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:===
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 Withdrawn from traffic in 1997 pending overhaul.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
 	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?
 	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?
 	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:===
Image	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.
 	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
 	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 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button 	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 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button 	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" 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest 	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 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button 	In Traffic
 	4995 	M4995W 	4735 	11 	1938 	Swindon	First / Third Brake Composite 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Garter Crest 	In Traffic
 	4996 	M4996W 	4736 	12 	1938 	Swindon	First / Third Brake Composite 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button 	Withdrawn 2022 for refurbishment
 	4997 	M4997W 	4737 	13 	1923 	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car" 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button 	In Traffic
 	4998 	M4998W 	4738 	14 	1923 	Swindon	Open Third "Summer Car" 	Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button 	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.
==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.
File:3114 (locomotive).jpg|Wren 3114 seen at Rheidol Falls halt.
File:Margaret (locomotive).jpg|Margaret was restored in the Vale of Rheidol workshops
File:Ruston Proctor ZLH.jpg|Ruston Proctor ZLH Paraffin Mechanical Locomotive in the workshop in Aberystwyth.
File:NGRM003.jpg|Jubilee 1897 on display in the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, Tywyn.
File:Decauville Progres 5t, De Winton and Fowler steam locomotives of the Vale of Rheidol Railway (Photograph by Jeremy Clark, © Feel free to use as you like).jpg|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.
===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
 	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.
150px	 	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.
==External links:==
*Vale of Rheidol Railway website
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