Vale of Rheidol Railway locomotives

The Vale of Rheidol Railway, which runs from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge (Wales), opened in 1902, and was later operated by the Cambrian Railway, Great Western Railway and British Rail before being 'privatised' in 1989 and run as a heritage railway operation (though arguably it had operated as a Heritage Railway operation since the mid-1930s, when the GWR withdrew freight services and winter passenger services, rendering the railway wholly reliant on the tourist trade). It is built to RailGauge|23.75 gauge.

Principal Locomotive Details

The railway's locomotives may broadly be divided into four groups:

No 1, & No 2 "(later 1212 & 1213)"

The VoR commenced operations with two 2-6-2T locomotives constructed by Davies & Metcalfe of Manchester, Nos.1 and 2. These locomotives were given Nos.1212 and 1213 by the GWR when it took over the line on grouping. They were Davies and Metcalfe's first locomotives and a Great Central Railway boilersmith, Thomas Kay, provided expertise in their construction. The contract was given to a company previously inexperienced in locomotive building (although previously they were involved in the repair of locomotives and made injectors) because Mr. Metcalfe was an Aberystwyth man.

No 3 "(later 1198)"

No. 3 was a small 2-4-0T locomotive, originally built by Bagnall of Stafford for a Brazilian cane plantation in 1896 but never delivered as the order was cancelled, Bagnall regauging the locomotive from RailGauge|750 to RailGauge|27 when it was sold to the Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway and named "Talybont". In 1903, after the failure of the Plynlimon and Hafan, it was purchased by the VoR, regauged to RailGauge|23.75 and renamed "Rheidol". The GWR numbered it 1198 in 1923, but it was withdrawn and scrapped the following year.

No 7, No 8, & No 9 "(& re-use of '1213')"

Shortly after taking control of the line, the GWR overhauled No 1212 (No 1) and under the pretence of a 'heavy rebuild' actually built an entirely new 1213, the original (No 2) presumably being scrapped. At the same time, two new locomotives (numbered 7 and 8) were built to the same design as the new No 1213 at the GWR's Swindon Works. In 1946, the GWR undertook a renumbering of the remaining locomotives inherited from pre-Grouping companies, and this saw the 'new' 1213 being renumbered as No 9. The original No 1 (No 1212) had been withdrawn in the 1930s and after a while scrapped, as it was found that three engines (7, 8, & 9) could quite easily cope with day to day operation of the railway.

Many people still believe that No 9 is one of the original Davies & Metcalfe Locomotives, as some historians and many books incorrectly perpetuate this myth, having been successfully hoodwinked by the coverup at Swindon Works. The Works were very effective in their coverup, entitling the parts that made up the new No 1213 as 'spares' in the accounts book, as the GWR Board had only given them leave to build two new locomotives (No 7 & No 8). A simple test to prove that No 9 is actually of the same vintage as No 7 & No 8 is to compare the working drawings between it and a Davies and Metcalfe locomotive — nothing of the original locomotive could possibly have fitted the new one.

Along with other ex-GWR locomotives, No 7, No 8, & No 9 all retained their numbers under British Rail ownership, and in 1956 were given the names which they still carry today, being unnamed up to that point. These three locos were the only steam engines to survive in BR's ownership after the end of mainline steam traction in August 1968, excluding steam powered cranes which remained in service until 1995. Under the TOPS numbering arrangements introduced at this time they were allocated Class 98 and were nominally numbered 98007-98009, but these numbers were never actually carried on the locomotives. All three locomotives, and the rolling stock, carried standard British Rail 'rail blue' livery until the 1980s, when the locomotives were given more traditional liveries that they had carried in the past. The rail blue livery has now gone, but these three locomotives remain in use on the VoR today, now back in private hands through the ownership of the Phyllis Rampton Trust.

No 10

The steam locomotive fleet is today supplemented by a single diesel locomotive, number 10, built by Baguley-Drewry and brought to the railway by the Brecon Mountain Railway during the time when the VoR was owned by the same company. Although it lacks the power of the steam locomotives, it is available for shunting duties, works trains, and also operating light passenger trains.

Additional Motive Power

In the past

At various times between 1902 and 1922 the effective fourth locomotive on the railway was a light 0-4-0ST named "Palmerston". This locomotive was not owned by the Vale of Rheidol Railway, but was hired as required, from the Festiniog Railway.

Additionally, for 30 years from the early 1950s until 1985 a powered Wickham Trolley operated on the line, as a permanent way engineers' vehicle, and for track inspection.

In the present

A 'Permaquip' vehicle was added to the fleet in 1985 to replace the aging Wickham Trolley. This light locomotive carries out track inspections, and has an extended cab allowing it to convey a team of permanent way engineers or other staff in comfort, and protected from the elements. The vehicle can also haul short works trains, and rarely operates without at least one truck in tow, for conveying tools and materials.

Summary of Locomotives

The table below lists all those locomotives owned by the VoR or built to its designs:

Other locomotives on site

The Phyllis Rampton Trust, who own the VoR also have an extensive collection of narrow gauge steam locomotives, some of which have been displayed on the VoR in the past. It is understood that several steam locomotives of the same gauge, or almost identical gauge, are currently located on the Vale of Rheidol Railway, but out of use, in a secondary engine shed at Capel Bangor. This facility is also understood to house several other vehicles, including coaches in need of rebuilding. The details of these locomotives, and the citations for their understood presence, may be found in the locomotive table at the Phyllis Rampton Trust page.