The mighty Garratt No. 60 “Drakensberg” will be in steam and all three Vale of Rheidol ‘Tank’ engines can be seen together, each in a different British Rail livery: No. 7 Owain Glyndŵr in Green, No. 8 Llywelyn in Black and No. 9 Prince of Wales, freshly overhauled in Blue.
During the festival, visitors get a rare opportunity for a footplate ride on one of the four Vale of Rheidol tank engines throughout the weekend as well as a hands-on driver experience with ‘Wren’ - one of the Railway Museum’s smaller engines.
The festival will feature a special intensive timetable, with five departures each day from Aberystwyth. Multiple locos will be in steam each day, offering enthusiasts the chance to see a rare variety of combinations in service.
There’s also an unforgettable chance to see Pete Waterman’s world-record model railway in full operation.
The Vale of Rheidol Museum locomotives have been moved out to make room in the Engine Shed for the world record breaking Pete Waterman’s 208-foot portable model railway layout. With over half a mile of intricate track, the Making Tracks display is so large it just fits within the Vale of Rheidol museum’s impressive 212-foot gallery!
Usually kept within Pete Waterman’s private collection, this is only the second ever public display of the fully assembled model railway following its record-breaking unveiling at Model World Live in April 2024.
