# List of Vale of Rheidol Railway rolling stock

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 'privatised' 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

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 Garratt locomotive locomotive arrived in 2017 for use on passenger trains and is not prototypical for the line historically.
| 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 Withdrawn from traffic in 1997 pending overhaul.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. Carries GWR Green Livery. | In Traffic |
| 8 | Llywelyn | Great Western Railway | 2-6-2T | 1923 | Carries British Railways Black livery with lion over wheel emblems and Llywelyn Nameplates | In Traffic |
| 9 (1213) | 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 and GWR Green livery. | Under Overhaul |
| 60 | Drakensberg | Hanomag | 2-6-2+2-6-2 | 1927 | NG G13 Garratt locomotive. Arrived at the railway from Schinznacher Baumschulbahn, Switzerland in 2017, and has since undergone overhaul, including the fitment of air brakes. Entered passenger service in 2022. | In Traffic |

### Diesel locomotives

The steam locomotive fleet is today supplemented a number of diesel locomotives. Although they lack the power of the steam locomotives, they are available for shunting duties or works trains. No 10 can also operate light passenger trains.
| Number | Name | Works number | Builder | Wheel arr. | Year built | Notes | In traffic? |
| 10 | - | BMR002 | Baguley-Drewry / Brecon Mountain Railway | 0-6-0DM | 1987 | Built out of parts from Baguley-Drewry engineering | In Traffic |
| 11 | - | DM1366 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0DM | 1965 | Built for National Coal Board. Rebuilt at Bredgar and Wormshill Railway in 2012 and named Wormshill. Acquired by Vale of Rheidol in 2021 | In Traffic |
| NG 52 | - | 721 | Andrew Barclay | 0-4-0DM | 1987 | Built for Ministry of Defence. Previously at Eastriggs. | In Traffic - Works Use Only |

### Self propelled engineering plant

The railway has a number of vehicles for permanent way maintenance.
| Works Number | Name | Builder | Wheel arr. | Year built | Notes | In Traffic? |
| 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 |
| UGT1 | - | Plasser | 4wDH | 1986 | Plasserail ballast tamper, built in South Africa and moved to the Vale of Rheidol Railway in 1991. | In Traffic |
| 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 2-6-2Ts 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.

## 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).
| GWR No. | BR No. (1948) | BR No. (1987) | VoR No. (1989) | Year built | Builder | Type | Livery | Notes |
| 4143 | M4143W | 4143 | 1 | 1938 | Swindon | Fully Enclosed Third | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest | In Traffic |
| 4144 | M4144W | 4144 | 2 | 1938 | Swindon | Fully Enclosed Third | British Railways Carmine and Cream | In Traffic |
| 4145 | M4145W | 4145 | 3 | 1938 | Swindon | Fully Enclosed Third | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest | In Traffic |
| 4146 | M4146W | 4146 | 4 | 1938 | Swindon | Fully Enclosed Third | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button | In Traffic |
| 4147 | M4147W | 4147 | 5 | 1938 | Swindon | Fully Enclosed Third | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest | In Traffic |
| 4148 | M4148W | 4148 | 6 | 1938 | Swindon | Fully Enclosed Third | British Railways Carmine and Cream | In Traffic |
| 4149 | M4149W | 4149 | 7 | 1938 | Swindon | Open Third "Summer Car" | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest | In Traffic |
| 4150 | M4150W | 4150 | 8 | 1938 | Swindon | Open Third "Summer Car" | British Railways Crimson and Cream | In Traffic |
| 4151 | M4151W | 4151 | 9 | 1938 | Swindon | Open Third "Summer Car" | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest | In Traffic |
| 4994 | M4994W | 4734 | 10 | 1938 | Swindon | Fully Enclosed Third | British Railways Carmine and Cream | In Traffic |
| 4995 | M4995W | 4735 | 11 | 1938 | Swindon | Brake / First Observation | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest | In Traffic |
| 4996 | M4996W | 4736 | 12 | 1938 | Swindon | Brake / First Observation | British Railways Carmine and Cream | In Traffic |
| 4997 | M4997W | 4737 | 13 | 1923 | Swindon | Open Third "Summer Car" | British Railways Carmine and Cream | In Traffic |
| 4998 | M4998W | 4738 | 14 | 1923 | Swindon | Open Third "Summer Car" | British Railways Carmine and Cream | In Traffic |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| | 136 | 18 | 1938 | Swindon | Four-wheeled full brake | Constructed new in 1938. Sold to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway in 1968. |

## Wagon Fleet

The railway has a number of wagons used for freight / engineering work.
| Number | Historic Number | Type | Origin | Notes |
| 20 | 34104 | 4 Wheel - Side Door | Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Co | |
| 21 | 34108 | 4 Wheel - Side Door | Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Co | |
| 22 | 34110 | 4 Wheel - Side Door | Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Co | |
| 23 | 34111 | 4 Wheel - Side Door | Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Co | |
| 24 | 8512 | 4 Wheel Flat - ex Side Door | Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Co | |
| 25 | 8510 | 4 Wheel Flat - ex End Door | Ex Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway | |
| 26 | 34106 | 4 Wheel Flat - ex End Door | Ex Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway | |
| 27 | 8513 | 4 Wheel Flat - ex End Door | Ex Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway | |
| 28 | 34124 | 4 Wheel End Door | Ex Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway | |
| 29 | 34136 | 4 Wheel End Door | Ex Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway | |
| 30 | 34141 | 4 Wheel End Door | Ex Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway | |
| 31 | | Rail carrying Bolsters | Ex Bowaters Paper Mill | |
| 33 | | Bogie Ballast Hopper | Ex South African Railways | SAR Type Y |
| 34 | | Bogie Flat | Ex South African Railways | Converted from SAR Type B |
| 35 | | Bogie Open Side Door | Ex South African Railways | SAR Type B |
| 36 | SAR No 2888 | Bogie Open Dropside | Ex South African Railways | DZ-9 |
| 37 | SAR No 2762 | Bogie Open Dropside | Ex South African Railways | DZ-10 |
| 38 | SAR No 1914 | Bogie Open Dropside | Ex South African Railways. | DZ Type. |
| 39 | SAR No 3176 | Bogie Brake Van | Ex South African Railways. | NG V-16 Type |
| 40 | 38089 | Cattle Wagon | Great Western Railway. | Built Swindon (Lot No. 914) Moved to Welshpool & Llanfair 1937. To Ffestiniog in 1960. Returned to Vale of Rheidol in 2014 and re-entered traffic in 2017. |

## 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

Only some these locomotives are available for public viewing.
* Wren 3114 seen at Rheidol Falls halt.
* Margaret was restored in the Vale of Rheidol workshops
* Ruston Proctor ZLH Paraffin Mechanical Locomotive in the workshop in Aberystwyth.
* Jubilee 1897 on display in the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, Tywyn.
* Decauville Progress 5t, De Winton and Fowler locomotives at Vale of Rheidol Railway
| 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. |
| W. G. Bagnall | 3124 | | 1957 | | 2 ft (610 mm) | | Worked at the Rustenburg Platinum Mines, South Africa until 1988 where it was numbered RPM 9, before moving to the Alfred Country Railway. |

### 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.
| Number | Name | Builder | Wheel arr. | Year built | Notes |
| 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. |
| | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 2066 | Ogwen | Avonside | 0-4-0T | 1933 | Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2015 for "The Forgotten Engines" gala. Static display only. |
| 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. |
| 707 | Britomart | Hunslet | 0-4-0ST | 1899 | Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2017 for the Roaring 1920s and 30s event. |
| 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. |