Rolling Stock of the Vale of Rheidol Railway

This is a list of past and present rolling stock used on the Vale of Rheidol Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Cwm Rheidol), a 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway, opened in 1902, that runs for 11+3⁄4 miles (19 km) between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge in the county of Ceredigion, Wales.

The railway was later operated by the Cambrian Railways, Great Western Railway and British Rail before being 'privatized' in 1989 and run as a heritage railway operation (though arguably it had operated as a tourist 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).

When first opened, the railway owned two steam locomotives, No 1 Edward VII and No 2 Prince of Wales, along with a third contractor's locomotive No 3 Rheidol. In 1922 the Great Western Railway took over the running of the line and over the next two decades invested heavily in new locomotives and replacement rolling stock.

Locomotives:[]

Steam locomotives:[]

This article is about Rolling Stock of the Vale of Rheidol Railway, see also GWR Rheidol Tanks.

The railway has four steam locomotives for use on passenger trains, three of which were built for the Vale of Rheidol line and have operated on the line ever since. A fourth locomotive arrived in 2017 for use on passenger trains and is not prototypical for the line historically.

The standard livery for the GWR engines is Great Western Railway green and all three of those locomotives currently carry this livery. The locomotives were named by British Railways in 1956 and currently do not carry their nameplates.

The Garratt locomotive still wears its livery from its former home at Schinznacher Baumschulbahn [de], but with "VOR" (standing for "Vale of Rheidol") instead of "SchBB" on its coal bunker. It carries its nameplates of "Drakensberg" on its water tank.

Image	Number	Name	Builder	Wheel arr.	Year built	Notes	In traffic?
	7	Owain Glyndŵr	Great Western Railway	2-6-2T	1923	Hauled the last steam service under British Rail ownership of the line. Withdrawn from traffic in 1997 pending overhaul. Returned to service in October 2018.	In Traffic
	8	Llywelyn	Great Western Railway	2-6-2T	1923		In Traffic
	9	Prince of Wales	Great Western Railway	2-6-2T	1924	Numbered 1213 from delivery until gaining the No 9 in 1948. Put through Swindon works as an overhaul of the original No 2, but is in fact a complete new locomotive. As of November 2016 the locomotive carries No 1213 once more.	Under Overhaul
File:NG G13 Garratt No 60.png	60	Drakensberg	Hanomag	2-6-2+2-6-2T	1927	NG G13 Garratt locomotive. Privately owned. Arrived at the railway from Switzerland in 2017, and has since undergone overhaul, including the fitment of air brakes. First trial runs along the line were completed in October 2021.	In Traffic

Diesel locomotives:[]

The steam locomotive fleet is today supplemented by a 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. A second diesel locomotive has been obtained and is under restoration.

Image	Number	Name	Works number	Builder	Wheel arr.	Year built	Notes	In traffic?
Frameless	10	-	BMR002	Baguley-Drewry / Brecon Mountain Railway	0-6-0DM	1987	Built out of parts from Baguley-Drewry engineering	In Traffic
	-	-	3124	W.G. Bagnall	0-6-0DM	1957	Worked at the Rustenburg Platinum Mines, South Africa until 1988 where it was numbered RPM 9, before moving to the Alfred Country Railway.	Under Overhaul

Self propelled engineering plant:[]

The railway has a number of vehicles for permanent way maintenance.

Image	Works Number	Name	Builder	Wheel arr.	Year built	Notes	In Traffic?
File:Vale of Rheidol Permaquip.jpg	DX68804	Thunderbird 4	Permaquip	2w-2DMR	1985	This light vehicle conveys a team of staff in comfort along with all the tools and equipment required for maintenance work. The vehicle can also be rotated through 180 degrees by means of a hydraulic lift, allowing the P-Way team to turn it so that the cab is always at the front when in motion.	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Tamper.jpg	UGT1	-	Plasser	4wDH	1986	Plasserail ballast tamper, built in South Africa and moved to the Vale of Rheidol Railway in 1991.	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Flail.jpg	7495	-	Hunslet / Aberystwyth Locomotive Works	4wDM	1977. Rebuilt 2007	Rail mounted self-propelled vehicle used to clear lineside vegetation. Designed by Llŷr ap Iolo and built from chassis components from ex MOD Hunslet 4w diesel locomotive No 7495, originally built 1977 2'6" gauge. The McConnel flail head has a purpose built turntable and has a reach of 15 feet and a maximum speed of 7.5 mph.	In Traffic

Former locomotives:[]

