Narrow Gauge Railway Museum


The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is a purpose-built museum dedicated to narrow-gauge railways situated at the station of the Talyllyn Railway in Tywyn, Gwynedd, Wales.
The Museum has a collection of more than 1,000 items from over eighty narrow-gauge railways in Wales, England, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland. This includes six locomotives on display ; eleven wagons inside with a further eleven outside; a display showing the development of track work from early plateways to modern narrow-gauge tracks; several large signals along with single line working apparatus and documents; a growing collection of tickets and other documents, posters, notices, crockery and souvenirs; relics from vehicles scrapped long ago and the Awdry Study, re-created with the original furniture and fittings in memory of the Rev. Wilbert Awdry, an early volunteer on the Talyllyn Railway and best known for his series of railway books such as "Thomas the Tank Engine."

Background

The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum collection began in the 1950s when the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society was the first voluntary society in the world to take over and run a public passenger carrying railway. Narrow-gauge railways were becoming redundant and their equipment scrapped. Immediately, items from other narrow-gauge lines began to be offered to the TRPS and a committee was formed to acquire examples of locomotives, rolling stock and other equipment to place on public display. In 1964 a charitable trust was formed to manage and develop the Museum and this was replaced by the present Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Trust on 11 July 1994.
The main activity of the Trust takes place at the Talyllyn Railway Wharf Station. Inside the Museum interactive and static exhibits illustrate the diversity, individuality, technical ingenuity and charm of narrow-gauge railways. The fleet of historic wagons kept outside is operational and the original wagon weighbridge from 1865 has been restored and included in a redeveloped section of the Wharf yard including a purpose built weighbridge hut.
The first museum displays were in the old Gunpowder Store at Wharf station. Soon a walled yard, used for the storage of coal, was roofed over and an extension added in 1964. The building served well but had no insulation, was damp and cold in winter and hot and airless in summer making it difficult to conserve the collection. What was needed was a new museum building with adequate space, accessibility and environment, and professionally designed displays.
At the same time the Talyllyn Railway was seeking to improve its facilities at Wharf station to better meet the needs of passengers and the operation of the railway. When the TRPS took over, there was a single small building which served as a booking office, weigh house, and general office for the railway. Like the Museum, this had been augmented by various extensions and portable buildings: a radical solution was needed. With the approach of the golden jubilee of the TRPS in 2000, an appeal was launched for funds to build a new station and museum. Funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to conserve the unique museum collection plus other government and charitable sources was obtained to match money raised by friends of the Railway and Museum. A two-storey building now houses the museum, refreshment room, education room and railway offices, which links with a shop and booking office in an extended version of the original building. Work began in stages in 2001, and the new station and museum complex was opened by H.R.H. Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on 13 July 2005. In 2010 the Museum gained Accredited status under the MLA scheme to improve standards in museums.

Locomotives at the museum

NameGaugeBuilderTypeDateWorks numberNotes
Baguley4wPM1919774Originally supplied to the Timber Supply Department tramway at Pennal. Purchased by the Oakeley Slate Quarry in 1927. Worked there until 1937. Purchased for preservation by Rodney Weaver in 1965. Sold to the Glodda Ganol collection in 1977, from where the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum purchased it in 1998. Cosmetically restored and put on display in July 2017
DotBeyer Peacock0-4-0WT18872817Built for the internal Gorton locomotive works of Beyer Peacock. Donated to the Museum in 1961.
Rough PupHunslet0-4-0ST1891541Built for the Dinorwic Quarry railway. Preserved as withdrawn from service, in the Museum since 1964.
No. 13William Spence Ltd.0-4-0T1895One of a fleet of overtype locomotives built for the Guinness St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and the first loco donated to the Museum, in 1956.
George HenryDe Winton0-4-0VB1877ex-Penrhyn Quarry locomotive. Donated to the Museum in 1964
William FinlayFletcher Jennings0-4-0T1880173LEx-Dorking Greystone Lime Company. Restored and put on display on 5 July 2017

Rolling stock on display in the museum

NameGaugeBuilderTypeDateWorks numberNotes
No. 5
Cambrai
Corpet-Louvet0-6-0T1888493Built for the Chemin de Fer du Cambrésis, France. Acquired from the Waltham Iron Ore Tramway in 1960 and now on display at the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.
PenelopeMotor Rail4wDM19438826ex-Ministry of Defence locomotive. In working order at North Ings Farm Museum. Donated 1993.
Indian RunnerRuston4wDM194020074433/40 HP diesel loco with 3VRO engine, delivered to Bessacar Gravel Works, withdrawn 1972, restored and cab fitted and donated to Museum in 2004. Further restored, the loco is now operational at North Ings Farm Museum.
NuttySentinel0-4-019277701One of three vertical-boiler, chain-driven locomotives built by The Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd. to a 2'11" gauge for the London Brick Company at Farcett, Peterborough. Moved in 2012 to the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway.
Jubilee 1897Manning Wardle0-4-0ST18971382Built for the Cilgwyn Quarry in the Nantlle Valley. Sold to the Penrhyn Quarry in 1928; withdrawn 1955. Donated to the Museum in 1963. Currently stored at the Vale of Rheidol Railway
Dundee Gasworks No.2Kerr Stuart0-4-0WT1907720Built for the Dundee gasworks railway. Acquired by the Museum in 1961. Major restoration work was carried out in 2004. Loaned to Beamish Museum in July 2017.

Rolling stock on display at other sites