Seeing Double

Another Talyllyn gala weekend.   We're celebrating the 100th  birthday of loco No 4, Edward Thomas, named after the line's general manager in the decades leading up to preservation in 1950.   The loco was bought, along with another loco for £25  each, from British Railways who had taken over the nearby Corris Railway before it's closure in 1947.   Saved from scrap by a former Corris employee, they offered a lifeline to the Talyllyn in the early preservation years when the railways original locos were unserviceable.   Now the Corris Railway is slowly being revived although much of it's trackbed has been encroached on by a trunk road adjacent - along which the Tour of Britain cyclists were  seen  this week.   The Corris has had a replica loco built and for this celebration, their engine is visiting the Talyllyn.   Here the two 'twins' are seen double heading an enthusiasts special at Wharf this evening.    They'll be working together during the day tomorrow too if you're in the area.

If it's a gala weekend, I'll likely have cafe work and this weekend I am in charge at Aber Cafe, the Quarryman's Caban, both days.   Great fun and something of a blast from the past being in charge of a small team - an experienced pensioner and two youngsters in their early teen in this case.   With a wedding at the station today there was a lot going on which with full trains ensure we were busy all day.   I cleaned at Wharf after, making it a ten hour shift - another blast from the past.   Same again tomorrow.

This was pretty much my day but as an aperitif I collected a fridge and freezer for Jamie from a house near the seafront who were having a clearout. £50 the pair - just like those two locos seventy one years earlier.   In a happy postscript, when I returned to collect the freezer the lady pushed Jamie's money into my hand and said to tell him to use it to fill the two.  Such kindness and she's been in touch since to ask if there's anything else he needs.    The world's news may often be depressing but we should make more of the news that there are a lot of good people in it!