Newsletter September & October 2016

the vale of rheidol railway

NEWSLETTER issue no.22

£1.5

Plea se

pay

at co u

0

nter

Taken by John R Jones

September & October 2016 www.rheidolrailway.co.uk

Telephone us: 01970 625 819 - Park Avenue, Aberystwyth SY23 1PG Regular steam train services running throughout the year

ONTH M E H E OF T

QUOT

in day out” nd is tra “A great ut here! My husba the day with

o d mily day ttle it! Starte a great fa was worth a vis cafe and had a li d a h e W it e g t d h g ri u too. evils B we tho gift shop mad so cafe in D ice little a in the N te . m in a a tr re ac or, 2016 n the picnic o ripadvis

Visited O

-T

016 ctober 2

Abou Vale of Rh t the eidol Railw The Vale of ay Rhe

idol Railway Steam Rai is a hist lway beautiful ra which opened in 19 oric Aberystwyt ilway runs 12 miles 02. This be h a unique gl and Devil’s Bridge; tween impse and pr views of th oviding Rheidol Va e st lley, nestle d in the Cam unning Mountains brian , Wales.

From the co mfo scenery an rt of your carriage w countrysid d steam passing by. atch the See the e change as yo wide open fields, woo u travel through dl mountain sc and and ru gged enery, the turning as line twistin it clings to the hillside. g and the sound locomotives of the narrow gaug Listen to e (200m) in th working hard to clim steam b e 11 ¾ mile s from Abe the 700ft rystwyth to Devil’s Bri dge.

Birds of pr ey such as Red Kite an are regularl dB y valley floor seen soaring high ab uzzards and breath ove the taking view s can be enjoyed by all.

www.rheid

olrailway.c

o.uk

Upcoming Events

November Weekends 2016

Autumn Colours and Sunday Lunches See the Rheidol Valley ablaze in autumn colours. There is also the option of a carvery lunch at the Hafod Hotel at Devil’s Bridge.

Meet Santa and his helpers on a Steam Train at the Vale of Rheidol Railway for some festive Christmas Magic

Vale of Rheidol Railway News: Two Vale of Rheidol Tank

Engines to appear at Warley Model Railway Show Two of the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s iconic locomotives are to make the journey to Birmingham this November to appear as one of the centrepiece exhibits at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition which will be held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on 26 and 27th November 2016.

Appearing at the show will be No 1213 alongside No 7 making their first appearance out of Wales for 30 years.

No 7 has the distinction of being the last steam locomotive to be operated by British Rail. Withdrawn from service in 1998, it is currently undergoing a major restoration. It will displayed in partially dismantled workshop condition giving visitors an insight into how steam locomotives are constructed.

The restoration of No 7 is progressing thanks to grant funding from the Coastal Communities Fund and it is planned to return the locomotive to service in the next few years.

Joining No 7 on the stand will be some of the

railway’s apprentices, representing the next generation of railway craftsmen. They will be on hand to talk about their work and the restoration of the locomotive.

This year’s display celebrates the 175th anniversary since the opening of the Swindon locomotive works by showcasing some of the Swindon’s finest locomotive designs. Traditionally the Vale of Rheidol lacked its own workshop facilities so the trio of locomotives periodically returned to their Swindon roots for heavy overhauls.

Railway Manager, Llyr ap Iolo said “We are thrilled to be taking two of our locomotives to the Warley show, it is a great opportunity our famous locomotives in the Midlands and an opportunity for us to talk to the visitors about the restoration work we do” The exhibition is one of the largest model railway exhibitions in the country and regularly attracts 17,000 visitors from all around the world.

Paul Jones, Exhibition Manager of Warley Model Railway Club said ‘it is a privilege to be able to bring these 2 iconic Swindon built locomotives to the NEC to be one of the star attractions of the UK’s Premier Model Railway Exhibition.They will provide inspiration to the model railway enthusiasts at the event, and will complement superbly the 90 model railway layouts at the Show, many of which will be featuring the work of the Great Western Railway in this Anniversary Year of the works’.

Only once before has a Rheidol locomotive been on display before. No 9 appeared at the National Railway Museum, York between November 1982 and February 1983 as part of the railway’s 80th anniversary commemorations.

