The Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway (L&MMR) and the Vale of Berkeley Railway (VoBR) have announced a new partnership between the two organisations.

Under the partnership, the two railways will, where possible, share their knowledge, expertise, and spares, and provide training and assessment provision for each other. The first project under the agreement was on Tuesday, 12th April,  Class 143 No. 143612 moved from the VoBR at Sharpness in Gloucestershire to the L&MMR in west Wales on a year-long loan, where it will provide a valuable addition for the railway.

By keeping 143612 in an operational condition, it will ensure that the unit is in a serviceable and ready-to-run condition for when the VoBR develops its operations. The loan will also assist the L&MMR by allowing them to carry out essential work on serviceable units 142006 and 143607 whilst retaining its existing operational capacity.

During the loan, the unit will be placed under the care of The South Wales Railcar Group, which already has DMUs 142006, 143606, and 143607 in its fleet.

After a number of years away from South Wales143612 has now returned to its former territory. It is no stranger to South Wales as it has a similar history to classmates 143606 and 143607. Until the early 2000s it was allocated to Cardiff Canton depot, then in the Wessex Trains days it was re-allocated to Bristol St. Phillips Marsh depot.

Whilst at St. Phillips Marsh 143612 would occasionally be seen at Cardiff Central in service, it predominantly operated in the Bristol and Exeter area. When it was purchased by the Vale of Berkeley Railway along with 143603, it became the first Class 143 to be preserved.

Still carrying Great Western Railway green livery, the L&MMR plans for 143612 to make its debut in preservation at the railway’s operating day on Saturday, 14th May 2022.

The L&MMR is based on the site of a former colliery at Cynheidre which is completely owned by the LMMR outright. In the long-term, the railway aims to provide a heritage centre and a full-size steam and diesel demonstration railway.