A unique 7¼ inch gauge live steam model of locomotive No. 7 Owain Glyndŵr has joined the collection at The Vale of Rheidol Railway in Aberystwyth.
The model, built in 1969 by master coppersmith and renowned model engineer Harry Powell, has been transferred from the National Railway Museum in York.
Approximately one-third full size, the model represents the Vale of Rheidol’s famous 2-6-2T tank engine built at Swindon in 1923 and still in regular service on the line today.
Finished in British Railways dark green with orange and black lining of the 1960–‘68 period, the model is widely regarded as the finest large-scale miniature of a Rheidol tank ever constructed.
For many years, it was displayed in the Great Hall of the National Railway Museum, before being presented to the Vale of Rheidol in memory of its original commissioner, Lancashire mill owner and model locomotive collector, Jack Salem.
Anthony Coulls, senior curator of rail transport and technology at the National Railway Museum, said: “We’re delighted to pass the Powell model to the Vale of Rheidol, not just as a superb example of model engineering and tribute to Harry Powell and Jack Salem, but perhaps the finest large-scale model of a Rheidol tank that will ever be made.
“There’s nowhere else more suitable and I look forward to seeing it on display soon.”
Visitors will be able to see the newly arrived model at major events this autumn
Pete Waterman’s ‘Making Tracks’ Model Railway Event from October 25 to November 2, which runs across the half-term week, will be only the second time the spectacular full-size ‘Making Tracks’ model has been operated outside its original setting.
Alongside Pete Waterman OBE’s exhibition, visitors will also be able to see the Powell model up close in the railway’s museum, providing a rare chance to celebrate railway engineering in both miniature and full scale.
“This magnificent model is a wonderful new addition to our museum collection,” said Vale of Rheidol Railway managing director, Llyr ap-Iolo. “Its arrival is perfectly timed for a season of celebrations with the Steam Festival and Pete Waterman’s ‘Making Tracks’ both drawing visitors to Aberystwyth.
“It’s a chance to see our heritage in every size, from live steam models through to the full-sized locomotives that still run on the Vale of Rheidol today,” he added.