Number	Name	Builder	Wheel arr.	Year built	Notes
1	Edward VII	Davies & Metcalfe	2-6-2T	1902	Re-numbered 1212 in 1922. Overhauled by the GWR in 1925 and gained traditional Swindon fittings. Saw very little use following the arrival of the 3 new locomotives. In 1932 1212 moved to Swindon works The official withdrawal date is given as 9 March 1935. It was scrapped shortly afterwards.
2	Prince of Wales	Davies & Metcalfe	2-6-2T	1902	Renumbered 1213 in 1922. Sent to Swindon works in 1924 and scrapped. The number was immediately re-used for the new locomotive 1213 (now No 9) as part of the pretence of a heavy overhaul of the original locomotive.
3	Rheidol	Bagnall	2-4-0T	1896	Renumbered 1198 by the GWR in 1923 but withdrawn and scrapped the following year, having never carried its GWR number.
	4131	Wickham Trolley		1947	Withdrawn in 1985 with the arrival of the Permaquip personnel carrier. Now at the Moseley Railway Trust, Apedale Railway. Also carried the numbers B146, B146W, PWM2214, TR26 and DX68061

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. The design draws inspiration from the Manning Wardle 2-6-2T on the then-newly opened Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, to which they bear some resemblance. This may be because the Szlumper family was heavily involved in both railways' design and construction.

No 3 (later 1198):[]

No. 3 was a small 2-4-0T locomotive, originally built by Bagnall of Stafford for a Brazilian sugar cane plantation in 1896 but never delivered as the order was cancelled, Bagnall regauging the locomotive from 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) to 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) 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 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm) and renamed Rheidol. The GWR numbered it 1198 in 1923, but it was withdrawn and scrapped the following year, having never carried its GWR number.

No 4:[]

In 1902 the railway's Directors temporarily hired a locomotive from the Ffestiniog Railway. The locomotive sent was Ffestiniog No 4 Palmerston. The following year VoR locomotive No 3 Rheidol was acquired (see entry above), but a need for a fourth locomotive was still discerned. Palmerston No 4 was therefore hired again from Ffestiniog, and became the regular fourth locomotive for the next twenty years, being hired for several long periods, interspersed with brief home visits to Ffestiniog. The locomotive carried fleet number '4' in reference to its position on its home railway, although the number also matched its position on the Vale of Rheidol, as the fourth locomotive. When the line was acquired by the Great Western Railway, the leased locomotive was no longer required and was returned to Ffestiniog (from where it was immediately re-hired to the Welsh Highland Railway, to assist with construction). Palmerston (an 0-4-0ST) was built in 1864 by George England of New Cross, the fourth of the original four Ffestiniog Railway locomotives and was named after the Prime Minister, Viscount Palmerston. Palmerston returned to the Vale of Rheidol in 2014, hauling a series of special trains during September to celebrate its association with the VoR, and to commemorate both a century of history since the first world war, and 25 years of VoR independent operation.

Visiting locomotives under overhaul:[]

The following locomotives are currently resident at the Vale of Rheidol Railway, either undergoing overhaul in the workshop or stored.

Image	Number	Name	Builder	Wheel arr.	Year built	Notes
	WLLR No. 14/SLR No. 85		Hunslet Engine Company	2-6-2T	1954	Stored at the VoR workshops on behalf of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, a future overhaul is planned with fundraising being undertaken by the Friends of the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum. Hoped to return to service in time for the 200th Anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 2025.
File:C01357-military rail transport Frizeville 1917.jpg	590 / 794		Baldwin	4-6-0T	1917	Under overhaul in VoR Workshops on behalf of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. Locomotive 794 is being restored in the guise of 590 (scrapped 1942) to recreate a long lost locomotive that once ran on the Welsh Highland Line.

Coaching stock:[]

Current coaching stock:[]

The Vale of Rheidol Railway has a total of 16 carriages and 1 brake van. All were built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon to replace much older rolling stock built by the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Company for the opening of the line. Twelve bogie carriages were built for the opening.

All the stock is third class only, unless otherwise stated. All currently carry both their GWR numbers (on carriage sides) and also their VoR numbers (on the carriages ends).

