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Talyllyn (locomotive)
Encyclopedia
Talyllyn is a narrow gauge
steam locomotive
. It was built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
in 1864 and is one of the oldest locomotives still in active service. It was delivered to the Talyllyn Railway
on 24 September 1864 and continues to run on this railway.
The Talyllyn Railway was the first British narrow gauge line to be built as a steam hauled railway from its conception. The company ordered two locomotives for its opening, Talyllyn and Dolgoch
. Both were built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
of Whitehaven
though two very different designs. Talyllyn was the first order the company had delivered to north Wales
and the first narrow gauge locomotive they had built with plate frames. It was built to the company's C Class design, although it was the first member of its class to be built to a gauge less than .
The saddle tank locomotive was originally delivered as an with an open cab. Early tests on the railway showed that this wheel arrangement lead to unacceptable vertical oscillation, and in January 1867, Talyllyn was returned to its manufacturer for the fitting of a pair of trailing wheels, converting it into an 0-4-2ST. A cab was subsequently fitted in the railway's workshops at Pendre
.
One unusual feature of the conversion of Talyllyn to an 0-4-2 wheel arrangement is that the trailing axle was fixed rigidly to the frame, resulting in an overall wheelbase of 8ft. Most 0-4-2 locomotives have the trailing wheel
s that are able to swivel independently of the frame, thus avoiding creating a long fixed wheelbase. To accommodate Talyllyns long wheelbase, the gauge of the Talyllyn Railway was increased marginally to between 2ft 3½in and 2ft 4in.
The locomotive was returned to Fletcher Jennings for a second time around 1900, although the reason for this visit is not recorded. Repairs and improvements were also made at Pendre over the years, including alterations to the cab, fitting of a footplate at the front of locomotive and of a sandbox. A new set of frames supplied by W.G. Bagnall
's was also fitted at Pendre, again around 1900.
Talyllyn remained in service for most of the life of original railway. By the time of the Second World War it had fallen into a very poor state of repair, as it was the more popular of the two locomotives and was used more frequently. It was finally retired in 1945 when its boiler and firebox were found to be beyond use or further repair. At this time the locomotive was still carrying its original 1864 boiler.
, in which it formed the basis for the character Skarloey.
for a complete renewal. A new boiler, saddletank and bunker were built and Talyllyn returned to service in 1958.
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. It was built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
Fletcher, Jennings & Co. was an engineering company at Lowca near Whitehaven, Cumbria, England.-Overview:Fletcher and Jennings took over the business of Tulk and Ley in 1857...
in 1864 and is one of the oldest locomotives still in active service. It was delivered to the Talyllyn Railway
Talyllyn Railway
The Talyllyn Railway is a narrow-gauge preserved railway in Wales running for from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1866 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, and was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain...
on 24 September 1864 and continues to run on this railway.
History
Dolgoch (locomotive)
Dolgoch is a narrow gauge 0-4-0 well tank steam locomotive. It was built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. in 1866 and is one of the oldest locomotives still in active service. It was delivered to the Talyllyn Railway in 1866 and continues to run on this railway....
. Both were built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
Fletcher, Jennings & Co. was an engineering company at Lowca near Whitehaven, Cumbria, England.-Overview:Fletcher and Jennings took over the business of Tulk and Ley in 1857...
of Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
though two very different designs. Talyllyn was the first order the company had delivered to north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and the first narrow gauge locomotive they had built with plate frames. It was built to the company's C Class design, although it was the first member of its class to be built to a gauge less than .
The saddle tank locomotive was originally delivered as an with an open cab. Early tests on the railway showed that this wheel arrangement lead to unacceptable vertical oscillation, and in January 1867, Talyllyn was returned to its manufacturer for the fitting of a pair of trailing wheels, converting it into an 0-4-2ST. A cab was subsequently fitted in the railway's workshops at Pendre
Pendre railway station
Pendre railway station is a station on the Talyllyn Railway in Tywyn, Gwynedd in mid-Wales, and the site of the railway's loco and carriage sheds and works. It is 0 miles, 34 chains from . The wooden station building was rebuilt in the 1970s, and trains stop by request only. Pendre is...
.
Trailing wheel
On a steam locomotive, a trailing wheel or trailing axle is generally an unpowered wheel or axle located behind the driving wheels. The axle of the trailing wheels was usually located on a trailing truck...
s that are able to swivel independently of the frame, thus avoiding creating a long fixed wheelbase. To accommodate Talyllyns long wheelbase, the gauge of the Talyllyn Railway was increased marginally to between 2ft 3½in and 2ft 4in.
The locomotive was returned to Fletcher Jennings for a second time around 1900, although the reason for this visit is not recorded. Repairs and improvements were also made at Pendre over the years, including alterations to the cab, fitting of a footplate at the front of locomotive and of a sandbox. A new set of frames supplied by W.G. Bagnall
W.G. Bagnall
W. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford...
's was also fitted at Pendre, again around 1900.
Talyllyn remained in service for most of the life of original railway. By the time of the Second World War it had fallen into a very poor state of repair, as it was the more popular of the two locomotives and was used more frequently. It was finally retired in 1945 when its boiler and firebox were found to be beyond use or further repair. At this time the locomotive was still carrying its original 1864 boiler.
In fiction
Talyllyn, along with Dolgoch, appeared many times in The Railway SeriesThe Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
, in which it formed the basis for the character Skarloey.
Preservation
Following the rescue of the Talyllyn Railway in 1951, Talyllyn was inspected and found to be beyond economic repair. However as the railway's fortunes improved it became possible to consider a major overhaul. In 1957 the locomotive was sent away to the Gibbons Brother's Brierly Hill engineering works at Lenches Bridge in PensnettPensnett
Pensnett is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is situated three miles south-west of Dudley and two miles north of Brierley Hill...
for a complete renewal. A new boiler, saddletank and bunker were built and Talyllyn returned to service in 1958.