Talyllyn No. 2 Dolgoch - 70 Years of Preservation

Talyllyn Railway No. 2 Dolgoch
Fletcher, Jennings & Co. built 1866

One of the original two Talyllyn locomotives, the locomotive hauled the final trains in the pre-preservaton era on the Talyllyn as well on hauling the first trains of the preservation era, being the only operating locomotive on the line until Corris Railway No. 4 (Talyllyn Number 4 'Edward Thomas') entered service in 1952. In the Reverent Awdry's The Railway Series, the locomotive is portrayed as Rheneas operating on the Skarloey Railway.

The "Gallant Old Engine" hauled the first public passenger train in the world on a line run by volunteers on 14th May 1951 with a train from Tywyn to Rhydyronen. Today 70 years on the locomotive is still in service and hauled a special train on 14th May 2021 to commemorate this occasion as part of the annual 'Founders Day' celebrations.

In this video, we first see Dolgoch with her new boiler built at the Severn Valley Railway in steam at Pendre in 2011. We then move forward to 2015 for the Talyllyn 150th Anniversary Party, seeing Number Two in operation on the vintage carriage set, hauling a wedding special, double heading with number 1 and in an evening photo shoot at Tywyn Wharf alongside Number 1, Ffestiniog Railway No. 2 'Prince' and former Tywyn resident North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway / Welsh Highland Railway 'Russell'.

The locomotive is seen during 2012 at the Betton Grange Groups "Steam Steel & Stars III" event held at the Llangollen Railway, with the locomotive operating alongside Palmerston at Carrog, giving footplate rides.

After our visit to Carrog we look out the rear of the Talyllyn brake van on a journey towards Tywyn hauled by Number 2.

www.preservedrailway.co.uk
(C) Lee Andrew Davies 2021