This is a list of past and present rolling stock used on the Fairbourne Railway, a narrow gauge preserved railway line running for 2miles from Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast to Barmouth Ferry on a spit of sand in the Mawddach Estuary opposite the town of Barmouth Welsh: Abermaw. The line was opened as a horse-drawn tramway in 1895 to carry building materials for Fairbourne village. Passenger carriages were introduced shortly afterwards to connect with the ferry to Barmouth. The line was converted to a steam railway in 1916 and became a successful tourist attraction. The line underwent another gauge conversion in 1985. The track was relayed at gauge and new rolling stock was introduced.
The railway has a fleet of four steam locomotives which haul most of the passenger services. The steam locomotives are approximately half-size replicas of famous narrow gauge prototype locomotives such as the Class B Tanks from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Manning Wardle Tanks of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway. Two diesel locomotives and a battery electric shunter are used for engineering trains.
| Image | Identity | Builder | Type | Built For | Year Built | Livery | Notes | Current status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherpa[1] | Milner Engineering | Réseau Guerlédan | 1978 | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway blue | Model of a Darjeeling Class B Tank locomotive, fitted with a tender to accommodate the driver and carry water. | In Service | |||
| Russell | Milner Engineering / Fairbourne Locomotive Works | Réseau Guerlédan | 1979 | Red | Model of Welsh Highland Railway locomotive Russell. Rebuilt from 'Elaine', a Leek and Manifold model in 1985. | In Service | |||
| Beddgelert | David Curwen | Réseau Guerlédan | 1979 | Lined Black | Model of North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways locomotive. | Major overhaul started[2] | |||
| Yeo | David Curwen | Réseau Guerlédan | 1978 | Malachite Green with lettering | Model of Lynton and Barnstaple Railway locomotive, Yeo | In Service |
| Image | Name | Builder | Type | Built For | Year built | Livery | Notes | In Traffic? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwril | Hunslet | Singapore | 1994 | Blue | Diesel locomotive, acquired from Alan Keef in November 2007. Re-gauged from at Fairbourne. It is the third locomotive to carry the name Gwril. | Yes | |||
| Tony | Guest Engineering / Fairbourne Locomotive Works | A1-1A | Fairbourne Miniature Railway | 1961 | Green with yellow details and Fairbourne crest | Originally built as a double cabbed 15 inch gauge locomotive Sylvia, it was re-gauged and re-bodied in 1985 and carried the name Lilian Walter. A further rebuild to return the loco to double cabbed form was started in 2010. | Undergoing Overhaul |
The railway has a fleet of 22 passenger carriages, most of which are wooden bodies examples originating from the Réseau Guerlédan railway in France. The standard livery is blue. The fleet compromises of 3 semi open balcony coaches, 1 semi open standard coach, 3 fully open toast-rack coaches, 2 opens ex Butlins, 9 closed carriages, 1 wheelchair accessible closed carriage, 2 brake vans/saloons and 1 brake van/wheelchair accessible coach.
There are a small pool of goods vehicles in use for engineering works.
| Image | Name | Builder | Type | Built For | Year built | Years at Fairbourne | Notes | Current Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number 24 | Fairbourne Locomotive Works | Fairbourne Railway | 1990 | 1990–1992 | Model of Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad locomotive. The first steam locomotive to be built at Fairbourne. Sold to the Bure Valley Railway in 1992 and re-gauged to gauge. | Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Lincolnshire | |||
| Galloping Goose | David Curwen | Réseau Guerlédan | 1979 | 1984–1989 | Model of Rio Grande Galloping Goose Railcar. Made several trips along the line in 1987, before scrapping in 1989. Picture | Scrapped at Fairbourne in 1989. | |||
| TJ Thurston | John Thurston | Believed to be Hayling Island | 1949 | 2004–2008 | This locomotive has narrow scale wheels which proved unsuitable for the railway's track. The locomotive was sold in 2008. | Private location | |||
| Gwril | Fairbourne Locomotive Works | Fairbourne Railway | 1987 | Blue with yellow lining | Battery electric shunting locomotive. The second locomotive on the line to carry the name Gwril. Sold in 2011. | N/A |
Between 1916 and 1985, the railway had a variety of steam and internal combustion locomotives from a variety of different manufacturers including Bassett Lowke and Guest Engineering. Following the re-gauging of the line in the 1980s, most of the gauge left the site and many have been restored and can be found working on other 15 inch lines around the world.
