Llangollen and Corwen Railway has confirmed a further major highlight for its Branch Line Gala, taking place from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 April 2026, with the announcement of Great Western Railway pannier tank No. 1369 as the second visiting locomotive.
Tickets for the three-day gala are already selling well, reflecting strong early interest in an event that will feature intensive steam and diesel services across the full length of the line between Llangollen and Corwen, recreating the atmosphere of a classic rural branch line.
The Branch Line Gala will offer unlimited hop-on, hop-off travel, alongside brake van rides, shed tours, heritage bus connections, live music on Saturday evening and a wide range of catering and refreshment options at stations across the railway.
The 2026 line-up will now include an impressive mix of home fleet and visiting locomotives, including the return of 1924-built GWR Small Prairie No. 4555 to the Dee Valley for the first time since 1964, the final running days of visiting Class 14 D9525, and home fleet favourites Pannier Tank No. 7754 and Heavy Freight 2-8-0 No. 3802.
The newly announced visitor, GWR No. 1369, is a 1366 Class 0-6-0 pannier tank, designed by Charles Collett and built at Swindon Works in 1934. The class comprised just six locomotives, with No. 1369 now the sole surviving example.
Although compact in appearance, the class was designed to handle lighter branch line passenger and goods services, while also proving extremely useful for shunting duties at docks and industrial locations across the West Country. In its later years, No. 1369 worked the Wenford China Clay branch in Cornwall, where its short wheelbase and sure-footed performance were ideally suited to the line’s demanding conditions, before being withdrawn by British Railways in 1964.
Now based at the South Devon Railway, this will be No. 1369’s first-ever visit to the Llangollen Railway, making it a particularly special addition to the gala. Its appearance completes a line-up that will see five Swindon-built steam and diesel locomotives in action over the weekend.
Iain Ross, Event Organiser for the Branch Line Gala, said, “The Branch Line Gala is all about variety, authenticity and atmosphere, and No. 1369 is a perfect fit. It is a fascinating little locomotive with a genuine branch line pedigree, and the sole survivor of its class, which makes it especially significant.
“With Small Prairie 4555 returning to the Dee Valley, the final running days of Class 14 D9525 and a strong home fleet, we now have a line-up that really tells the story of Swindon-built motive power on branch lines and secondary routes. Tickets are selling well already, and April 2026 is shaping up to be a superb weekend.”
Tickets for the Llangollen and Corwen Railway Branch Line Gala, running from 10 to 12 April 2026, are on sale now.
Full details and advance booking are available at: https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/branchline-gala/
Ticket Prices:
Adults
• 1 Day: £36
• 2 Days: £65
• 3 Days: £86
Children
• 1 Day: £6
• 2 Days: £10
• 3 Days: £15
Dogs: £3
Tickets include unlimited travel on all gala services.
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