Page Page22

Vale of Rheidol Railway News:

Evacuee Special

At the start of October the railway had the privilige of hosting Plascrug Primary School as part of an evacuee experience for the pupils giving them an idea of what it would of been like to be evacuated by steam train.

The Children and Teachers all dress for the occasion in era appropriate clothing and we play music of the era in the station too, thus helping to set the scene for the pupils and teachers alike.

Their day begins with a history lesson provided by the VoR shop manager Mr Geraint Roberts where he sets the scene for the pupils and tells them about the history behind the evacuation trains and what the experience of being evacuated would of been like.

At the end of this talk the pupils are introduced to Page 3

Geraint’s Mother Mrs Rita Roberts, who during World War II was an evacuee herself, being evacuated from Liverpool to Anglesey. Mrs Roberts then accompanies the children on the journey up through h the Rheidol Valley to Devils Bridge and tells them of her experience.

When the train arrives in Devils Bridge the children have a packed lunch from the Two Hoots Cafe, consisting of jam sandwiches. The school group then returns on the next train unlike many of those evacuated during the war, some of whom never got to return home, and some didn’t want to either.

If any school groups wish to book a similar experience please get in touch with us and we can do our best to help arrange the experience.

Images courtesy Two Hoots Cafe, Devil’s Bridge.

WHAT HAPPENED AT OUR OPEN WORKSHOP WEEKEND Over the weekend of the 24th & 25th September we opened the doors of our workshop to the public to allow everybody to see what we’ve been working on.

The event proved to be a popular attraction with many lovely people taking the time to come visit us.

On the Saturday we welcomed around 460 visitors through the door and the Sunday welcomed around 350. Due to the warm way in which the event was recieved we will definately look to hold similar events in the future.

During the weekend our engineers and apprecintices were on hand to discuss the various projects that they have been working on and the roles they perform at the railway. We had plenty on show including photo boards with images of restoration work undertaken within the workshop, and lets not forget ‘Margaret’ providing driver for a fiver experience on our demonstration line at Aberystwyth providing the childhood dream of driving a steam engine for young and old.

Page 4

Vale of Rheidol Volunteers

By Maurice Kyle, Railway Volunteer

Whilst we would certainly be proud to take credit for the way our line is run, we always tell people that this is a professionally-run railway.

The workers on it are all fully-paid, highly-skilled employees of the charitable Trust; all, that is, except for us tiny band of volunteers, some of whom come and go, but never number more than ten! And we are all local residents, doing the ‘bottom of the list’ labour-intensive jobs that would be almost impossible for the railway to otherwise find the time or money to get around to. We certainly don’t get to ‘play trains’... after all, this is more than a tourist attraction, it is a service line which contributes employment, apprenticeships and training of huge value to the local community and economy.

That is why our work on occasions sometimes sounds a bit unexciting. These last couple of months, for example, the ‘Tuesday team’ have spent many weeks re-treating the fencing at Capel Bangor station, a time-consuming and fairly unpleasant job, but during which we love the camaraderie, the outdoor work, the trains, and the tourists! We finished off Capel Bangor station’s refurbishment by strimming and tidying the wildflower meadow and ‘tree garden’(behind the fence), and painting the waiting room floor and even the lampposts. In fact, now we have finished re-painting all the lampposts of all the stations except Aberystwyth, repainted the floor at Aberffrwd, and swept out and tidied up all the intermediate stations and halts up the line; important jobs after the main summer tourist season. At the same time, station flower-beds have been tended, and a few extra footpath waymarks installed.

Personally, I have been pleased to meet a few intermediate station users trying out some of our published walks in the area, using the railway for transport. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, we are still waiting for the Second Edition of my walkers’ guide to the railway ‘Railway Walks in the Vale of Rheidol’ to arrive from the printers. I hope and expect it to be worth the wait when it finally appears in our bookshops!

In the meantime, why not try this Newsletter’s featured walk as described next:

FREE CAR STICKER with this voucher

Newsl 20

While the regular Tuesday team is working on the railway, we inevitably get to talk to many members of the public either visiting the stations to view the trains, or to be a passenger. We are always keen to communicate our enthusiasm for this fantastic narrow gauge line and its workers, but are often surprised by public misconceptions about it. Many folk think that like all the other ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’ the Vale of Rheidol is a volunteer-staffed railway run by a Society made up of thousands of members who donate their time and money to it. That is the almost universal pattern of control of so-called ‘heritage’ railways in Britain.

