List of Vale of Rheidol Railway rolling stock
This is a list of past and present rolling stock used on the Vale of Rheidol Railway, a narrow gauge heritage railway, opened in 1902, that runs for 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 'privatised' in 1989 and run as a heritage railway operation.
When first opened, the railway owned two steam locomotives, No 1 Edward VII and No 2 Prince of Wales, along with a third contractors 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 three steam locomotives for use on passenger trains. All were built for the Vale of Rheidol line and have operated on the line ever since.The standard livery is Great Western Railway green and all three locomotives currently carry this livery. The locomotives were named by British Railways in 1956 and currently do not carry their nameplates.
| Image | Number | Name | Builder | Wheel arr. | Year built | Notes | In Traffic? |
| 7 | Owain Glyndŵr | Great Western Railway | 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 Withdrawn from traffic in 1997 pending overhaul.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 | 1923 | In Traffic | |||
| 9 | Prince of Wales | Great Western Railway | 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. | 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 | 1987 | Built out of parts from Baguley-Drewry engineering | In Traffic | ||
| - | - | 3124 | W.G. Bagnall | 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 | 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 | 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
No 1, & No 2 ''(later 1212 & 1213)''
The VoR commenced operations with two 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 because Mr. Metcalfe was an Aberystwyth man. The design draws inspiration from the Manning Wardle s 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 locomotive, originally built by Bagnall of Stafford for a Brazilian cane plantation in 1896 but never delivered as the order was cancelled, Bagnall regauging the locomotive from to 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 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 engine sent was Ffestiniog No 4 Palmerston. The following year VoR engine No 3 Rheidol was acquired, but a need for a fourth locomotive was still discerned. Palmerston No 4 was therefore hired again from Ffestiniog, and became the regular fourth engine for the next twenty years, being hired for several long periods, interspersed with brief home visits to Ffestiniog. The engine 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 engine. When the line was acquired by the Great Western Railway, the leased locomotive was no longer required and was returned to Ffestiniog. Palmerston 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.| Image | Number | Name | Builder | Wheel arr. | Year built | Notes |
| 1 | Edward VII | Davies & Metcalfe | 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 | 1902 | Renumbered 1213 in 1922. Sent to Swindon works in 1924 and scrapped. The number was immediately re-used for the new locomotive 1213 as part of the pretence of a heavy overhaul of the original engine. | ||
| 3 | Rheidol | Bagnall | 1896 | Renumbered 1198 by the GWR 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 |
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 |
| 60 | Drakensberg | Hanomag | 1927 | NG G13 Garratt locomotive. Privately owned. | ||
| 590 / 794 | Baldwin | 1917 | Under overhaul in VoR Workshops on behalf of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. Locomotive 794 is being restored in the guise of 590 to recreate a long lost locomotive that once ran on the Welsh Highland Line. | |||
| 822 | The Earl | Beyer Peacock | 1902 | Under overhaul in VoR Workshops on behalf of the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway. | ||
| Jubilee 1897 | Manning Wardle | 1897 | Stored at the railway on behalf of the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. |
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 | 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. | ||
| Mountaineer | ALCO | 1917 | Hired from the Ffestiniog Railway during September 1986. | |||
| 1158 | Diana | Kerr Stuart | 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 | 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 | 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 | 1933 | Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2015 for "The Forgotten Engines" gala. Static display only. | ||
| 2067 | Marchlyn | Avonside | 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 | 1899 | Visited Vale of Rheidol Railway in 2017 for the Roaring 1920s and 30s event. | ||
| 3 | Sir Haydn | Hughes, Falcon Works, Loughborough | 1878 | Owned by the Talyllyn Railway. Major overhaul completed in the Vale of Rheidol workshops in 2018. This is a gauge locomotive, and therefore was unable to operate on the 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.All the stock is third class only, unless otherwise stated. All currently carry both their GWR numbers and also their VoR numbers.
| Image | GWR No. | BR No. | BR No. | VoR No. | 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 | Withdrawn 2018 for conversion to a wheelchair accessible vehicle | |
| 4996 | M4996W | 4736 | 12 | 1938 | Swindon | First / Third Brake Composite | Chocolate and Cream with GWR Shirt Button | In Traffic | |
| 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 using parts of the previous 4 wheeled guards vans dating from 1902. | 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 reusing an underframe dating from 1902. Scrapped 1968 | |
| 136 | 18 | 1938 | Swindon | Four-wheeled full brake | Constructed reusing an underframe dating from 1902. Sold to Welsh Highland Heritage Railway 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.| Builder | Works number | Name | Year Built | Wheel arrangement | Gauge | Number | Notes |
| A Borsig | 5913 | 1908 | ex Sobemai N.V.Maldegem, Belgium | ||||
| Société Anglo-Franco-Belge | 2668 | 1951 | 121 | SAR NG15 Class, South Africa | |||
| De Winton | 106 | Kathleen | 1877 | 1877 | Vertical boiler locomotive ex Penrhyn Quarry Railway | ||
| Decauville | 1027 | 1926 | 7 | 'Progress 5T' type, ex Belgian Industries, Pas-De-Calais, France. | |||
| Falcon | 265 | 1897 | 27 | SAR NG6 Class "Lawley" F4 Type ex Beira Railway, South Africa, later at Buzi sugar refinery, Mozambique | |||
| Falcon | 266 | Lisboa | 1897 | 28 | SAR NG6 Class "Lawley" F4 Type ex Beira Railway, South Africa, later at Buzi sugar refinery, Mozambique | ||
| Fowler | 10249 | 1905 | 6 | Ex Colonial Sugar Refining, Lautoka Mill, Fiji. | |||
| Fowler | 11938 | 1909 | S.S.E 21 | Ex Sena sugar, Mozambique. | |||
| Fowler | 15515 | 1920 | S.S.E 23 | Ex Sena sugar, Mozambique. | |||
| Henschel & Sohn | 11854 | 1925 | 1917 | Bogie Tender designed to run with Feldbahn locomotives. | |||
| Hudswell Clarke | D564 | 1930 | 4wDM | ex Beswicks Lime works Hindlow quarries. Was once part of the Gloddfa Ganol collection. | |||
| Hunslet | 605 | Margaret | 1894 | Small Quarry Class. ex Penrhyn Quarrry Railway. | |||
| Kerr Stuart | 3114 | 1918 | 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 | 695 | PL Class ex Parlakimidi Light Railway, India. | |||
| Maffei | 4766 | 1916 | DFB 968 / 31 | Brigadelok. Built for Deutsche Heeresfeldbahn. | |||
| North British | 17111 | 1906 | 666 | ex South Eastern Railway of India CC class Parlakimidi Light Railway, India. | |||
| Orenstein & Koppel | 3770 | 1909 | Krebet Baru Mill No.3 Mallet locomotive, formerly operated in Java. | ||||
| Ruston Proctor | Either 50823 or 51168 | 1915 or 1916 | 4wPM | 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 | 6 | ex Hulleras de sabero y Anexas S.A., Spain. | ||
| W. G. Bagnall | 2228 | 1924 | 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 | 3 | ex Bowaters Paper Railway and Great Whipsnade Railway. | ||
| W. G. Bagnall | 2029 | 1916 | 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 | 38 | ex Western Railway, Dabhoi Gwalior Railway, India. The railway owns a pair of these locomotives. | |||
| W. G. Bagnall | 2460 | 1932 | 41 | ex Western Railway, 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 |