The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway has been awarded a grant of £410,000 to enable it to make essential repairs to three endangered buildings at Llanfair Caereinion station.

The grant, awarded by the UK government under the Community Ownership Fund, is to cover the cost of repairing three industrial units at Llanfair Caereinion Station that were built by the local council in the 1970s and currently house two museums and their associated collections, and the railway’s archives and engineering stores.

Although a grant of up to £410,000 has been offered in principle to cover the cost of building repairs and staff support, it is subject to detailed negotiations with the Community Ownership Fund team.

Two units are in very poor condition and need a new roof, and the railway was contemplating having to demolish all three, which would render the current inhabitants homeless.

The grant will enable the roof to be repaired, as well as fund improvements to the museums and provide space for increased community activities.

By repairing rather than demolishing the industrial buildings, they also safeguard the site for future developments, including upgrading the workshop facilities where its historic rolling stock is repaired and restored.

As well as running train services, the railway is an educational charity. One of the buildings houses the railway’s main museum, ‘Llanfair Connections’, that describes the railway’s heritage and links with countries worldwide including Austria, Hungary, Taiwan, and Sierra Leone.

Also housed in the building is Wales’ premier collection of model motor vehicles, ‘Cloverlands’ Model Car Museum. To enable the railway to continue educating and engaging the public, it is essential that the collections are preserved.

Since the collection moved to Llanfair Caereinion in 2022, it has experienced a substantial increase in footfall.

Repairing the units will be of particular benefit to Llanfair Caereinion Town Council as there is currently no suitable venue in the town for community events.

“This is great news. Saving this building means that we can go ahead with our plans to become an Accredited Museum, can continue to host Cloverlands Model Car Museum and have a dry safe place for our engineering stores. We hope to expand our museum with a recently donated model rail layout depicting our line, and to welcome local residents for community events. I thank the Ministry of Housing and Local Government for their offer, and pay tribute to our former MP Craig Williams, our current MP Steve Witherden, and Llanfair Caereinion Town Council for their support”.

Iain McLean, Director and Vice-Chairman of the Railway