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1984. I don’t remember if this was the opening ceremony of the railway after being regauged but I believe this was the mayor who was delivering a speech. To right is Lilian Ellerton.
1985 was the year of the miners’ strike. Note the dirty coal being burnt.
362 running on the experimental concrete track portion of the passing loop.
362 approaching Golf Halt, which was renamed as a publicity stunt to Gorsafawddachaidraigddanheddogleddollônpenrhynareurdraethceredigion.
362 at Golf Halt
362 at the Point
One of many tourists taking a closer look at the engine.
Steve Milner running around the loop at the Point to couple back onto the train.
The local mayor taking a footplate ride with John Whitehouse driving the loco.
Steve Milner about to couple up the loco to the train before returning back to Fairbourne.
362 about to pull off returning back to Fairbourne.
362 rounding the sharp bend at the Penrhyn Corner level crossing.
362 in front of signal cabin at the Point.
The track to the left is a siding stopping just short of the shelter.
Inside the cab of 362.
As a bit of fun, we told unsuspecting children that the loco had to be wound up to make it move again!
362 gingerly crossing the pedestrian crossing from the shop to the station platform.
The dirty coal certainly make impressive photos, but during the miners’ strike, we were importing coal from Poland of which, most of it, was very sulphurous and polluting to the surrounding environment. High-quality Welsh coal is very dense and shiny. It takes a bit more effort to get the coal ‘started’, but once burning, it burned cleaner at a very high temperature.
Sydney Ellerton and Colin Jepson standing next to 362.
362 departing the main station.
At the Bathing Beach
Siân was converted to 362 and was generally disliked by the Fairbourne Railway community as this conversion was considered a monstrous sacrilege to the original loco. In many respects, I agree with their sentiments.
362 departing the yet-uncompleted railway terminus reconstruction.
Loading 362 onto a truck before being shipped to its new owners.
362 sold to Peter de Savory at Littlecote Hall near Hungerford. It was oddly repainted with red.