Postcode:__________________________ Email:_____________________________ ____________________________________ Disclaimer: This voucher entitles the bearer to one free car sticker when details completed.

Page 5

Maurice’s featured walk From Capel Bangor station via the Rheidol Riding Centre to Pant-y-Crug.

5 km (3 miles), about 1 ½ hours.

A nice easy level walk along the side of the railway,becomes a pleasant but exhausting haul up the hill to Pant-y-Crug on the main Aberystwyth-Devil’s Bridge road, followed by excellent views in all directions including Pumlumon and Cader Idris. The whole walk, except for a short section of narrower path just after Tan-yr-allt, is on wide, firm tracks or tarmac roads and lanes.

1.

From Capel Bangor station, cross the road to follow the signs to Rheidol Riding Centre. You go over a cattle grid onto a tarmac lane which runs along the north side of the railway track, walking up the valley.

but then joins its driveway track which winds round above it.

5.

Follow the long tarmac driveway as it diagonally ascends the hill. This is a rather long slog, but the reward for your efforts is a gorgeous all-round view opening out at the top end. As the track bends round to the left it levels somewhat to pass the old village fishpond, and here the distant peak of Cadair Idris is seen to the north, and the much closer summit of Pumlumon Fawr to the north-east.

2. After 400m, the lane crosses the railway, to continue along the south side of the river and railway.

A little further on, pass a caravan park discretely hidden in the woodlands above and to the right, before meeting the Riding Centre at Rhiwarthen on the left, which has an access lane crossing the railway again. There are endless possibilities for pony and 6.

A gate gives on to the main Aberystwythhorse riding experiences from this centre…

Devil’s Bridge road, where you turn right, and walk for about ½ kilometre through the village of Pant-y-Crug.

3. Continue on the good wide track on the southern Several large and attractive houses have been built in side of the railway, passing the house called Tan-yr- recent years along this stretch of straight road, and allt, from where the way becomes a narrow path mostly there is a good verge to walk on, but traffic for a time, squeezed in alongside the railway track, does tend to travel fast here, and it is essential to take and rather wet after rain. But soon the route widens care. out to become a broad bridle path, now climbing up fairly steeply through attractive mixed woodland, via 7.

At the first minor road on the right at the a series of railway-sleeper steps put in, no doubt, to top of a small rise, turn right, thankfully escaping the avoid damage due to ponies’ hooves. main road. There is a reassuring signpost to the Riding Centre here.Then enjoy a lovely downhill amble along 4.

Eventually, you pass a clearing to the right which this lane, with changing views of the surrounding adjoins the garden of the cottage called Lletty-bach. countryside, twisting and turning to eventually pass The path runs along the lower edge of the clearing, the elegant tall farmhouse of Rhiwarthen-uchaf to then narrows to ascend up its far side, to meet a arrive back at Capel Bangor Station.

T-junction of paths. Here, go right on a very well maintained path which heads towards the cottage,

Page 6

Mines of the Rheidol Valley: Abernant Mine

By Ioan R Lord N.B. This mine is on Private property and entry is forbidden unless by prior arrangement. Mines in the Valley are very dangerous owing to the vertical shafts and the potential for them to be hidden within woodland. Exploration should only be undertaken by experienced persons!

Abernant is one of the smaller and lesser-known lead mines of Cwm Rheidol, and located in the immediate vicinity of the Vale of Rheidol Railway between Nantyronen and Aberffrwd stations. The mine workings straddle the railway, which was constructed through the middle in May 1902.

The lead vein, or lode, was discovered on the hillside high above during the late Eighteenth Century.

Around 1790, Sir Thomas Bonsall – a well-known mining engineer who lived at Fronfraith near Llanbadarn – acquired the lease for the mine. He drove an adit, or level, into the hillside, which struck the Abernant Lode 120 feet below surface. This was called Bonsall’s Adit. In 1853, the mine was being worked as West Aberffrwd, with two shafts – Ody’s and Hughes’ – sunk on the outcrop of the lode, yielding 10 cwts of lead-ore per fathom (6 feet).

at Abernant had made it exceedingly difficult to break down by means of hammers; what the mine needed was “powerful crushing machinery in order to obtain profits”. (Mining Journal 1861.) Five days later, on 10 December, Matthew’s brother Absalom wrote to the Mining Journal in a very excited manner. He claimed at Abernant that “we have made the most valuable discovery that has been opened on in this county for many years”.

