Llangollen Steam Gala. Saturday 14th October 2017.
It was largely another driving weekend for me, a leisurely drive down to Llangollen after work on the Friday evening, I`d actually managed to book the Llangollen Hostel for Friday night, just three days before, which was unusual as you can`t usually get in that one without booking well in advance. A little dearer than I`m used to at £20 for the night, but very convenient being right in the town centre, a nice accommodation, with a guitar in the communal room, so I had a few ales and a blast on the guitar before retiring to the dorm, shared with only 3 other lads, hikers.
I was up and showered for 07.00, a quick brew and down on the depot for 08.00, the staff are lovely at Llangollen and I had no problem on my early shed visit to watch the loco`s coaling up. I later returned to the station in time for breakfast in the café, which set me up for the day. I`d booked my ticket on the internet, a first for me and printed this out at work, £20 for an all-day concession rover, good value.
Boarding the first train up the line to Corwen, behind rebuilt Bullied Pacific 34053 Sir Keith Park, it was however slipping very badly while trying to leave the station, and after a few reverses, we crawled up the back out of Llangollen station. The rest of the journey went well though and we were soon arriving into the temporary platform of Corwen East. I alighted there to see what progress had been made on the new Corwen station since my last visit, it appeared to be coming along well.
I returned as far as Carrog, behind GWR 2-8-0, 2807, with 80072 to the rear. I had a look around the station shops and despite being very select with the books I buy these days, I couldn’t resist picking up two bargains, mint conditioned Oxford to Cambridge Railway, Volume 2, Bletchley to Cambridge, (1983), Bill Simpson, OPC, £3.00 and Chester Railways, the railways of Chester and Saltney a photographic history, (2015), Merseyside Railway Historic Group, Bridge Book Publications £8.00.
My next move was a train down as far as Glyndyfrdwy and later back up the line behind GWR 2-8-0, 2807 back up to Carrog, returning directly down the line to Llangollen for the last full trip of the day to Corwen behind Great Western 2-6-2 Prairie tank 5199 and returning to Llangollen double headed with Rebuilt Bullied Pacific 34053 Sir Keith Park.
After a chippy tea in Llangollen I drove back directly to Manchester, arriving home just after 19.30, a great day out.
http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/
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