Llangollen and Corwen Railway - First Day of Public Services - 3rd June 2023

Llangollen and Corwen Railway
First Day of Public Services to Corwen
Saturday 3rd June 2023

Class 31 No 31271 “Stratford 1840-2001”, built in 1961 by Brush Traction at Loughborough and owned by A1A Locomotives Ltd, painted in 1980’s/90’s Railfreight Construction Sector livery, had the honour of hauling the first public passenger train into the new Corwen station. We see the locomotive at Llangollen station ahead of hauling the 10:30am service to Corwen on Saturday 3rd June 2023, before seeing it depart Corwen with the 11:45am Corwen to Llangollen service.

Freshly lined out Austin 1 (Kitson and Co. Works Number 5459, and worked for the Austin Motor Company, and delivered to the manufacturer’s Longbridge plant in 1932 to work alongside four other engines across their West and North Works) and Austerity 68067 (Hudswell Clarke Works Number 1752 Robert, carrying pseudo British Railways livery as a J94) double headed the first public steam service into Corwen, the 11:30am Llangollen - Corwen.

Austin 1 was the railways first steam locomotive and hauled the very first public trains on the line in 1981, and Austin 1 & Robert had hauled the official & member special trains opening the new Corwen station on 1st & 2nd June 2023.

At Berwyn the class 31 is seen returning up the bank.

A Hybrid Class 104 / 108 & Class Wickham 109 DMUs from Llangollen Railcars provided a third passenger set, seen returning into Berwyn from down below the Chain Bridge over the River Dee.

Also at Berwyn we see the Austerity, now alone on the 2:30pm Llangollen - Corwen.

www.preservedrailway.co.uk
(C) Lee Andrew Davies 2023