The Talyllyn Railway has won a National Rail Heritage Award for the reconstruction of the original locomotive watering point at Tŷ Dŵr.
The railway was jointly awarded the Hendy and Pendle Trust Volunteers Award by HRH The Duke of Gloucester at a ceremony held in London on 6 December.
The watering point was originally installed when the railway was built in 1865 and transferred water from a nearby waterfall to the site of the railway’s first locomotive shed by a series of troughs supported on slate columns.
This was situated on what was then the mineral extension between Abergynolwyn station and what is now Nant Gwernol station.
When the railway was preserved in 1951 the watering point fell into disuse. In 1954 it was demolished so that the slate could be used to help build a retaining wall following a landslip near Dolgoch. However, it has been a long-held ambition to see it rebuilt.
In 2019 the first steps were taken for the reconstruction. Following a successful appeal, and sponsorship from PTG Tours, local contractors were employed to rebuild the slate columns while volunteers constructed the new water troughs from locally sourced larch.
The reconstructed watering point was then ready for use in March 2022 when locomotive No 4 ‘Edward Thomas’, the last known locomotive to use the old watering point, became the first to use the recreation.
Ian Drummond, chair of the railway’s Heritage Working Group said: “To receive this award is a great honour and a fantastic reward for all those who worked so hard to make this possible.
“Particular credit must go to Mike Christensen who designed the reconstruction and supervised the building, as well to our contractors, Rhys and Tomos of Celtic Masonry.
“Thanks also to all those who contributed to the appeal and to PTG Tours for their sponsorship. It is great to know that a missing piece of our heritage has now been restored.”
It is not intended that regular passenger trains will use the reconstructed watering point, but it will be available for special trains and charters.