* Mandy Towers and Joe Walker have organised the 60s weekend.
Llangollen Railway says it is looking forward to turning the clock back for its 60s Weekend on the weekend of August 3 and 4.
Making a very welcome return after several years’ absence, the event will include live music on Llangollen station, vintage vehicles, a heritage bus service from Corwen, a real ale bar at Llangollen station and the chance to drive a diesel shunting locomotive at Corwen station.
There will be a busy timetable of steam, diesel and railcar trains, all of which would have been seen at work around the country in the 1960s.
The 1960’s saw monumental political, social and technological change. The railways in Britain were no different, seeing the end of steam locomotives, the birth of the famous "double arrow logo" and the controversial closure of a third of Britain's rail network, masterminded by BR Board Chairman Dr Richard Beeching and controversial Transport Minister Ernest Marples.
The Ruabon-Barmouth railway was one of the victims of the Beeching Cuts, closing at the end of 1964. The closure of rural railways was extremely unpopular and attracted considerable resistance from the communities about to lose their transport links.
Demonstrations were not uncommon and Llangollen Railway volunteers, dressed in period clothes and bearing placards, will recreate anti-closure protests at Glyndyfrdwy station over the weekend.
Volunteers worked for nearly 50 years to rebuild 10 miles of the abandoned line between Llangollen and Corwen, with the first trains running in 1985 and a new station at Corwen finally opening in June 2023.
The event is being organised by mother-and-son team Mandy Towers and Joe Walker, who both volunteer on Llangollen station.
Visitors can find out more and book tickets on the railway’s events webpage: https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/1960s-weekend/
* Llangollen & Corwen Railway continues to make a successful recovery following the collapse of its operating company in 2021 and rescue by the Llangollen Railway Trust under new management.
July 9 saw the third anniversary of the first train to be operated by the Trust, whose manager Tom Taylor said: "Three years on from our first train to Berwyn under Trust management we have achieved what many said would be impossible.
"Corwen station has been completed, opened and is proving very popular. Our much-loved Pannier steam locomotive No 7754 has ben restored and is steaming again. Our legendary events have returned, including the exciting return of our 60’s Weekend.
"We have also secured significant grant aid by working with local partners, like Denbighshire County Council.
"Through their Shared Prosperity Fund, we have been able to recruit new staff who are helping take our volunteer, interpretation, environmental and training needs forward. The SPF has also funded an in-depth consultant-led project to assess how we can secure the railway's future sustainability.
"We have a wonderful railway and a brilliant team of volunteers and staff who care passionately about it. We are all optimistic about its future."
No comments:
Post a Comment