We are delighted to announce the visit of Class 33/1 33102 to the Llangollen Railway for our Diesel Weekend on 29th & 30th of September. The North Staffordshire Railway Company’s BRCW Type 3 has been based at the Churnet Valley Railway for nearly 25 years and has never worked a train in preservation away from the CVR. The loco should arrive with us in Mid-September for around a month’s stay. We are hoping to get 33102 out and about on some additional days to maximise the opportunity to sample a “Crompton” at work in the Dee Valley. This should include our September 22nd B timetable running day with others TBC. This will be only the second Class 33 to visit the Llangollen Railway, the previous one coincidentally being consecutively-numbered 33103 way back in 1997. We are very grateful to the CVR for making 102 available to us. Photo by Martin Pyrzyna.
13/9 UPDATE. We are delighted to confirm plans for our Diesel Weekend. We are hopeful 1566 should be joining 6940 and 33102, but this is dependent on receiving fitting and testing overhauled injectors in time along with reassembly and test. Friday 28th will see 33102 on the scheduled 3 trip A timetable in place of the rostered DMU to extend the event (thanks to the LR Railcar Group for supporting this).
The DMU for the weekend should be the Class 104 (currently running as a 104/127 hybrid). 08195 will work 3 rare track shunter brake van shuttles each day taking in the line to Pentrefelin and part of Llangollen yard, following the same successful pattern used at last year’s diesel weekend. Places are first-come, first-served and limited to 12 people per trip. The BLS/PLEG are taking reservations via their website for those who wish to guarantee a place on the 12:15 – https://www.branchline.uk/current-fixtures.php. You can upgrade your BLS ticket to a full day rover. Apologies for the limited capacity, but we only have two fitted vans available and one must carry a guard without passengers present.
33102 will haul two evening workings to Glyndyfrdwy on Saturday 29th. Bottled real ale will be available and we will also offer mini-driver experiences during the layover at Glyndyfrdwy for £15 per person (again, limited availability and subject to crew’s discretion).
Suitable embellishments are being prepared for 33102 to recreate the atmosphere of the Weymouth Tramway in the 80’s, including a special headboard and the light & bell box the locos used to carry on their buffing plates whilst working on the tramway.
The timetable and the event poster are displayed for your information. A pdf version of the timetable for printing can be downloaded here.
