The locomotive No.3 ‘Sir Haydn’ has returned to Talyllyn Railway after a 30-month overhaul at the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s workshops in Aberystwyth.
Originally built in 1878 for the Corris Railway, the locomotive has been out of service since 2012, although it did undertake a nationwide publicity tour for the railway as a static exhibit between 2013 and 2015.
It was last seen in public on Talyllyn rails in July, 2015 when it made a surprise appearance at the railway’s 150th party, although again it was not in steam. Then, in October, 2015, it was moved to the Vale of Rheidol works to be overhauled in stages, the work proving to be more extensive than originally hoped.
‘Sir Haydn’ has returned to Talyllyn to begin testing and trials, which cannot be carried out at the Vale of Rheidol Railway workshops, before being formally handed back to the railway. The overhaul has been paid for in part by a special fund, which has raised more than £100,000 so far.
It is hoped to have the locomotive back in full service on the railway from mid-May. The railway will then have all six of its steam locomotives available for traffic, although not for long, as locomotive No.1 ‘Talyllyn’ will be withdrawn from traffic on June 18 to begin an overhaul of its own. This will be undertaken in the railway’s own workshops.