| Name | Builder | Type | Built For | Year built | Years at Fairbourne | Notes | Current Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward of Wales | Bassett-Lowke | Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd | 1915 | 1916–1923 | Bassett-Lowke improved "Little Giant" Class 20. The first locomotive to operate at Fairbourne. Apparently destroyed by fire at Southport in 1931, rebuilt and renamed Princess Elizabeth Now in the United States. | United States of America. | ||
| Katie | Arthur Percival Heywood | Eaton Hall Railway | 1896 | 1923–1926 | Built for the Duke of Westminster's Eaton Hall Railway in Cheshire and also operated on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway | Frames with Ravenglass Heritage Group for restoration. | ||
| Count Louis[3] | Bassett-Lowke | 1924 | 1925–1987 | Bassett-Lowke "Sans Pareil" Class 30. Rebuilt with larger tender and other improvements at Fairbourne. This locomotive was the flagship of the Fairbourne Railway for many years. | Private Site | |||
| Prince Charles | Guest Engineering | Dudley Zoo Railway | 1946 | 1960-1 | Scale model based on a Stanier Class 5 locomotive. Now renamed Prince William. It has also carried the name Winston Churchill. | Evesham Vale Light Railway, Worcestershire | ||
| Ernest W Twining | Guest Engineering | Dudley Zoo Railway | 1950 | 1961–1984 | Loaned to the railway 1961-1964 and subsequently purchased. Sold and exported to Japan in 1987. | Shuzenji Romney Railway, Japan. Stored out of traffic | ||
| Siân | Guest Engineering | Fairbourne Railway | 1963 | 1963–1985 | Sister locomotive to Katie. Rebuilt extensively in 1984 to an American outline and renamed Sydney. Now owned by the Siân Project Group and restored to her original form. | |||
| Katie | Guest Engineering | Dudley Zoo Railway | 1954 | 1965–1985 | The second locomotive on the line to carry the name Katie. Visually similar to Siân but without air tank on the tender. Operated the 1985 season named Shon | Kirklees Light Railway, West Yorkshire | ||
| Whippit Quick | R A Lister and Company | Fairbourne Miniature Railway | 1935 | 1935–1975 | The first internal combustion locomotive on the railway. Originally a standard Lister Rail-Truck it was rebuilt in the 1950s with an extended frame and additional 4-wheeled bogie (to a Bassett-Lowke design)to make it an . A futuristic bodywork was also fitted subsequently to protect the driver from the elements. It was sold in 1975 to Rich Morris and was displayed at Gloddfa Ganol until 1997. | Fairbourne Railway | ||
| Gwril | R A Lister and Company | 1943 | 1947–1985 | Similar to Whippit Quick, Gwril was originally gauge, regauged for use at Fairbourne | Fairbourne Railway | |||
| Dingo | Wilkins and Mitchell | B′B′ | Fairbourne Railway | 1949 | 1952–1974 | Dismantled in 1974. Parts of the frame were used in the construction of the six-way carriage shed turnout. | Scrapped at Fairbourne in 1975. | |
| Sylvia | Guest Engineering | A1-1A PH | Fairbourne Railway | 1961 | 1961–1985 | Double cabbed locomotive, rebuilt in 1985 to an American outline and renamed Lilian Walter. | Fairbourne Railway | |
| Rachel | Guest Engineering | Shillingstone Railway, Dorset | 1961 | 1961–1984 | Small shunting locomotive designed for a gauge line in Dorset, however completed as a loco. | Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Lincolnshire | ||
| Tracy Jo | Guest Engineering | Dudley Zoo Railway | 1964 | 1964–1966 | Tested on the Fairbourne Railway in the 1960s. Tracey Jo was styled on the Vale of Rheidol tank engines as a steam outline locomotive. Rebuilt into a steam locomotive Wroxham Broad which can often be seen masquerading as Thomas the Tank Engine | Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk |