Heritage railways are now an everyday part of life – but 70 years ago when volunteers took over the isolated Talyllyn Railway in Wales the idea of amateurs running trains was considered not only controversial but also completely crackpot, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
Above: No. 4 Edward Thomas raises steam at Pendre shed in 1955. The volunteer run Talyllyn Railway was getting into its stride and in two years’ time it would reach a firm financial footing as a tourist railway. Three Lines/Getty Images.
Nestled on the west coast of Wales and separated from the bulk of that country by a range of mountains which even today form a significant barrier to travellers, is the little town of Tywyn (or Towyn as it was originally known). Running inland from this town are a number of steep valleys and within these are considerable deposits of slate, the exploitation of which was high on the agenda of Victorian businessmen.
Although slate mining was never as big a business around Tywyn as it was further north at Dinorwic or Blaenau Ffestiniog, there were sufficient deposits in the area for many medium-sized quarries to be established. Amongst these was one at Bryn Eglwys, near Abergynolwyn, around seven miles from the town, where work sta…
