The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

 Another book by prolific NG railway author Peter Johnson has recently been published, this time on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. 

The hardback book is similar in style to Peter's other recent books on the Vale of Rheidol Railway and the Corris Railway, all three share a common factor - they all came under the ownership of the Great Western Railway, and these books are expanded from some material that was compiled in Peter's book on the Great Western Narrow Gauge Railways a few years ago. 

A substantial portion of the book deals with the various proposals to build a railway to Llanfair, and how the successful scheme came about, including the local and central government funding. The periods under Cambrian and Great Western control are then covered. The nature of a book based on research of documents of a historical time means much of the content comes from official minutes and records, with some operational details and limited personal perspectives. 

There are plenty of photographs which are reproduced well, including some recent photographs, and some covering the preservation era, but most are period photographs. Sections of photographs covering for example locomotives or rolling stock are interspersed between the chapters. A map and gradient profile is included inside the covers, while some period maps are included giving detail of the main station layouts. There are no stock drawings though, which modellers like to see. 

The later part of the book tells the story of preservation to the present day. This is a nice end to the book, but this is a big story in itself which by necessity is covered only briefly. Key events and developments are noted, but by comparison to the original building and early operation of the railway this is clearly a whistle-stop tour. 

So this isn't a "definitive" work on the railway, but it is a good quality book with good photos and detailed but readable and enjoyable text. It tells a story of a rural railway with basic facilities that served its community for around 50 years, then after a difficult transition to preservation, has flourished as a characterful tourist railway. Whether it is a line you know well or not, if you like narrow gauge or minor railways then I am sure you will enjoy this book. 

A brace of vans

A little while back an internet friend offered me some surpless kits and bits for Welshpool style wagons, I think they were Nine Lines kits. He'd started them, made some modifications, but lost interest and realised they didn't fit with his plans. I'd guess they'd been kicking around his workbench for a while for a few of the parts were damaged or mising - such as most of the wheels! Still there are enough parts to make up 5 wagons, I picked up some wheels at Sparsholt and have been slowly working on the brakevan, cattle van and goods van.



They make up into rather nice vehicles, slighly larger than most of my stock but not excessively so. The kits have needed some fettling though, and depsite my best efforts all 4 wheels are not quite level - so the solebar/axlebox mouldings are not very accurate! If necessary I'll have to re-work the chassis but they may be OK. I've had to use a few bits of plasticard, including supports for the running boards of the brake van, I've made plasticard roofs using the boiling water method, and added handrails from wire. They have had lead sheet added under the floor for weight, so now all they need are couplings and painting.