A 30-foot diameter waterwheel was installed on the valley floor in 1867, to operate a run of cast-iron rods up the hillside to a new shaft, called Milstead’s Shaft. These rods dropped vertically down the shaft, to operate a pump which drew water out of the workings. The shaft connected to Spargo’s Adit, and was sunk to another level 60 feet below it.

Bonsall’s Adit: The first entry in 100 years, 2015.

An overambitious company took over in 1855, calling themselves the Troedyraur (‘Foot of the Gold’) Abernant United Mining Company. Two months of fraudulent reports, seeking capital from English mining investors, led to the collapse of the company, which failed to find any good ore whatsoever at Abernant. However, another adit, called Spargo’s, had been driven into the lode at a point further west than Bonsall’s.

1867 also saw the formation of the Vale of Rheidol Mining Company Limited, which intended to connect both Spargo’s and Bonsall’s Adits underground by means of tunnelling about 200 yards.

This plan failed, but by this time, both adits had been split into separate mines. Spargo’s Adit was called Troedrhiwceir or Vale of Rheidol Mine, and Bonsall’s Adit was called Nanteos Mine, after Nanteos Matthew Francis, the agent of a company reopening Mansion on the estate of which it stood. the mine in 1861, reported that the “hard rich ore”

The following year, all operations stopped. The waterwheel stood idle, and the ore crushing machinery attached to it was probably dismantled.

Despite a third adit having been driven recently into the lode from the ravine behind Abernant farm, the mine was deemed valueless.

In May 1902, the Vale of Rheidol Railway formation was cut through the site, justly avoiding Spargo’s and Bonsall’s Adits, but covering the third by means of the Abernant Embankment. Possibilities of reopening the mine were examined in the 1920s by a mining engineer from London – Alfred J. HodgkinsonCarrington – who wanted to take advantage of the GWR branch line which ran within 20 feet of the workings. Carrington’s proposals failed, and the railway never served the mine. The portals of Spargo’s and Bonsall’s Adits collapsed very soon after their last inspection, in May 1915.

Bonsall’s Adit: Opening the portal in 2015.

Exactly a century later, in May 2015, Clive Higgs of Abernant and I managed to reopen the collapsed entrance to Bonsall’s Adit. It was explored and surveyed for the first time in exactly a hundred years by Hugh Ratzer and myself during the same month. It leads to Hughes’ Shaft, which is still open to surface, and to extensive workings on the Abernant Lode. However, we failed to find any ore of value in the workings.

Present Day Remains On leaving Nantyronen Halt, the railway climbs on a steep gradient into Coed Lluest. This is an ancient Sessile Oak woodland, and amongst the oldest in Britain. A large waste heap can be seen on the fireman’s (valley) side of the line, whilst the collapsed portal of Spargo’s Adit is seen beside the trackbed on the driver’s side. Below the waste heap

is a long, dark hollow, which is the ruinous 30-foot waterwheel pit. It was evidently enlarged at one point to accommodate a larger 40-foot wheel; whether or not such a wheel was ever erected is questionable. Remains of the ore-processing floor can also be seen, including the building which housed large cast-iron rollers, which crushed large pieces of ore into small stones about the size of golf balls. Less than 200 yards further up the line, another waste heap is passed on the fireman’s side. This came from Bonsall’s Adit, and the recently reopened portal is located slightly above the trackbed and hardly visible from the train.

Spargo’s Abernant Adit: The collapsed portal beside the little Altogether, Mine returned very railway, lead-ore, the total of which2015. was never recorded. A scornful report, written in 1867 by local mine owner N. M. Maxwell, criticized the Vale of Rheidol Mining Company for claiming to have made the “greatest mineral discovery for many years”. (Mining Journal 1867.) The company’s promoter, George Carne, wrote back to Maxwell and argued that the ore at Abernant was the richest in the district. After Absalom Francis criticised Maxwell’s report as well, accusing that all his mines were doing badly, Maxwell wrote a letter of apology. He certified that he had no intentions to “make a personal attack on Mr. Carne”. He merely wanted to “warn the speculating public against statements wholly incompatible with the truth”.

