Editing Talyllyn Railway (section)

==History==
===Commercial history===
====<span class="anchor" id="Origins and construction"></span><span class="anchor" id="up to 1866"></span>Origins and construction: up to 1866====
[[Slate industry in Wales|Slate quarrying]] began in the hills above Tywyn in the 1830s, but although many small quarries and test levels were established, only one major quarry was developed in the region, the [[Bryn Eglwys quarry]], {{convert|7|mi|km}} north east of the town. Underground working began in the early 1840s,<ref name=AJR195>Richards 1999, page 195</ref> and by 1847 the quarry was being worked by local landowner John Pughe. The finished slates were sent by [[packhorse]] to the wharf at [[Pennal]], transferred to boats for a river trip to [[Aberdyfi]] (also spelled as ''Aberdovey''), and then finally loaded into seagoing vessels, a complex and expensive transportation arrangement which limited the quarry's output.<ref>Boyd 1965, pages 62–63</ref> In 1861 the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]] cut off supplies of [[cotton]] to the [[Cotton mill|mills]] of the north west of England and as a result a number of prosperous mill owners looked for new business opportunities to diversify their interests. One such owner was [[William McConnel]] of [[Lancashire]] who, in 1859, had purchased [[Hengwrt|Hengwrt Hall]] near [[Dolgellau]], north of Tywyn. In January 1864, McConnel formed the Aberdovey Slate Company, which leased the land including Bryn Eglwys from the landowner, Lewis Morris of [[Machynlleth]].<ref>Boyd 1988, page 9</ref>

[[File:Bryn Eglwys quarry - 2008-03-18.jpg|thumb|left|The remains of Bryn Eglwys quarry in 2008|alt=Large spoil heaps of slate appear on the hillside in a heavily wooded area. In the foreground is a small stone house, without a roof.]]

McConnel set about improving Bryn Eglwys to increase its output. He focused on providing rail transport for the isolated quarry, and in April 1864 he reached agreement with local landowners to purchase the land necessary to build a railway towards Tywyn and onwards to the port of Aberdyfi. Construction was well underway by July 1864.<ref>Drummond 2015, pages 9–11</ref> The standard gauge [[Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway]] was expanding rapidly from its base at Machynlleth, however, and in 1863 had reached Tywyn, so McConnel decided to build his line from the quarry to Tywyn, as the nearest point where slate could be transferred to the standard gauge railway. This was despite the line's initial isolation from the rest of the system because of difficulties in bridging the estuary of the [[Afon Dyfi]] to the south.<ref>Boyd 1965, page 64</ref> An [[act of Parliament (UK)|act of Parliament]], the '''{{visible anchor|Talyllyn Railway Act 1865}}''' ([[28 & 29 Vict.]] c. cccxv) allowing the company to operate passenger trains as a public railway was given [[royal assent]] on 5 July 1865,<ref>Boyd 1988, page 45</ref><ref>Potter, page 11</ref> and the company appointed [[The Spooners of Porthmadog|James Swinton Spooner]] as engineer for the construction. He laid out plans for a relatively straight line climbing steadily from Tywyn to the quarry and work quickly got underway. By September 1866 construction had advanced to the point where the [[Board of Trade]] inspector [[Henry Whatley Tyler|Captain Henry Tyler]] could make an initial inspection and report.<ref>Boyd 1965, page 65</ref>

