Special event marks locomotive magnate buried in Llantysilio

* Charles Beyer. 

* Oliver Lang, Alastair Rodgers and Hazel Rodgers, Tracey Lang and David Hennigan will be paying respects at Llantysilio Church where Beyer is buried.

A special commemorative event will take place in Llangollen this summer to honour the life and legacy of pioneering railway engineer Charles Beyer. 

The event on Tuesday June 2 will mark exactly 150 years since Beyer’s death and will form part of wider recognition linked to LGBT+ History Month 2026, highlighting lesser-known aspects of his life alongside his major contribution to railway engineering.

Bringing together local residents, railway enthusiasts and historians, the day will feature a unique programme combining heritage, history and a traditional steam train journey through the Dee Valley.

In an unusual and symbolic format, the commemoration will begin with the first part of a church service at St Collen’s Church in Llangollen at 10am. The service will then pause, allowing attendees to travel by steam train from Llangollen Railway Station at 10.40am to Berwyn Station.

For the occasion, a special Charles Beyer headboard has been commissioned for the steam locomotive, created in partnership with the East Lancashire Railway, adding a unique and fitting tribute to the journey.

* The steam train with its Charles Beyer headboard.

On arrival at Berwyn, a commemorative plaque will be unveiled, commissioned by the Institution of Civil Engineers, recognising Charles Beyer’s significant contribution to engineering. 

Participants will then process across the Chain Bridge to Llantysilio Church, where the service will resume. Both services will be led by Father Lee Taylor, Vicar-in-Charge and conclude with a graveside tribute, creating a powerful link between the locations that defined his life and legacy.

The event will then continue with a reception at Llantysilio Hall, the former home of Beyer, including refreshments, tours and short speeches, before the return journey to Llangollen later in the day.

As part of the wider programme of commemorations, a further event will take place at Brookfield Church, Gorton on Sunday June 14. This will include a special service from 10am to 11am focusing on Beyer, Peacock and the church’s historic links to the company, alongside a thanksgiving for Richard Peacock. 

* All Steam Ahead from Wales to Lancashire for Charles Beyer Life Celebrations. Mark Llewellin (left) with Keith Whitmore (right), pictured alongside East Lancashire Railway Pride Train staff.

Refreshments will follow, before an afternoon session of talks between 1pm and 3pm featuring contributions from Michael Bailey, Robert Herpai and Anthony Dawson. Each talk will last around 20 minutes followed by questions, with the event closing at 4pm after further refreshments.

Charles Beyer was one of the most influential engineers of the 19th century and co-founder of Beyer, Peacock and Company, one of the world’s most important locomotive manufacturers. 

The company built engines for railways across Britain and around the world, including for the Great Western Railway and the London Underground, as well as exporting locomotives internationally.

Born in 1813 in Saxony, Beyer moved to England as a young man and established his career in Manchester, becoming a leading figure in locomotive design during the industrial revolution. He later settled near Llangollen and rebuilt Llantysilio Hall, where he died on June 2 1876. He is buried at Llantysilio Church, a short distance from Berwyn Station.

Beyer also had a lasting connection to Manchester’s social and sporting history. As a major benefactor, he helped fund the construction of St Mark’s Church, one of three churches he supported in the area. This church later became the birthplace of Manchester City FC, originally founded there in 1880 as St Mark’s, Gorton.

Keith Whitmore, a Director of the East Lancashire Railway and one of the organisers, said,: “This will be a very special and fitting tribute to Charles Beyer in the place he chose to call home. The way the service moves between Llangollen and Llantysilio, using the railway itself, makes it a unique and meaningful event. 

"It is also an opportunity to tell a fuller story about Beyer, including aspects of his life that are not always widely recognised, and to highlight the contribution of figures from what we now recognise as the LGBT community to railway history.”

Peter Dickinson, Station Master at Berwyn Railway Station, added: “Berwyn, recently acknowledged as the most beautiful railway station in the UK, has a direct connection to Charles Beyer through its proximity to Llantysilio Church, where he is buried. It will be an honour for our station to play a part in this important commemoration. 

"The unveiling of the plaque at the station, alongside the arrival of the steam train and the continuation of the service here in the valley, will make this a particularly memorable and special occasion for everyone involved.”

The event forms part of a wider programme of commemorations taking place across the UK, with further events planned at heritage railways and museums connected to Beyer’s life and work.

*If anyone would like to attend the event,  email info@llangollen-railway.co.uk or call Alderman Keith Whitmore, Director at East Lancs Railway on 07879 891 153.

Event Itinerary – Tuesday June 2:

• 10.00am: Service begins at St Collen’s Church, Llangollen

• 10.20am: Service pauses

• 10.40am: Steam train departs Llangollen Railway Station

• 10.50am: Arrival at Berwyn Station

• 10.55am: Unveiling of Institution of Civil Engineers commemorative plaque at Berwyn Station

• 11.00am: Procession across Chain Bridge to Llantysilio Church

• 11.40am: Service resumes with graveside tribute

• 12.30pm: Reception at Llantysilio Hall (refreshments, tours and speeches)

• 2.00pm: Return train departs Berwyn

• 2.15pm: Arrival in Llangollen