Preserved Railway 2025 Narrow Gauge
Preserved Railway 2025
Narrow Gauge
This year has been a year of celebration on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway with the Ffestiniog celebrating 70 years since reopening in preservation. A series of special events were held to celebrate with a number of locomotives repainted into the Ffestiniog green livery carried in the early days of the rebirth.
On the Welsh Highland Railway NG15 134 entered traffic, making its public debut (after its return to steam in 2024) during the March photo charters, before entering regular traffic on Caernarfon to Beddgelert traffic. With 134 entered traffic, on the heritage railway Russell was withdrawn for overhaul following the photo charters and a few special passenger trips on the WHR main line including a run all the way to Caernarfon.
"LAS" 0-6-0 Naklo returned to traffic on the South Tynedale Railway after overhaul, we see the locos first public passenger train over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Visiting locomotives to the FR included Samson from Beamish and Vertical Boilered Chanoler. Chanoler also visited the Bala Lake Railway, joined by Ffestiniog based Velinheli and West Lancs Bagnall Sybil. We see Sybil back home at the West Lancs Light Railway with Diana during a visit during the summer as part of its farewell tour before overhaul.
We take a look at the two Corris Railway Falcons, one built in the 19th Century and one in the 21st. Sir Haydn at the Talyllyn has carried Skarloey Railway livery this year, staring at the Awdry Extravaganza which saw River Mite and Palmerston visit Tywyn Wharf (with River Mite taking a ride on a wagon). The event also saw a recreation of the BBC Television train.
Further down the Welsh Coast, the Vale of Rheidol Railway now see's its three tanks in British Railway liveries, black, green and blue with the three staring together in their Festival of Steam.
Moving to miniature gauges and the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway saw a number of visitors to their gala weekend with Green Goddess from Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, joining a pair of locomotives from the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway.
We pay a visit to the Bure Valley Railway, and see their Leek & Manifold Railway replica locomotive on a visit to the Kirklees Light Railway, where it was joined by two locomotives from the Perrygrove Railway.
We finish with a look at a selection of diesel / internal combustion engine locomotives on miniature and narrow gauges finishing with 'the simplex' Mary Ann recreating the first preservation passenger trains on the Ffestiniog Railway.
www.preservedrailway.co.uk
(C) Lee Andrew Davies 2025