The Talyllyn Railway will hold their last gala of their 150th birthday celebrations over the coming weekend, from the 1st to the 3rd July 2016. The Grand Finale will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Talyllyn’s No. 2 locomotive, Dolgoch, which in 1951, was the first locomotive in the WORLD to pull a passenger train on a preserved railway.

Fletcher Jennings

Both Dolgoch and No.1 locomotive, Talyllyn, were both built by Fletcher Jennings, in Cumbria. The five remaining Fletcher Jennings locomotives are being brought together for the first time as part of the Grand Finale celebrations. This means that ‘Captain Baxter’, from the Bluebell Railway, will be visiting, and running on a short length of track at Tywyn. Though not in steam, ‘Townsend Hook’, currently based in West Sussex at the Amberley Heritage Centre is also visiting. ‘William Finlay’, was recently acquired by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Trust for the museum at Tywyn, will also be making an appearance.

Available to mark the historic bringing together of these locomotives, a book has been produced, called “The Lowca Legacy”. This tells the story of the works at Lowca as well as the surviving Fletcher Jennings locomotives. This is available to buy at £3, with all profits going to the William Finlay Appeal.

Special Timetable for the Grand Finale.

During the weekend, a special timetable will run. A Heritage Train will run on Friday evening taking passengers on a tour of the railway. On Saturday evening, a train hauled by all five of the Talyllyn’s current in-steam locomotives will run between Tywyn Wharf and Pendre stations. This will be followed by a night photoshoot, which will take place at Tywyn Wharf, and a brief firework display at approx. 10 pm.

During Saturday and Sunday the annual Garden Railway Gala will be held at Tywyn. There will also be a beer festival. The café at Tywyn Wharf being open till 9 pm on both the Friday and Saturday for refreshments.

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