Tyler's report led to an unusual alteration, as it was discovered that the internal width of the [[Overpass#Railway|overbridges]] was only {{convert|9|ft|1|in|cm|abbr=on}}, but the railway's [[List of Talyllyn Railway rolling stock#Carriages|passenger carriages]] were {{convert|5|ft|3.5|in|cm|abbr=on}} wide, leaving only {{convert|1|ft|10+3/4|in|cm|abbr=on}}  clearance on either side, which was {{convert|7+3/4|in|cm|1|abbr=on}} less than the minimum required [[Engineering tolerance|clearance]] of {{convert|2|ft|6|in|cm|abbr=on}}. To alleviate this problem, McConnel proposed that the doors on one side of each carriage be permanently barred and the track slewed off-centre beneath the bridges to allow adequate clearance at least on the side with doors, which would allow passengers to get out of the carriages if the train stopped underneath a bridge. Tyler agreed to this arrangement, and to this day all carriages on the Talyllyn have doors on one side only, an unusual feature for a public railway which is shared (albeit for different reasons) with the neighbouring Corris Railway.<ref>Boyd 1965, pages 68–69</ref> Tyler also required that improvements be made to the railway's first two steam locomotives, as locomotive No.&nbsp;1 suffered from excessive "vertical motion" and No.&nbsp;2 was said to suffer from "horizontal oscillation". No.&nbsp;1 was returned to its manufacturer where a set of [[trailing wheel]]s was added to reduce the rear overhang, and the [[Suspension (vehicle)#Springs and dampers|springs]] on No.&nbsp;2 were adjusted and the [[crank pin]]s shortened to reduce its oscillation.<ref name=Boyd6570>Boyd 1965, page 70</ref>

Tyler did not approve the opening until his listed improvements were completed, although slate trains and unofficial passenger trains were running in 1865.<ref name="Drummond 2015, page 17"/> During November of that 1866, Tyler returned to Tywyn and re-inspected the railway following which, subject to some further minor improvements, he approved its formal opening for passenger service. The first public passenger timetable was issued in December 1866,<ref>Rolt 1998, page 13</ref> and the first purpose-built, steam-worked, narrow gauge public railway in Britain opened for service.<ref>Boyd 1965, pages 68–70</ref>

====<span class="anchor" id="Prosperity under McConnel"></span><span class="anchor" id="1866–1880s"></span>Prosperity under McConnel: 1866–1880s====
[[File:TalyllynOnDolgochViaduct.jpg|thumb|right|''Talyllyn'' posed on Dolgoch Viaduct around 1867, the earliest known photograph of the Talyllyn|alt=A stone viaduct with three arches spans a steep sided ravine. A steam train stands on the viaduct, with an engine, a van and three coaches.]]

The railway opened with two locomotives, one carriage and several goods vehicles in use and was operated under a "[[Signalling block systems|one engine in steam]]" policy to ensure that two trains could not collide.<ref name=Boyd6571>Boyd 1965, page 71</ref> Initially the working locomotive was housed in a wooden shed at Ty Dwr on the mineral line above [[Abergynolwyn railway station|Abergynolwyn station]], while the main engineering works at {{stnlnk|Pendre}} were constructed.<ref>Boyd 1988, page 149</ref> The Pendre works opened on 17 February 1867 and from then on trains began working from Pendre instead of Abergynolwyn.<ref name=Boyd6570/>

At the time of the line's opening, stations were provided at Pendre and Abergynolwyn. In 1867, the halt at {{stnlnk|Rhydyronen}} opened,<ref name=Drummond97>Drummond 2015, page 97</ref> followed by {{stnlnk|Dolgoch}} later that year<ref>Drummond 2015, page 118</ref> and {{stnlnk|Brynglas}} in 1872.<ref name=Drummond97/> Some time shortly after the opening of the railway a branch to Abergynolwyn village was provided. A steep [[cable railway|incline]] dropped from the mineral line east of Abergynolwyn station to the village below, where a series of tram lines radiated. Coal, building materials and general goods were delivered down the incline and the contents of the village [[cesspit]]s were hauled back up for disposal along the lineside.<ref name=Boyd6571/>

The railway used [[steam locomotive]]s from the start, unlike its neighbour the horse-drawn Corris Railway. The original two locomotives, although of entirely different design, were both purchased from [[Fletcher, Jennings & Co.]] of [[Whitehaven]] in [[Cumbria]],<ref>Rolt 1965, pages 82–83</ref> and both are still in service, 150&nbsp;years on, although so many of their parts have been replaced down the years that much of their present-day component metal is not original. The Talyllyn's rare gauge is thought to have been adopted to match that of the Corris Railway,<ref>Rolt 1998, pages 5–6</ref> and the line's two original steam locomotives were among the earliest locomotives built for such a narrow gauge. No.&nbsp;1 ''[[Talyllyn (locomotive)|Talyllyn]]'' is an {{whyte|0-4-2|ST}} and No.&nbsp;2 ''[[Dolgoch (locomotive)|Dolgoch]]'' is an {{whyte|0-4-0|WT}}. The line carried slate from the quarry to the wharf at Tywyn and general goods along its length. Public passenger trains initially ran between Abergynolwyn, Dolgoch and Pendre stations only; quarrymen were carried on unofficial trains that continued on from Abergynolwyn to the foot of the Alltwyllt incline in Nant Gwernol gorge.<ref name=Boyd6571/>

