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Steam Festival 2025

Steam train with blue carriages traveling through a wooded area.

Steam Spectacular at the Vale of Rheidol Railway

Unique BR Blue Steam Loco Returns as All Three Rheidol Tanks Star in Festival Line-Up

The Vale of Rheidol Railway will stage one of its most ambitious events to date this autumn, combining historic repaints, intensive services and visiting attractions for an unmissable Steam Festival on 25th & 26th October 2025.

The headline news is the long-awaited return to service of No. 9 “Prince of Wales”, which has been out of traffic since 2020. Fresh from overhaul, it will be unveiled in later BR Corporate Blue lined livery with cab-side double arrow branding – unique in British railway history. No other steam locomotives in the UK – other than the Rheidol tanks – ever authentically carried this bold corporate image, making No. 9’s repaint a true one-off.  It will also be running, for the first time, with it’s air-pump concealed in the water tanks.

All three of the line’s famous Rheidol Tanks wore BR Blue during British Railways ownership, but this is the first time since 1982 that the colour has been seen on the railway – and the first time in preservation. Its return in 2025, during the Railway200 anniversary year, is a fitting way to celebrate both the Vale of Rheidol’s distinctive BR story and 200 years of innovation on Britain’s railways.

Joining No. 9 in action will be:

  • No. 7 “Owain Glyndŵr”, freshly repainted in BR lined green, and reunited with its original nameplates.
  • No. 8 “Llywelyn”, in BR black with lion-holding-wheel crest.
  • The line’s powerful NGG13 Garratt locomotive No. 60 “Drakensberg”, adding further variety to the roster.

For the first time in many years, all three Rheidol Tanks will appear together in authentic BR liveries with their nameplates fitted, recreating the look of the railway in its closing decades as the last steam-only outpost of British Rail.  There will be photo opportunities at the star of each day to be able to get all three Rheidol tanks together – a first for many years!

An Intensive Weekend of Steam

The festival will feature a special intensive timetable, with five departures each day from Aberystwyth.  Multiple locos will be in steam each day, offering enthusiasts the chance to see a rare variety of combinations in service.

Tickets will be issued as Day Rovers, allowing unlimited travel on all services throughout the day – so visitors can make the most of the intensive timetable and sample different locomotives across multiple trips.

If you wish to visit the Engine Shed to see Pete Waterman’s Making Tracks layout, a separate admission ticket will be required for this attraction. Note most of the locomotives normally on display in the Engine Shed will temporarily be moving out to make way for the Making Tracks layout.

At Aberystwyth station, visitors will also be able to take the regulator themselves, with driver experience turns on ‘Wren’, one of the smaller engines – offering a hands-on taste of steam footplate work.  There will also be rare opportunities to ride the footplate of one of the Rheidol tank locos.  Both are now pre-bookable online – click below!

More Than Just the Trains

Complementing the steam action:

  • Pete Waterman’s world-record 208-foot portable model railway, on display in the VOR Museum throughout half term (25th October – 2nd November).  A separate admission ticket applies to the exhibition.
  • Albatross Models – Pop up Model Railway Shop in the Engine Shed
  • A line-up of model road steam engines, adding to the festival atmosphere around the station.

Vale of Rheidol Railway Managing Director, Llyr ap Iolo, said:

“The return of No. 9 to traffic in BR Blue is a landmark moment for the Vale of Rheidol. It’s one of the only three steam locomotives ever to authentically carry this livery, and to see it back in Railway200 year – alongside Nos. 7 and 8 in green and black – makes this festival a real celebration of our unique BR heritage. Add in the Garratt, an intensive timetable and a host of model and road steam exhibits, and it promises to be a true festival of steam in every sense.”

Event Information

  • Steam Festival: Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th October 2025
  • Pete Waterman’s Model Railway: Saturday 25th October – Sunday 2nd November 2025
  • Location: Vale of Rheidol Railway, Aberystwyth
  • Tickets: www.vor.wales

Timetable

Timetable for Vale of Rheidol Railway Steam Festival 2025 with train timings and event details.

 

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