valley Railway Society during a discussion about the 2011 centenary celebrations of Aberaeron’s rail connection. In the aftermath of these celebrations, Mrs. Fowler was approached with the idea of relocating the box to the Gwili Railway. Mrs. Fowler had already been in contact with Aberaeron Town Council and the National Trust property at Llanerchaeron with a view to returning the box to its home locality, but both were unable to offer suitable accommodation. A Gwili Railway Board meeting held in January 2012 reached agreement in principle to provide a permanent home for the box on the railway, which is also home to the only other surviving station structure of the Lampeter, Aberayron & New Quay Light Railway, the former booking office and waiting room from Felin Fach.

The Gwili Railway's Aberayron Signal Box Project:

The Aberayron Signal Box Project (taking the pre-1965 name) was formed in January 2012 with a view to fulfilling seven key aims:

1. To obtain Aberayron Signal Box and preserve it for the benefit of future generations.

2. Administer fundraising to assist with the above aim.

3. To interpret the significance of the box as part of the history of the Lampeter, Aberayron & New Quay Light Railway, and to inform the public about how the Gwili Railway eventually became its custodian.

4. To locate the box at the Gwili Railway’s Llwyfan Cerrig station, thereby uniting the two surviving station structures from the Aberaeron branch for the first time.

5. To interpret the significance of mechanical signalling and its contribution to railway safety for the general public.

6. To provide an additional item of interest at Llwyfan Cerrig aside from the carriage sheds and the miniature railway, thus enhancing it as a heritage ‘destination’ on an enlarged Gwili Railway.

7. To look into relocating Llwyfan Cerrig South Ground Frame inside the box, allowing trains to be controlled from the box for the first time since 1965.

Progress:

The move from Fishguard was undertaken during two days of intensive work. The first day on 5 May entailed moving the box from its position in Mrs. Fowler's garden to allow easier access by the crane. This was achieved by jacking and rolling the box off its concrete plinth and onto a railway trolley on pre-prepared rails. It was subsequently pushed across the garden and secured in position. The box was left until 11 May, when a crane from Davies Crane Hire arrived to lift the box out of the garden onto a trailer and 4x4, which slowly drove the ensemble down a narrow lane and onto a road where there was easier access. The box was then transhipped onto a flatbed lorry, secured and taken to the Gwili Railway to begin a new chapter in its preservation history. The project team wishes to thank all involved, in particular Mrs. Fowler for kindly donating the box and a station bench, the staff of Davies Crane Hire, Carmarthen, Cymdeithas Aberaeron and the Aeron Valley Railway Society for their support in this venture. However, further progress in restoring and relocating the box at Llwyfan Cerrig is dependant upon a successful appeal for funds.

We are looking to raise another £5/600 to cover this cost, so it's all hands to the pump! If you are interested in contributing to the fund, or know people who may be interested in helping to preserve a building that has acquired a history beyond its original function, then by all means PM me. Thanks for reading this long-winded post!

 

Haulwen is on washout this coming week so Tuesday/Wednesday trains will be hauled by Jennifer

Regards

Matt

 

Any news on the gwili? Regards tom

 

on the operating railway trains continue to run, Haulwen has been washed out and back in service

on the extension, tree clearance is continuing. Drainage clearance work, finish off jobs to the new culvert and trackbed preperation will happen in the next month and we can start thinking about laying track...

regards

Matt

 

All at the railway are currently gearing up for the upcoming four weekends of DOWT events.

For those on here that are interested, Thomas and D2178 will top and tail the passenger train this year, whilst "Haulwen" will run brakevan rides and star in the live theatre at Llwyfan Cerrig. These are some of the few weekends in the year when trains stop at Cwmdwyfran Halt - a temporary platform, where the field alongside the line is used for special event parking.

First train from Cwmdwyfran is 0950, and then running at regular intervals throughout the day - a real 'jazz service' of people moving! Last train is 1620.

If DOWT isn't your thing, don't forget that we are running steam most days in June and July - come and see the latest progress on the extension, the vintage carriages, the new signalbox at Llwyfan.... Hope to see some of you in West Wales this Summer!

