What would have happened to the Vale of Rheidol railway at privitisation had it not been sold by BR in 1989?

[778]

The Vale of Rheidol narrow guage railway was the last steam railway operated by British Rail until it was sold to the owners of the Brecon Mountain railway in 1989. What would have happened if BR continued operating the line until privitisation?
Would it have been taken over by Wales & West, the first train operating comapny that succeeded BR in Wales, or would there have been more chance of it being sold to another private owner?

It would have been interesting to see steam trains in Transport for Wales livery.

 

[pdeaves]

Would it have been taken over by Wales & West, the first train operating comapny that succeeded BR in Wales, or would there have been more chance of it being sold to another private owner?

At privatisation, Welsh main line services were split effectively south, mid and north. Aberystwyth was 'Central Trains', so would have been a more likely choice than Wales & West (which was really South Wales).

 

[Strathclyder]

At privatisation, Welsh main line services were split effectively south, mid and north. Aberystwyth was 'Central Trains', so would have been a more likely choice than Wales & West (which was really South Wales).

Just imagining the VoR engines and coaches in Central Trains livery...

Sort of puts me in mind of the photoshops of A4s in GNER & Virgin liveries as part of the wider 'Fictitous Liveries' collection. See here (to get the relevent images, select the 'Class' tab at the top and scroll down until you find A4)

 

[zwk500]

The Vale of Rheidol narrow guage railway was the last steam railway operated by British Rail until it was sold to the owners of the Brecon Mountain railway in 1989. What would have happened if BR continued operating the line until privitisation?
Would it have been taken over by Wales & West, the first train operating comapny that succeeded BR in Wales, or would there have been more chance of it being sold to another private owner?

It would have been interesting to see steam trains in Transport for Wales livery.

Third option, methinks. It might have gone to the BRB(residual) or whatever it was called for a while, but I think however it was done the railway would have found itself very quickly into private hands.