Llangollen Railway has announced a special Bonus Day of Steam on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, to accompany the Charles Beyer Legacy Day commemorations across the Dee Valley.

The programme will include commemorative services at St Collen’s Church and Llantysilio Church, a steam-hauled journey through the valley, the unveiling of an Institution of Civil Engineers commemorative plaque at Berwyn Station, and a procession across the historic Chain Bridge to Beyer’s final resting place.

The commemorations will conclude with a reception at Llantysilio Hall, the country house rebuilt by Charles Beyer, where he spent his final years.

Beyer, co-founder of Beyer, Peacock & Company in Manchester, was among the most significant railway engineers and industrialists of the nineteenth century. The firm became internationally recognised for exporting locomotives across Britain, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, including engines for the Great Western Railway and pioneering designs for the Metropolitan Railway, the world’s first underground railway.

Although closely associated with Manchester, Beyer developed strong ties to Wales after purchasing the 700-acre Llantysilio estate near Llangollen in 1867. He died at Llantysilio Hall on 2 June 1876 and was buried beside the church overlooking the Dee Valley.

As part of the 150th-anniversary commemorations, visitors will be able to enjoy unlimited travel throughout the day aboard Great Western Railway Heavy Freight locomotive No. 3802, with discounted rover tickets available across the railway.

The 2-8-0 locomotive, normally associated with freight duties, will haul passenger services through the valley during the event. A specially commissioned Charles Beyer locomotive headboard, produced jointly by the Llangollen Railway and East Lancashire Railway, will also be carried by the train.

Ticket prices:

Adult Day Rover: £20

Child Day Rover: £5

Dogs: £3

“We wanted to ensure that everybody could be part of the Charles Beyer Legacy Day, whether attending the commemorative events themselves or simply travelling by steam to celebrate the life and legacy of one of the great figures in railway engineering.

“No. 3802 is a magnificent locomotive and feels a very fitting engine to lead our services on such an important occasion. The reduced fares are designed to make the day accessible and encourage as many people as possible to join us.”

David Hennigan, Trust Manager of the Llangollen and Corwen Railway.