Thus was the fate of most Cwm Rheidol Mines – their actual yields were often greatly exaggerated.

Despite the proud hopes of wealthy Victorian mining investors, Abernant proved itself a worthless mine, as recent inspections of the lode have demonstrated.

Page 8

Workshop

Locomotive No.7 “Owain Glyndwr”

Locomotive No.7 “Owain Glyndwr” is undergoing a major overhaul.The locomotive was withdrawn from traffic in 1998 and dismantled. Over recent months, major progress has been made and a return to steam is forecast for 2017.

No.7 is having new water tanks built due to the old ones being life expired. The old tanks had all re-usable components stripped off them so they could be utilised in the construction of the new tanks.

Will Parry working on a valve buckle for No.7

During the last couple of months work has progressed at a good pace on No.7, the motion assembly has been completed and the valves have been set.

Andrew Foulds working on No.7’s motion Page 9

Ifan Burrell working on assembling new tanks for No.7

The new tanks were designed in our drawing office. The metal sheets for the tanks were cut to size off site and delivered to us as a kit of parts to aid assembly.

Update

Other workshop projects

Within the workshop, the team work on repairing and maintaining the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s rolling stock as well as taking on other contract work.

Permaquip

Cattle Wagon

Our unique narrow gauge ‘Permaquip’ personnel carrier known as ‘Thunderbird 4’ is a workhorse of our permanent way gang as well as being used in a variety of railway supporting roles and after 30 years service is now recieving a bit of TLC. to it’s bodywork and interiors.

The cattle wagon has progressed well, now the frame is fully complete including the fabrication of new W irons, the cattle wagon is due for immenent re-wheeling. Once back on it’s wheels, panelling of the wagon can take place to continue restoring it to it’s former glory.

Work being completed includes: Replacing large sections of bodywork Re-wiring the electronics Fitting new lighting Modifying the interior Re-upholstering the seating Full re-paint and signwriting

Paintshop The focus of the paintshop has been the repainting of No.9 ‘Prince Of Wales’ from GWR Shirtbutton black livery into Great Western Green livery as No.1213.

New carriage bogies Work is progressing on the overhaul and improvement of a fourth set of carriage bogies to improve the ride quality and comfort for our passengers. The rebuilding consists of shot blasting, overhauling the brake gear, rebuilding horn guides and bearing bearing primary suspension mountings and the fitting of shock absorbers to improve secondary suspension.

Page11 10 Page

Vale of Rheidol Photo Archive, By Rob Bance, Archives

Here is a scene which can unfortunately be no longer be recreated, Locomotive No.7 posed with its drain cocks open on the curve immediately after the original park avenue station. In 1926 the GWR extended the line across Park Avenue to a new platform parallel with the main standard gauge terminus, the last

train to cross Park Avenue was at the end of the Easter service on the 6th April 1968. No date has been recorded as to when the photograph was taken, but in the siding to the left we see the carriages sporting the Green livery which was applied in 1964. Note the Crosville Bus Station in the background

Job Opportunities Booking Office Assistant We are starting to look at recruitment for our 2017 season for the vital staff role of booking office assistant. The job will begin during February and last until the end of October. The succesful candidate will be involved in the day to day running of the booking office and interacting with passengers. If you would be interested in this job role then submit a CV to info@rheidolrailway.co.uk Page 11

Vale of Rheidol Railway Garden Railway Review

to their railways motive power!

Since our last newsletter, the railway has taken delivery from Accucraft of several of their live steam 16mm scale Isle of Man steam locomotives. These are excellent, highly detailed representations of the 2-4-0 Beyer Peacock locomotives found on the island railway network. They are 45mm gauge, have a centre flue boiler which is gas fired with a working pressure of 60 psi. They are fitted with piston valve reverse which is operated by a simulated Stephensons link valve gear, the locos can negotiate a radius of 1 metre. Available in either Holly Green or Indian Red. The quality really is very impressive and any self respecting Garden Railway enthusiast should consider adding one

Specifications: • Scale: 1:20.3 Scale • Gauge: 45mm Gauge • Minimum Radius: 1M (39 in.)