The line operated successfully during its early years, serving the quarry and the local district. By 1880, Bryn Eglwys employed 300&nbsp;workers and was producing {{convert|8000|long ton}} of finished slate per year, all shipped via the railway.<ref name=AJR195/> Passenger traffic was substantial, rising from 11,500&nbsp;passengers carried in 1867 to over 23,000 (roughly equivalent to 40,000&nbsp;passenger journeys) in 1877.<ref>Boyd 1965, page 118</ref>

====<span class="anchor" id="Declining fortunes"></span><span class="anchor" id="1880s–1910"></span>Declining fortunes: 1880s–1910====
[[File:TalyllynAtNantGwernol1890.jpg|thumb|right|''Talyllyn'' at the foot of the Alltwyllt incline, the present site of Nant Gwernol station, 1890|alt=A train consisting of a locomotive and single carriage stands in the centre track of three tracks, which is on a ledge on a steep hillside. There is no platform. Two adults and two girls in Victorian dress stand on the track beside the carriage, with a man leaning against the locomotive and another man on the footplate.]]

In 1879, McConnel bought out the other shareholders of the Aberdovey Slate Company, and became the sole owner of the railway, the quarry and much of Abergynolwyn village.<ref name=obit>{{cite web |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3319580/3319585/42/ |title=Death of Mr. William McConnell |work=The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard |date=1902-10-17 |access-date=2020-02-10 |publisher=John Askew Roberts, Edward Woodall & Richard Henry Venables |archive-date=9 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809002934/https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3319580/3319585/42/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

From the 1880s onwards the "[[Corris Railway Grand Tour|Grand Tour]]" was a popular option with tourists. This used [[charabanc]]s to link the Talyllyn and Corris railways via Tal-y-llyn Lake and Cadair Idris, returning on [[Cambrian Railways]] trains.<ref>Rolt 1998, pages 24–25</ref> The last two decades of the 19th century saw a decline in the demand for slate and many smaller quarries fell on hard times, including Bryn Eglwys, where by 1890 production had halved to {{convert|4000|long ton}} a year.<ref name=AJR195/> In 1896, production at the [[Penrhyn Quarry]] in north Wales, one of the largest producers of slate, was stopped due to labour disputes, resulting in a temporary increase in demand at other quarries. McConnel expanded production at Bryn Eglwys to take advantage of the sudden demand, but only with the aim of maximising profits during the remainder of his lease, which was to expire in 1910. He built new trial levels without proper provision for the removal of [[overburden]] and pushed the limits of safe working in the existing chambers. As McConnel's lease drew to its close, there was no prospect of a further lessee coming forward and work began on dismantling the quarry's equipment.<ref name=Boyd6572/>

