Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway No. 1 ''The Earl'' and No. 2 ''Countess'' are

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

steam locomotives. They were built by Beyer Peacock & Co. Ltd. at the Gorton Foundry,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

in 1902. They were delivered new to the

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) ( cy, Rheilffordd y Trallwng a Llanfair Caereinion) is a narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is around long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool ( cy, Y Trallwng) ...

in 1902, as No.1 The Earl and No.2 The Countess, where they continue to run today.

History

Original Operations

'The Countess' at Castle Caereinion - geograph

The gauge Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway was opened on 4 April 1903 to aid economic development in a remote area, never making a profit. It was originally operated by the Cambrian Railways, connecting with it at the former Oswestry and Newtown Railway station in the town of Welshpool. The line was built through difficult country, having a great number of curves in order to reach the summit of . This meant that the engines had to be built to a compact and sturdy design capable of handling trains on the steep gradients. The engines built to these specifications were No.1 ''The Earl'' and No.2 ''The Countess.'' They were both delivered new, to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. The locomotives were named in honour of the

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...

and

Countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

of Powys as the Earl did much to support the construction of the railway. In the Great Western era, ''The Countess'' had its name shortened to ''Countess.'' ''The Earl'' and ''Countess'' ran the line from 1903 until closure of the railway in 1956. The engines were overhauled at Oswestry Works and were sent there on closure of the railway.

Preservation

By 1959, negotiations had begun with British Railways and the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Company had leased the line from British Railways by the end of 1962. On 28 July 1961, The Earl returned after storage and overhaul at Oswestry Works, with Countess following not long after. They have continued to work on the line ever since.

Design

The two locomotives are almost identical engines with side tanks and

Walschaerts valve gear The Walschaerts valve gear is a type of valve gear used to regulate the flow of steam to the pistons in steam locomotives, invented by Belgian railway engineer Egide Walschaerts in 1844. The gear is sometimes named without the final "s", since it ...

. During their lifetime they have had many modifications, particularly after the takeover of the Great Western. During this period they were fitted with a larger cab, handles on the smokebox door, rather than the original wheel, a larger dome, a much larger and more sophisticated safety valve and two different funnels. They were painted in Great Western green. When taken over by British Railways, their shunting bells and chopper couplings were removed, and were repainted black. From 1997 to 2001, the locomotives were fully overhauled at Llanfair, which included the fitting of new boilers and cylinders. They are currently the same design as the BR era, but have been worn different liveries in preservation. Currently, ''The Earl'' is BR condition and ''Countess'' in Great Western livery. {{GWR Locomotives Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Individual locomotives of Great Britain Preserved narrow gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain 0-6-0T locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1902 Beyer, Peacock locomotives 2 ft 6 in gauge locomotives