Editing Talyllyn Railway (section)

====<span class="anchor" id="Securing the infrastructure"></span><span class="anchor" id="1960–1969"></span>Securing the infrastructure: 1960–1969====
[[File:Tywyn Wharf layout 1964.svg|thumb|left|Tywyn Wharf station in 1964, after layout improvements|alt=The British Railways main line runs in south-easterly direction from Barmouth to Aberdyfi. Wharf station, comprising the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum and an office building, is on the north-east side, south of a road that crosses the main line. The Talyllyn Railway enters Wharf from Pendre to the east, passing underneath a road bridge, past a goods shed and fanning out into four sidings, the centre two of which form a run-round loop. The most southerly of the sidings curves round to join a line that runs parallel to the main line.]]

The 1960s proved to be a decade of consolidation for the Talyllyn. Pendre works underwent several much-needed expansions, adding additional covered storage for carriages and more workshop room. Modern machine tools, along with proper lighting and a new power supply were added. Substantial improvements to Tywyn Wharf station were also made, along with continued relaying and upgrading of the track to Abergynolwyn.<ref>Bate 2001, chapter 5</ref> Passenger numbers continued to climb after the 1957 BBC broadcast; in 1960, 67,000&nbsp;passenger journeys were made, increasing to 78,500 in 1964.<ref>Rolt 1965, page 99</ref> In response to this growing popularity the railway undertook a programme of new rolling stock construction.<ref>Potter, page 208</ref>

By the early 1960s Tywyn Wharf station was in need of major improvements. Before preservation, the station had contained only a fan of sidings, which meant that there was no way for the locomotive of an arriving train to run round the carriages. As a result, trains were pushed from behind as far as Pendre, where the locomotive could be moved past the carriages to the front of the train. A [[passing loop|loop]] was installed at Wharf in 1952, being used from the start of the 1952 season, to avoid having to propel trains to Pendre,<ref name=Boyd6577>Boyd 1965, page 77</ref> but in the winter of 1964/65 a major upgrade of the station was carried out. This improved the track layout and extended the original office building to provide covered accommodation for passengers and a shop.<ref>Mitchell and Eyres, 2005 page 19</ref>

As passenger numbers continued to grow during the late 1960s it became clear that further motive power was needed, especially as the rebuilt No.&nbsp;1 was not performing well. The Talyllyn's unusual track gauge and restricted loading gauge meant that it was unlikely that a locomotive could be found that could work on the line unaltered,<ref>Mitchell and Eyres, 2005 page 87</ref> so in 1969 a {{Track gauge|3ft|lk=on}}  gauge steam locomotive was purchased from the [[Bord na Mona]] (Irish Peat Board) with a view to rebuilding it for use on the Talyllyn. This locomotive was unofficially known as ''Irish Pete'', a nod to its original use.<ref>Bate 2001, page 155</ref>
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