====<span class="anchor" id="Haydn Jones era"></span><span class="anchor" id="1911–1950"></span>Haydn Jones era: 1911–1950====
The Bryn Eglwys quarry was the primary employer in the Abergynolwyn district, so its closure caused significant distress. In 1910, local landowner [[Henry Haydn Jones]] was elected the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Merionethshire|Merioneth]]. He understood the importance of Bryn Eglwys, and at the end of the year he purchased the quarry company for just over £5000.<ref name="Quine Haydn Jones">{{cite news |last=Quine |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Quine |title=The Talyllyn Railway in the late Haydn Jones era |publisher=Heritage Railway |volume=200 |date=March 2015}}</ref> The quarry re-opened in January 1911,<ref name=Boyd6572>Boyd 1965, pages 72–73</ref> though Haydn Jones did not have [[capital (economics)|capital]] to invest in the quarry. The first workings reopened were on the [[Broad Vein]], which yielded relatively hard slate that was less popular and therefore difficult to sell. The lack of an available market for this output forced the quarry to switch to extracting softer slate from the [[Narrow Vein]] but, because Haydn Jones could not afford to open new workings into the Narrow Vein, he resorted to the dangerous practice of narrowing the columns that supported the roofs of the underground chambers. This practice had begun under McConnel's ownership and Haydn Jones continued it throughout his ownership of the quarry.<ref name=Boyd6572/> A brief construction boom after the [[First World War]] saw production return to around {{convert|4000|long ton}} per year.<ref name=AJR195/>

The 1920s also saw an upsurge in holiday traffic, as Britain recovered from the war and tourism gained in popularity. The Talyllyn saw summer passenger numbers grow significantly and regularly had to supplement its formal passenger stock with slate wagons fitted with planks as seats.<ref>Ransom 1996, page 130</ref> An unusual tourist service offered by the railway was to hire a slate wagon, which would be left at Abergynolwyn. At the end of the day the tourists would return to Tywyn in the wagon, powered by [[Gravity railway|gravity]]. This service was discontinued in the early 1930s.<ref>Boyd 1965, pages 116–117</ref> The additional income from the tourist trade defrayed some of the costs of operating the railway, but never enough for it to make a profit during Haydn Jones' ownership.<ref>Rolt 1998, page 21</ref>

The lease on Bryn Eglwys expired in 1942, but was extended on an annual basis. The October 1942 Bradshaw's Guide shows two return passenger trains operating only on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, taking 45 minutes in each direction. No passenger service was provided on other days. Overnight on 26 December 1946, several weakened support columns in the quarry gave way, resulting in a significant collapse; the quarry was deemed unsafe and closed immediately. Haydn Jones had promised to continue operating the railway as long as he was alive and so, despite the closure of the quarry, the railway continued to run trains on a shoestring budget. In 1947 the British railway system was nationalised and the Talyllyn was one of the few operating railways not included. The reasons for this are unclear, but it is significant that all official mention of the railway had ceased several decades before and it is likely that the line was simply forgotten by officialdom.<ref>Boyd 1965, pages 73–74</ref> Between 1947 and 1949 the railway ran a passenger service two days a week. In 1949 Haydn Jones, who owned the [[Aberllefenni Slate Quarry]] purchased 10 tons of rail from the recently lifted Corris Railway.<ref name=Quine>{{cite news |title=Not to be: The sad end of the Corris Railway |publisher=Heritage Railway |volume=220 |last=Quine |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Quine}}</ref> On 2 July 1950 Haydn Jones died and closure of the railway seemed inevitable, but the line continued to operate for the remainder of the summer season, ending on 6 October.<ref>Boyd 1965, page 74</ref>
{{clear}}

===Preservation===
====<span class="anchor" id="Rescue"></span><span class="anchor" id="1951–1960"></span>Rescue: 1951–1960====
[[File:Tal-Y-Llyn Dolgoch Abergwynolwn 1951.jpg|thumb|right|Locomotive No. 2 ''Dolgoch'' at Abergynolwyn in 1951, early in the preservation era|alt=A small steam locomotive stands beside a banked area. On the left hand coal bunker is painted TAL-Y-LLYN RAILWAY. The track is covered with grass, and the rails are barely visible. In the foreground are some disused rails.]]
The author and biographer [[L. T. C. Rolt|Tom Rolt]] visited the line in 1949, along with the locomotive engineer [[David Curwen]].<ref>Potter, page 59</ref> In the summer of 1950, Rolt wrote a letter to the ''[[Birmingham Post]]'' newspaper suggesting that a rescue of the Talyllyn be undertaken. He received sufficient positive response for a meeting of interested enthusiasts to be held on 11 October 1950 at the Imperial Hotel in Birmingham. Around 70&nbsp;people, including [[Patrick Whitehouse]], attended the meeting, with Rolt proposing the formation of a committee to look into the acquisition of the railway. With the support of the meeting, the committee – with Rolt as chairman and Whitehouse as Secretary – met for the first time on 23 October and immediately entered into negotiation with Haydn Jones' executors.<ref>Rolt 1965, pages 52–53</ref>