Image	GWR No.	BR No. (1948)	BR No. (1987)	VoR No. (1989)	Year built	Builder	Type	Livery	Notes
File:Vale of Rheidol Carriage 1.jpg	4143	M4143W	4143	1	1938	Swindon	Fully Enclosed Third	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 2.jpg	4144	M4144W	4144	2	1938	Swindon	Fully Enclosed Third	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 3.jpg	4145	M4145W	4145	3	1938	Swindon	Fully Enclosed Third	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol carriage 4146 view 1 - 2017-03-04.jpg	4146	M4146W	4146	4	1938	Swindon	Fully Enclosed Third	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol carriage 4147 view 2 - 2017-03-04.jpg	4147	M4147W	4147	5	1938	Swindon	Fully Enclosed Third	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol carriage 4148 view 1 - 2017-03-04.jpg	4148	M4148W	4148	6	1938	Swindon	Fully Enclosed Third	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Carriage 7.jpg	4149	M4149W	4149	7	1938	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car"	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 8.jpg	4150	M4150W	4150	8	1938	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car"	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 9.jpg	4151	M4151W	4151	9	1938	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car"	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol carriage 4994 view 1 - 2017-03-04.jpg	4994	M4994W	4734	10	1938	Swindon	Fully Enclosed Third	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 11.jpg	4995	M4995W	4735	11	1938	Swindon	First / Third Brake Composite	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 12.jpg	4996	M4996W	4736	12	1938	Swindon	First / Third Brake Composite	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button	Withdrawn 2022 for refurbishment
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 13.jpg	4997	M4997W	4737	13	1923	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car"	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Railway Carriage No 14.jpg	4998	M4998W	4738	14	1923	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car"	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button	In Traffic
File:Vale of Rheidol Carriage No 15.jpg	4999	M4999W	4739	15	1923	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car" - Converted to "Vista Car" in 1985. Out of traffic since approx 1990. Returned to traffic in 2018 as a wheelchair accessible carriage.	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest	In Traffic
	5000	M5000W	4740	16	1923	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car"	Bodywork removed. Out of traffic since approx 1990.	Stored
File:Vale of Rheidol Van 137 view 1 - 2017-03-04.jpg	137			19	1938	Swindon	Four-wheeled full brake. Constructed new 1938	GWR Shirt Button	In Traffic

Former coaching stock:[]

Image	GWR No.	VoR No.	Year built	Builder	Type	Notes
	135	17	1938	Swindon	Four-wheeled full brake	Constructed new in 1938. Scrapped in 1968.
File:Ex-VoR brake van.jpg	136	18	1938	Swindon	Four-wheeled full brake	Constructed new in 1938. Sold to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway in 1968.

Museum collection:[]

The Vale of Rheidol Railway owns an extensive collection of historic narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock which are and are destined for museum display at a future date.

Museum collection locomotives:[]

At present none of these locomotives are available for public viewing with the exception of Wren 3114 and Quarry Hunslet Margaret.

Builder	Works number	Name	Year built	Wheel arrangement	Gauge	Number	Notes
A Borsig	5913		1908	0-4-0WT	1 ft 11+5⁄8 in (600 mm)		ex Sobemai N.V.Maldegem, Belgium
Société Anglo-Franco-Belge	2668		1951	2-8-2+T	2 ft (610 mm)	121	SAR NG15 Class, South Africa
De Winton	106	Kathleen	1877	0-4-0VBT	1 ft 10+3⁄4 in (578 mm)	1877	Vertical boiler locomotive ex Penrhyn Quarry Railway
Decauville	1027		1926	0-4-0T	1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm)	7	'Progress 5T' type, ex Belgian Industries, Pas-De-Calais, France.
Falcon	265		1897	4-4-0+T	2 ft (610 mm)	27	SAR NG6 Class "Lawley" F4 Type ex Beira Railway, South Africa, later at Buzi sugar refinery, Mozambique
Falcon	266	Lisboa	1897	4-4-0+T	2 ft (610 mm)	28	SAR NG6 Class "Lawley" F4 Type ex Beira Railway, South Africa, later at Buzi sugar refinery, Mozambique
Fowler	10249		1905	0-6-0+T	1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm)	6	Ex Colonial Sugar Refining, Lautoka Mill, Fiji.
Fowler	11938		1909	0-4-2T	1 ft 11+5⁄8 in (600 mm)	S.S.E 21	Ex Sena sugar, Mozambique.
Fowler	15515		1920	0-6-2T	1 ft 11+5⁄8 in (600 mm)	S.S.E 23	Ex Sena sugar, Mozambique.
Henschel & Sohn	11854/25		1917		1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm)		Bogie Tender designed to run with Feldbahn locomotives.
Hudswell Clarke	D564		1930	4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)		ex Beswicks Lime works Hindlow quarries. Was once part of the Gloddfa Ganol` collection.
Hunslet	605	Margaret	1894	0-4-0T	1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm)		Small Quarry Class. ex Penrhyn Quarrry Railway.
Kerr Stuart	3114		1918	0-4-0T	1 ft 11+5⁄8 in (600 mm)		Wren Class. Former contractor's locomotive. Worked at various locations engaged in reservoir construction. Worked briefly at a quarry connected to the Ashover Light Railway.
Kerr Stuart	4408		1928	0-6-4T	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	695	PL Class ex Parlakimidi Light Railway, India.
Maffei	4766		1916	0-8-0+T	1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm)	DFB 968 / 31	Brigadelok. Built for Deutsche Heeresfeldbahn.
Manning Wardle	1382	Jubilee 1897	1897	0-4-0ST	1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm)		Formerly at Cilgwyn Slate Quarry, later at Penrhyn Slate Quarry. Previously owned by Welsh Slate and on long term display at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, Tywyn, the locomotive was purchased by the Vale of Rheidol in 2020.
North British	17111		1906	4-6-2T	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	666	ex South Eastern Railway of India CC class Parlakimidi Light Railway, India.
Orenstein & Koppel	3770		1909	0-4-4-0	2 ft 3+9⁄16 in (700 mm)		Krebet Baru Mill No.3 Mallet locomotive, formerly operated in Java.
Ruston Proctor	Either 50823 or 51168		1915 or 1916	4wPM	3 ft 3+3⁄8 in (1,000 mm)		ZLH Paraffin Mechanical. Believed to be the oldest narrow gauge internal combustion loco in the British Isles. Ex-Cotton Powder Company.
Sabero	6	La Herrera	1937	0-6-0T	1 ft 11+5⁄8 in (600 mm)	6	ex Hulleras de sabero y Anexas S.A., Spain.
W. G. Bagnall	2228		1924	0-4-4T	2 ft (610 mm)	18BG	ex Kowloon-Canton Railway / Sha Tau Kok Railway, Hong Kong. In 1928 moved to Victorias Milling Co., Negros Occidental, The Philippines.
W. G. Bagnall	2192	Conqueror	1922	0-6-2T	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	3	ex Bowaters Paper Railway and Great Whipsnade Railway.
W. G. Bagnall	2029		1916	2-6-2T	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	AK16	Originally ordered for the Egyptian Delta Light Railways, but worked at the Kalighat Falta Railway, Calcutta, India until 1997.
W. G. Bagnall	2457		1932	4-6-2+T	2 ft (610 mm)	38	ex Western Railway (India), Dabhoi Gwalior Railway, India. The railway owns a pair of these locomotives.
W. G. Bagnall	2460		1932	4-6-2+T	2 ft (610 mm)	41	ex Western Railway (India), Dabhoi Gwalior Railway, India.