• Power: Live Steam • Length: 398mm (over couplings) • Width: 107mm • Height: 148mm • Boiler: Centre Flue • Working Pressure: 60psi • Weight: 4.3 kg (9.2lbs) • Reversing Gear: Piston type, reverse by lever in the cab • Valve Gear: Simulated Stephenson’s link • Fuel: Butane Gas • Boiler Fittings: Safety valve, pressure gauge, water gauge • Cab Controls: Steam regulator, gas regulator, reverse lever, syringe-type lubricator

Permanent Way

The Track Maintenance Team

Whilst the overhaul of the permanent way Glanyrafon halt. teams trusty workhorse (the Permaquip) continues, they have been keeping themselves Another task the team has been busy with is with other vital tasks on the railway. assembling points ready for tracklaying during our closed period in the winter. By assembling Alongside the regular track walks to inspect them in advance it will speed up our winter the track, the team have been working on maintenance programme. lineside improvement tasks, which range from cutting grass to replacing the fencing at

Page 12

The Vale of Rheidol’s Railway Shop featured products:

In our Gift we stock a wide range of BigJigs wooden railway, from individual engines, carriages and wagons, battery powered engines, to complete trains, and full sets, we even stock extra track to expand your existing set up.

All of the BigJigs range is compatable with other leading brands of wooden railway. So if your looking for an entertaining gift for a budding young railway enthusiast why not check out product range in store or online.

Vertical Boiler Locomotives & Railmotors Built in Great Britain Vol. 2 The first volume of this book, written by Rowland Abbott, was published in 1989, and is long out of print. In reality, this much larger Volume is freestanding, although it does refer to the earlier version from time to time.

Detailed in this book’s 296 pages are 72 British builders of vertical boiler locomotives, from the earlier days of steam power, up to the present. Each concern is described, and there is a works list/product history where known.

Logically enough the number of pages allocated to a producer largely relates on the number of engines produced; Sentinel have by far the largest number of pages devoted to them, but then they produced far more VB locomotives than any other, across every gauge.

Page 13

A huge amount of fascinating information on VB locos of every gauge imaginable, but very few drawings. 284 illustrations, the bulk B&W and two to an A4 format page. Hardbound.

Call our shop on 01970 625819 www.ebay.co.uk/usr/rheidolrailway

Pictures from the Month

By John R Jones, International Travel Photographer

Page 14

No.9 ‘Prince of Wales’ Rebuild or New Build?

Vale of Rheidol Locomotive No 9 Prince of Wales is currently undergoing both a repaint into a new heritage livery and a re-number back to its historic number, carried from delivery in 1924 until 1948. It will appear in its new guise at the Warley Model Railway Show at the NEC in Birmingham on 26th and 27th November 2016 alongside classmate No 7 which is currently undergoing a major overhaul. The display is to commemorate 175 years of Swindon works.

After the grouping in 1923, the GWR invested heavily in its newly acquired narrow gauge line. GWR board had only authorised the construction of two locomotives, to replace the existing Davies and Metcalfe built machines which had operated the railway from 1902 onwards.

An unknown individual at Swindon works managed to ‘fiddle the books’ which resulted in a third full set of parts being manufactured.

A year later these were assembled to form the The restoration of No 7 Owain Glyndwr locomotive we now know as No 9. It had been continues apace and it is likely to return to given the number 1213 to disguise the creative traffic in 2017. When it returns it will be the first accountancy. time the Vale of Rheidol has been able to field 3 Rheidol tanks for 20 years. It too will be finished GWR green will be the third livery No 9 has in Great Western Green which will provide the carried in recent years. It was painted into sight of the three locomotives wearing matching Cambrian Railway’s invisible green in 2014 to liveries for the first time in nearly 40 years. commemorate 150 years of the Cambrian Railways. It then carried GWR Shirt button livery.

An appeal to track down the original 1213 number plates proved fruitless so a new set of When painted in GWR green, the locomotives plates have been manufactured in the railway’s will not carry the names Owain Glyndwr, foundry. Maybe one day the original plates will Llywelyn and Prince of Wales. This is because the turn up! locomotives were un-named prior to 1956.

Page 15

Upcoming Events Santa Trains Autumn Colours & Sunday Lunches Take a unique glimpse of the Stunning Rheidol Valley, ablaze with Autumn Colours. These trains will be operating on three weekends during November, 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th. Trains depart Aberystwyth station at 11.00am & return for 3.00pm

Come and enjoy the magically christmas wonderland of the Santa Special Steam trains.