The transfer of ownership to the committee was legally complex, but both parties agreed that all shares in the railway company would be transferred from Haydn Jones' estate to a new company called Talyllyn Holdings Ltd., whose board consisted of two directors from the executors and two from the committee. The transfer took place on 8 February 1951, at which point the newly formed Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society effectively took control of the railway. The Society immediately began to publicise its efforts, hoping to raise funds and find further volunteers to help reopen the railway, and by May nearly 650&nbsp;members had joined the society.<ref>Rolt 1965, pages 54–55</ref> The railway re-opened under the control of the Society for the first time on the [[Whit Monday]] bank holiday, 14 May 1951,<ref name=Potter78>Potter, page 78</ref> with trains running between Wharf and Rhydyronen stations. Regular trains began to run on 4 June and continued through the summer,<ref>Rolt 1965, page 56</ref> with David Curwen acting as the first Chief Mechanical Engineer.<ref name=Potter78/> One of the volunteers who worked on the railway that month was [[Vic Mitchell]].<ref name=RM0618p33-37>{{cite magazine |title=617 publications so far... |first=Howard |last=Johnston |magazine=The Railway Magazine |date=June 2018 |publisher=Mortons Media Ltd |location=Horncastle |pages=33–37 |issn=0033-8923 }}</ref>

[[File:Towyn - Abergynolwyn train at Dolgoch, 1952 (geograph 5209260).jpg|thumb|left|Locomotive No. 4 ''Edward Thomas'' with a train at Dolgoch in 1952]]

In the early years of preservation, the line struggled to operate using the original rolling stock. When the line was taken over in 1950 ''[[Dolgoch (locomotive)|Dolgoch]]'' was the only operating locomotive and it was apparent that it was in need of a major overhaul. To enable operations to continue, two further steam locomotives, Nos.&nbsp;3 and 4, were purchased from the recently closed Corris Railway in 1951 and named ''[[Sir Haydn (locomotive)|Sir Haydn]]'' and ''[[Edward Thomas (locomotive)|Edward Thomas]]'' respectively. Because both railways were built to the unusual gauge of {{Track gauge|2ft3in}}  it was relatively easy to adapt the Corris locomotives to work on the Talyllyn. No.&nbsp;3 became the first new locomotive to travel on the railway for over 80&nbsp;years in 1951, but it frequently [[Derailment|derailed]], and on inspection it turned out that the Talyllyn track was laid approximately half an inch (13&nbsp;mm) wider than the official gauge, a deliberate policy by the old company to accommodate the long [[wheelbase]] of [[Talyllyn (locomotive)|''Talyllyn'']]. Both ''Talyllyn'' and ''Dolgoch'' had unusually wide wheel treads that allowed them to stay on the wide-of-gauge track. This problem was eventually cured by relaying the railway to its correct gauge and altering ''Talyllyn''{{'}}s trailing wheels to allow them to swivel horizontally, shortening the locomotive's fixed wheelbase.<ref>Boyd 1988, page 260</ref> No.&nbsp;4 was unserviceable when it arrived, but John Alcock,<ref>Rolt 1998, picture facing page 109</ref> the chairman of the [[Hunslet Engine Company]], was a member of the Preservation Society and had No.&nbsp;4 overhauled free of charge at his works.<ref>Johnson 1997, page 57</ref> No.&nbsp;4 then began service on the railway in 1952 and worked the majority of the trains that season.<ref>Rolt 1998, page 132</ref>

