The Llangollen and Corwen Railway plans to welcome the school summer holidays with a special “Steam into Summer” event, with two of its Great Western Railway (GWR) steam engines.

Timed to coincide with the start of the summer holidays, and held on Saturday, 18th July, it will feature five return services stopping at all stations between Llangollen and Corwen. Special Day Ranger Tickets costing £30 when purchased online will allow passengers to experience nostalgic steam travel, while they can hop on and off trains as they wish. Tickets for accompanied children cost just £6.

The two locomotives working that day will be Great Western Railway 0-6-0 Pannier Tank No. 7754, which spent most of its BR days working from Wellington in Shropshire until being withdrawn in 1959 and sold to the National Coal Board (NCB) for use at Talywain Colliery and Mountain Ash in South Wales. It has since been restored to full working order and painted in a traditional Great Western livery.

The second locomotive is GWR Heavy Freight 2-8-0 No. 3802, which will make an unforgettable sight steaming along the picturesque Dee Valley.

The café at Llangollen Railway Station will be open for the sale of breakfasts and refreshments, and will also launch its new Summer Menu.

Two weeks after “Steam into Summer”, a major event in the railway’s calendar will be the much-anticipated 1960s Weekend on Saturday, 1st and Sunday, 2nd August, when the railway will recreate the golden age of British Railways, with heritage traction, a vintage atmosphere, and music and period displays along the line.

Visitors can also enjoy a traditional Afternoon Tea in a beautifully restored heritage carriage at Llangollen station, with views from the carriage of the stunning River Dee, a historic bridge, a famous Corn Mill, and the spectacular ruins of Castell Dinas Brân.

Last Saturday, 6th June, as part of a volunteer recruitment event, local residents enjoyed free travel for the day, and could find out what goes on behind the scenes.