Museum collection coaching stock:[]

The railway owns a number of historic carriages from other railways. This is destined for museum display in future.

No.	Year built	Builder	Notes	Status
F68	1909	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co.	Former Isle of Man Railway	Not currently on display
14	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Former Manx Northern Railway - Third Class. IoM No N51	Not currently on display

Visiting locomotives:[]

The following locomotives have visited the railway in the past.

Image	Number	Name	Builder	Wheel arr.	Year built	Notes
frameless	4	Palmerston	George England	0-4-0ST+T	1864	Hired from the Ffestiniog Railway on various occasions between 1912 and 1923. Returned to the Vale of Rheidol in 2014 and operated a number of special trains to Devil's Bridge.
Frameless		Mountaineer	ALCO	2-6-2T	1917	Hired from the Ffestiniog Railway during September 1986.
	1158	Diana	Kerr Stuart	0-4-0T	1917	Restored in Vale of Rheidol Workshops. Steamed in 2015 for first time since 1950. Operated passenger services between Aberystwyth and Capel Bangor during "The Forgotten Engines" gala.
File:Winifred (locomotive).jpg	364	Winifred	Hunslet	0-4-0ST	1885	Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2015 for "The Forgotten Engines" gala. Operated passenger services between Aberystwyth and Capel Bangor. Normally resident at Bala Lake Railway.
File:Sybil Mary (locomotive).jpg	921	Sybil Mary	Hunslet	0-4-0ST	1906	Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2015 for "The Forgotten Engines" gala. Operated passenger services between Aberystwyth and Capel Bangor. Normally resident at Statfold Barn Railway.
File:Ogwen (locomotive).jpg	2066	Ogwen	Avonside	0-4-0T	1933	Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2015 for "The Forgotten Engines" gala. Static display only.
File:Marchlyn (locomotive).jpg	2067	Marchlyn	Avonside	0-4-0T	1933	Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2015 for "The Forgotten Engines" gala. Operated on demonstration line at Aberystwyth. Normally resident at Statfold Barn Railway.
File:Britomart (locomotive).jpg	707	Britomart	Hunslet	0-4-0ST	1899	Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2017 for the Roaring 1920s and 30s event.
frameless	3	Sir Haydn	Hughes, Falcon Works, Loughborough	0-4-2ST	1878	Owned by the Talyllyn Railway. Major overhaul completed in the Vale of Rheidol workshops in 2018. This is a 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) gauge locomotive, and therefore was unable to operate on the line.
	822	The Earl	Beyer Peacock	0-6-0T	1902	£350,000 overhaul completed by the Vale of Rheidol railway in 2021. The locomotive has now returned to operating trains on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway.

External links:[]

Vale of Rheidol Railway website