Another early addition to the locomotive fleet was No.&nbsp;6 ''[[Douglas (locomotive)|Douglas]]'', donated to the society by the Birmingham engineering firm Abelsons Ltd. This locomotive was built for the [[British military narrow gauge railways|depot railway]] serving [[RAF Calshot]] where it worked until 1945, and, after rebuilding from its original {{Track gauge|2ft|lk=on}}  gauge, it entered service in 1954.<ref>Boyd 1965, pages 99–100</ref> Through the 1950s the volunteers and staff members of the TRPS rebuilt the line and rescued it from its state of decay, during a period characterised by a "[[Boy's Own Paper|''Boy's Own'' comic]] spirit of adventure, involving enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility".<ref>Goddin 2002, page 46</ref>

On 22 May 1957 the [[BBC]] produced a live [[Outside broadcasting|outside broadcast]] from the railway, during which [[Wynford Vaughan Thomas]] and [[Huw Weldon]] commentated on a trip from Dolgoch to Abergynolwyn. The publicity from this broadcast drew substantial numbers of visitors to the railway that summer, with more than 57,500&nbsp;passengers carried, and this increase in revenue in turn enabled the railway to continue to improve its infrastructure and provide tourists with a better experience.<ref>Rolt 1965, pages 61–62</ref> The following year locomotive No.&nbsp;1 ''Talyllyn'' returned to steam after an extensive overhaul.<ref>Mitchell and Eyres, 2005 page 25</ref>

[[File:Guinness loco at NGRM - 2008-03-18.jpg|thumb|right|The Guinness brewery locomotive, the first exhibit donated to the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum|alt=A small green tank steam locomotive of unusual design, number 13, stands in the museum. The power to the wheels comes from a crank-shaft at the upper rear of the locomotive, which is transmitted to the rear wheel via a vertical connecting rod on the right hand side. The rear wheels are connected to the front wheels by a conventional horizontal connecting rod. A plaque on the front of the locomotive reads WILLIAM SPENCE S. GEOCHECANS PATENT, with a final line obscured by a hand rail rising from the front [[buffer beam]].]]
An important development during this period was the establishment of the [[Narrow Gauge Railway Museum]] at Tywyn Wharf station. The first exhibit for what was to become the museum was a locomotive donated in 1952 by [[Diageo|Guinness]] from their recently closed [[St. James's Gate Brewery]] [[Dublin tramways#Guinness Brewery tramways|railway]]. In 1954 the Preservation Society agreed to start work on a formal museum, and exhibits from around the United Kingdom were acquired to form the nucleus of the collection. In 1955 work started on converting the old [[gunpowder magazine|gunpowder store]] at Wharf station into a temporary museum building, and in 1956 the first exhibit arrived at Tywyn.<ref>Rolt 1965, pages 112–114</ref>

====<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>
{{clear}}

====<span class="anchor" id="Extension to Nant Gwernol"></span><span class="anchor" id="1969–1980"></span>Extension to Nant Gwernol: 1969–1980====
[[File:Nant Gwernol station, Talyllyn Railway - geograph.org.uk - 2511203.jpg|thumb|left|[[Nant Gwernol railway station|Nant Gwernol]] station]]
The preservation society had long held ambitions to extend the railway along the former mineral extension from Abergynolwyn to the foot of the Alltwyllt incline, and as early as 1959 work had begun to trace the owners of the land that the extension traversed. Planning began in the mid-1960s, but construction did not start until 1968 when the winding house for the Abergynolwyn village incline was demolished.<ref name=Thomas34>Thomas 2002, page 34</ref> To bring the line up to passenger standards some of the curves needed to be eased, and this required blasting work, as the line runs on a narrow ledge on the hillside at this point.<ref>Bate 2001, page 181</ref> The extension and new station at Nant Gwernol were opened on 22 May 1976 by Wynford Vaughan Thomas who drove in the ceremonial "[[golden spike]]" to complete the extension.<ref>Bate 2001, pages 184–185</ref> Despite this official opening ceremony, minor work still remained to bring the extension to the standard required to run regular passenger trains, but regular train services began on 29 May 1976.<ref>Bate 2001, page 189</ref>

