Cheers! Railway's real ale trains are back after three-year break

Fans of brilliant beer are looking forward to the return of the Llangollen Railway’s popular Real Ale Trains this weekend after a three-year absence. 

The pandemic and last year’s financial troubles have prevented such an event from taking place since autumn 2019. 

The Welsh Phoenix /Ffenics Cymraeg will be running all day on Saturday June 11, with three3 daytime trips and two in the evening, leaving Llangollen at 6 and 8pm.

The bar will be based in an historic British Railways former travelling cinema carriage, which was restored and converted into a bar back in 2014. 

Visitors can enjoy a pint of draft craft ale or a glass of wine whilst enjoying the breathtaking scenery of the Dee Valley. 

* The railway's function coach will host the real ale trains.

The bar will be stocked with four local beers from Porthmadog-based Purple Moose and Stonehouse Brewery from Oswestry. 

The train will be hauled by a 1959-built Class 26 diesel locomotive No 5310. 

Volunteer organisers Iain Ross and Terry Pickthall can both usually be found at work on different parts of the railway, with Iain a steam and diesel locomotive driver and fitter. 

Terry is also a diesel locomotive driver and acts as the railway’s press officer. 

He said: “Iain and I thought it was high-time we helped resurrect our very successful Real Ale Trains and are looking forward to serving people a pint or two. 

"We managed our 1960’s weekend real ale festivals for many years with great success, but have not run a bar on a moving train before. 

"We’re both getting some practice in at pouring beer into a gently swaying pint glass, as we all know spillage of fine ale is a heinous crime."

Iain said: “We’ve all worked very hard through some very tough times to get the railway back on its feet and can now start to try and bring back some of the great events that we all took for granted, like our Real Ale Train and Classic Transport Weekend, which will take place on July 2 and 3." 

Tickets for the trains are available from the railway’s website and ideally need to be purchased in advance for the evening trains or from Llangollen station booking office during the day, which will be open on Saturday 11^th between 10am and 3pm.

Evening tickets cost £25, which includes two return trips on the train, a commemorative Llangollen Railway pint glass and a pint of draft beer of your choice (or glass of wine).  A full day ticket is available for £40.