Join Santa and his elves in our specially decorated carriages. Your family will meet santa during the train journey, where he will give each child a personalised gift!

Devil’s Bridge is a great place to spend a weekend afternoon; take an autumnal walk around the falls followed by a lunch in either the cafes or the pub.

Lunch & Snacks are also available on Saturdays from the cafe and pub in Devils Bridge

Festive entertainment during the journey as well as refreshments for all ages;Young and Old. Price Includes: Steam Train Journey, Personalised gift from Santa, Miniature train ride, Mince Pie and Mulled Wine for adults, biscuits and squash for children.

Page 16

Vale of Rheidol Railway Timetable and Train times

NOVEMBER 2016

M T 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29

W 2 9 16 23 30

W

T

F

F 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

M

DECEMBER 2016

5 12 19 26

T W T 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29

F 2 9 16 23 30

FEBRUARY 2017

JANUARY 2017 M T

T 3 10 17 24

S

S

No Train Services Available

Aberystwyth Gift Shop Open Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm

M T

W T F 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 27 28

S 4 11 18 25

S 3 10 17 24 31

S 4 11 18 25

MARCH 2017 S 5 12 19 26

M T W 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

F 3 10 17 24 31

S 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

1. Pick your day of travel from the calendar.

2. Match the colour to the relevant timetable below.

Please note there are no services on white days.

Aberystwyth Capel Bangor Aberffrwd Devil’s Bridge Devil’s Bridge Aberffrwd Capel Bangor Aberystwyth

dep: dep: dep: arr: dep: dep: dep: arr:

ORANGE 10:30 2:00 10:50 2:20 11:10 2:40 11:30 3:00 12:30 4:15 12:50 4:35 1:10 4:55 1:30 5:15

Aberystwyth Capel Bangor Aberffrwd Devil’s Bridge Devil’s Bridge Aberffrwd Capel Bangor Aberystwyth

dep: dep: dep: arr: dep: dep: dep: arr:

10:30 10:50 11:10 11:30 12:30 12:50 1:10 1:30

Music on the Train Page 17

8 October

Depart Aberystwyth 1030

12:15 12:35 12:55 1:15 2:15 2:35 2:55 3:15

10:30 10:50 11:10 11:30 12:30 12:50 1:10 1:30 GREEN 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00 4:00 4:20 4:40 5:00

YELLOW 12:15 2:00 12:35 2:20 12:55 2:40 1:15 3:00 2:15 4:00 2:35 4:20 2:55 4:40 3:15 5:00 3:45 4:05 4:25 4:45 5:45 6:05 6:25 6:45

6:00 6:20 6:40 7:00 8:00 8:20 8:40 9:00

Halloween Ghost Trains

3:45 4:05 4:25 4:45 5:45 6:05 6:25 6:45 GOLD 11:00 11:20 11:40 12:00 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00

GOLD DAYS Enjoy the stunning Autumn Colours You can combine your visit with a Sunday Lunch at the Hafod Hotel, Devil’s Bridge

Santa Trains

27, 28, 29 October

17, 18, 21, 22, 23 December

Depart Aberystwyth 1800

1030, 1230 and 1430 from Aberystwyth

Have you ever considered chartering a private train?

Here at the Vale of Rheidol Railway it is possible to hire a train specifically for an event you have coming up.

recently been taken over by new owners, who are able to provide a venue which can cater for a range of function types.

So whether it is a wedding, a work function or you just want to do something different why not get in touch with us and see what we can do.

The Tynrhyd Retreat is a popular venue for weddings nestled in the beautiful countryside on the outskirts of the village of Devil’s Bridge.

You may even like to consider linking in with one of the venues in Devil’s Bridge like the Hafod Hotel or the Tynrhyd Retreat.

For more information please get in touch with us by email (info@rheidolrailway.co.uk) or by phone (01970 625819) and ask to speak to our marketing team.

The Hafod Hotel shot to fame as a filming venue for the cult television series ‘Hinterland’. It has

Page 18

www.rheidolrailway.co.uk

Telephone us: 01970 625 819 - Park Avenue, Aberystwyth SY23 1PG Regular steam train services running throughout the year