[[File:Nant Gwernol footbridge - 2008-03-18.jpg|thumb|right|The footbridge across the Nant Gwernol]]
Although the extension of the railway was completed in 1976, work in the vicinity continued with the creation of footpaths connecting to the new station. A new footbridge was built crossing the Nant Gwernol gorge and connecting the station with the existing path on the east side of the river. The bridge and paths were opened on 3 May 1980 by [[Gordon Parry, Baron Parry|Lord Parry]], the chairman of the [[Visit Wales|Wales Tourist Board]].<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Railway Times |page=11 |volume=18 |title=Narrow Gauge News-Centre |date=June 1980}}</ref> By the mid-1970s, it had become clear that passenger numbers were no longer increasing. After 1973, the peak year for passengers on the Talyllyn with 186,000&nbsp;passenger journeys made,<ref>Bate 2001, page 169</ref> numbers were to decline consistently until the 1990s.<ref name=Thomas35/> Preliminary work on the conversion of ''Irish Pete'' for use on the Talyllyn, which had begun in the early 1970s, was put on hold in 1975 and the chassis and boiler were put into storage at Pendre.<ref>Bate 2001, page 234</ref>

====<span class="anchor" id="Consolidation"></span><span class="anchor" id="1980–2001"></span>Consolidation: 1980–2001====
[[File:Tom Rolt at Tywyn Wharf - 2005-07-16.jpg|thumb|left|Locomotive No. 7 ''Tom Rolt'' at Tywyn Wharf station]]
With passenger numbers falling and the line extended to Nant Gwernol, the railway entered a period of consolidation. By 1987, the [[boiler]] on locomotive No. 6 ''Douglas'' was life expired and in need of replacement. Consideration was given to reviving the project to build a new locomotive from the components of ''Irish Pete'' instead of purchasing a new boiler for ''Douglas'' and in early 1988 work recommenced on the rebuilding of the ex-Bord na Mona locomotive. A new design for an 0-4-2 side tank locomotive was prepared by the railway's Chief Engineer John Bate, which reused the chassis and boiler from the locomotive with a new superstructure and the addition of trailing wheels, and the new locomotive, officially named ''[[Tom Rolt (locomotive)|Tom Rolt]]'' after the Preservation Society's first chairman, was put into service on 6 May 1991.<ref>Bate 2001, pages 234–237</ref> During this period further expansions of both Tywyn Wharf and Pendre stations were undertaken and Abergynolwyn station, which had been rebuilt as part of the Nant Gwernol extension in the 1970s, was expanded further to provide an additional attraction at the eastern end of the line.<ref name=Thomas35>Thomas 2002, page 35</ref>

One major anomaly remained in the railway's operations: the [[Regulation of Railways Act 1889]] had required, amongst other measures, that all British passenger trains be fitted with [[Brake (railway)#Continuous brakes|continuous brakes]]. McConnel had secured an exemption for the Talyllyn Railway, on the basis that the low speed of operation meant they were unnecessary and that the cost of compliance would bankrupt the enterprise, but by the end of the 1990s the [[HM Railway Inspectorate|Railway Inspectorate]] was insisting that the Talyllyn be brought into compliance with the act, a little over 100&nbsp;years after it had passed. By 2001, the railway had fitted its entire passenger fleet with the necessary equipment, operated by [[Air brake (rail)|air brake pumps]] mounted on the locomotives.<ref name=Thomas35/>

