Follow this link for pictures of the May 2001 celebrations

WHAT'S NEW AT RHYL MINIATURE RAILWAY, MARCH 2001

The 2000 season was a successful one, trains being operated by the small volunteer team. Much time was spent on track maintenance; this work is largely invisible but the number of new sleepers we have put in is now just starting to show! Clara our passenger diesel broke her drive shaft just at the start of the main season, but our new Lister locomotive deputised capably until repairs were completed.

Our neighbour the North Wales main line still operated with Mk1 coaches and Class 37 power, following slow delivery of the replacement 'Coradia' units.

	2000 also represented the end of an era for us, since from 2001 train operations will be taken over by the Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust.
	During 2000 Justin decided that the KD1 (our 'Advanced Passenger Train') had lain dormant for too long. On August Bank Holiday 2000 it was pulled outside by the Lister. Following electrical repairs it has since run under its own power, and work is in progress to restore it for passenger work once again.

Winter 2000/2001 has been the busiest closed season for the railway in recent times:

1 Formation of The Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust, together with our application for charitable status.

2 Joan was washed out, pipework dismantled, and injectors sent away for repairs to the clack valve faces. A new smokebox inner liner was made and fitted. She has just (March 2001) been reassembled and steam tested, in preparation for boiler inspection.

3 The fourth Milnes coach, which had been disused for some years, was dusted down and repaired with a new seat (donated by Windmill Farm Railway). All four coaches have been repainted, as has the Lister locomotive.

4 Three small vehicles were purchased from Bredgar in Kent, together with various bits. One is a ballast wagon, whilst the two frames and bogies should provide the basis for ' Cagney' look-alike coaches.

5 Having seen that we had two spare Milnes bogies, Justin decided to make a fifth Milnes - style coach, the underframe of which is now complete. Once finished it should give us capacity to withdraw our 'heritage' coaches in turn, when they require more fundamental repairs.

6 Now we are looking forward to having locomotives John and Effie join us for our special day on Saturday 5th May. This will mark the ninetieth anniversary of the railway's opening.

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