Cheers,

Phil.

 

I have just returned from a very enjoyable few days of spares recovery at the Gwili, it must have the most attractive scenary of any standard guage line in the country. The possibilites that the extentsion into Carmarthen could give are many as I don't think the plans are finallised, must be very nice to have 4 acres of land for the terminal.

Very friendly staff and volunteers, nothing was too much trouble. Delighted to briefly meet Matt78

 

Thanks Gary, it was good to meet you too, look forward to hearing continued progress on 2403. Always good to see forum members paying us a visit, even if it was a part working visit!

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed your time on the railway. I hope you were pointed in the direction of our new acquisition (Aberayron Signal Box)! May see you next time you visit, so you can chalk another forum member off your 'to meet' list! Shame to see the Elephant Van go, though...

 

Gwili Railway Carmarthen North Project News & Updates on the Project

An update on recent work done to Bridge 6 detailing the work and a few pictures. Tracklaying is due to commence in July.
Regards
Matt

 

How is the gwili going? Hard times for preservation railways at the moment, increased price of coal, lack of consumers. The price of Thomas the tank engine events seem to be so much! In realistic amounts when you consider they are run by volunteers. Lack of lottery because of olympics constrained council funding. However the potential the gwili has once they get to carmarthen and get a shed is limitless. 5million pound anyone? The council need to realise investing in the gwili is investing in Carmarthen tourism. The gwili railway has the best scenery you could wish for untouched. If a walk between llwyfan cerrig and dan y coed could be constructed this would be a nice addition! The gwili will be fine as when I went there the other day the enthusiasm dedication and the professionalism of all the volunteers was infectious. I love gwili railway I just am counting down the years until I can geta train at abergwili!

 

Hi Tom

Yes it is tough going, we have Thomas this weekend and the abysmal weather is certainly not helping! However we keep going.

I can tell you that Carms CC are very serious about tourism. In the not too distant past Carmarthenshire was seen as a "farming" community, and the emphasis on tourism was very much towards Pembrokeshire. However this is undoubtedly changing when you think of the Botanical Gardens and FfosLas racecource (for example), two venues that have developed in the last 15 years or so. With the downturn in farming, many are diversifying by openning B and B's and the like. Of course attractions are required for people to visit, as there is no point in having B and B's without somewhere for them to go!

So where does this leave the Gwili? Well all I can say is that we have a dialogue with the Council and it is a very posative one. The expanded timetable and more paid staff hopefully change the image of the railway from an enthusiast offering to a proper attraction right on the doorstep of Carmarthen. Coach parties have realised that we are open more and we now have a regular (i.e weekly) bus coming to us from Tenby with holidaymakers. So we are 100% doing our bit to bring people in, but there is much to do.

Whatever sources of help we might get we have to remember that the onus will be on the railway to find some cash. No mean feat when we are trying to fund Olwen's overhaul, repair the vintage carriages, construct a cafe at Bronwydd and all the usual repairs and maintainence required for the running of the railway.

Patience and faith is required in abundance. Extensions can take years to pull off, and you have to go through dissapointment first. However (especially in Wales) we have seen persistence on other lines pay off- think of the P and B, Welsh Highland and Llangollen for example.

At this moment in time, suffice to say we are making real headway both in terms of physical work (tracklaying due to start very soon) also in terms of our wider image. Where will it take us - who knows.

Regards

Matt

 

could be a bit of a soloution to freeing up some carraige shed space! ha

 

That's at the bluebell railway. Would be interesting to hear feedback on how useful it is .

 

Have a look at the Bluebell Rly website
C+W News
Vehicle No 270
photos of the cover
obviously useful - free daylight so low electric bill!
how do they heat it?

 

My other concern would be how robust is it ? I mean can you use hot air gun etc inside it .....

 

Well not necessarily for working on the carriages but the tvr 4 wheelers need to be undercover realistically otherwise by the time you get them up to condition its not long until they need re doing! Yes would be interesting to know how they get on with it, the cost, how it is in bad weather.