{{clear}}
====<span class="anchor" id="New museum"></span><span class="anchor" id="2001–present"></span>New museum: 2001–present====
The Preservation Society celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2001, and as part of the year of celebrations a major new project was launched to once more extend and improve facilities at Tywyn Wharf station. For many years the station had been home to semi-permanent buildings housing the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, but the new plans for the station included the construction of a new two-storey building to house the museum and the extension of the existing station building to house a new cafe and booking office. Work began on the first phase of the project in January 2002.<ref name=Thomas35/> In 2003 the railway received a £682,500 [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)#Good causes|Heritage Lottery]] grant towards the £1,170,000 cost of redeveloping Wharf station,<ref name=BBC2003>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2847945.stm |title=Facelift for 'Thomas' station |work=BBC News |date=14 March 2003 |access-date=16 March 2008 |archive-date=14 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014220006/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2847945.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> and the new station and museum were officially opened by [[Charles III|Prince Charles]] (later King Charles III) and [[Queen Camilla|Camilla]], then Duchess of Cornwall, on 13 July 2005.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/4679471.stm|title=Royal couple on track at station|work=BBC News|date=13 July 2005|access-date=14 May 2009|archive-date=8 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060308074419/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/4679471.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The railway has seen a steady increase in passengers carried since the turn of the [[3rd millennium|millennium]], with nearly 51,000 passenger bookings and 95,500 passenger journeys recorded in 2006,<ref name=Report2006>{{cite web |title=The annual TRPS Council Meeting report, 2006 |url=http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/internal/arrc-07e |date=26 July 2007 |access-date=3 August 2009 |publisher=Talyllyn Railway Company |author=Robinson, John S |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925183614/http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/internal/arrc-07e |archive-date=25 September 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> although this figure is still only around half the peak figure carried in 1973. In 2011, the railway celebrated 60 years of preservation, and received an [[Engineering Heritage Award]] from the [[Institution of Mechanical Engineers]] in recognition of its importance in Welsh industrial heritage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imeche.org/news/archives/11-10-30/Top_engineering_honour_for_railway_that_helped_inspire_Thomas_the_Tank_Engine.aspx |title=Top engineering honour for railway that helped inspire Thomas the Tank Engine |publisher=Institution of Mechanical Engineers |date=30 October 2011 |access-date=3 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401155246/http://www.imeche.org/news/archives/11-10-30/Top_engineering_honour_for_railway_that_helped_inspire_Thomas_the_Tank_Engine.aspx |archive-date=1 April 2012 }}</ref>

The railway struggled financially for several years after the banking collapse of 2007, but slowly began to recover. In 2008 a large amount of equipment was purchased from the {{Track gauge|2ft6in}} gauge military railway at RNAD Trecwn, including a large quantity of track components and three diesel locomotives. In 2011 the railway celebrated the 60th anniversary of its rescue by the volunteers of 1951.<ref>Drummond 2015, pages 58–59</ref>

In April 2012 locomotive No.2 ''Dolgoch'' appeared at the Steel Steam and Stars Gala at the [[Llangollen Railway]], running on a temporary section of narrow gauge track.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/news/no-2-dolgoch-steam-steel-and-stars-3|title=No 2 Dolgoch at Steam Steel and Stars 3|date=26 April 2012|access-date=26 June 2015|publisher=Talyllyn Railway|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627110804/http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/news/no-2-dolgoch-steam-steel-and-stars-3|archive-date=27 June 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> This was the first time that ''Dolgoch'' had operated away from its home railway in 146 years. In June 2013 the railway was awarded the [[Queen's Award for Voluntary Service]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/news/queen-honours-talyllyn-railway|title=Queen honours Talyllyn Railway|publisher=Heritage Railway Magazine|date=2 June 2013|access-date=21 January 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140121130007/http://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/news/queen-honours-talyllyn-railway|archive-date=21 January 2014}}</ref> 2015 was the 150th anniversary of the official opening of the railway, and this was celebrated with a series of events throughout the year.<ref>Drummond 2015, page 60</ref> In 2021, the Slate Landscape of North-west Wales, which includes the Talyllyn Railway and Bryn Eglwys Quarry, was designated a World Heritage Site.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57986167|title=Wales' slate landscape wins World Heritage status|publisher=BBC News|date=28 July 2021|access-date=28 July 2021|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810014439/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57986167|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.llechi.cymru/slateareas/bryneglwys|title=Bryneglwys Slate Quarry, Abergynolwyn Village and the Talyllyn Railway|publisher=Llechi Cymru|access-date=28 July 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728152907/https://www.llechi.cymru/slateareas/bryneglwys|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
| [[File:TalyllynRailwayV3T1a.ogv|thumb|160px|center|thumbtime=318|A day out – part 1 <br />(recorded 2009)]] || [[File:TalyllynRailwayV3T2.ogv|thumb|160px|thumbtime=99.9|center|A day out – part 2 <br />(recorded 2009)]]
|}