Virtual Railfan Tour of the UK - Stpo Press - Talyllyn Railway

Rolling stock from the Corris Railway at Pendre, summer 1956

Brian Ward has kindly provided these pictures showing how the Talyllyn Railway volunteers worked to keep the railway going in the very early preservation days (1950s)

Building the new Pendre carriage shed . May 1958

Pendre Easter 1959

Working on a landslip at Dolgoch August 1958. This was a major problem but was dealt with by volunteers,

A working party near Hendy July 1957

Many thanks, Brian, for these reminders of the way things used to be - without safety clothing, footwear, hard hats etc. 

These pictures were all taken before I knew Brian. We became friends while taking our training with British Railways in the early 1960s.  At one time we were both in the Reading area, he was in Reading West yard and I was in Motive Power.  One day I got to drive a parcels train from Didcot to Reading and we agreed that I would play "On Ilkley Moor bar 'tat" on the horn of the Hymek diesel as I went past the yard.  I did that alright but misjudged the approach to Reading which resulted in a sudden stop (which upset the guard) at the far end of the platform (which upset the platform staff). Happy memories.

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