A locomotive from Talyllyn Railway in Mid Wales nearly stole the show at the RAF Cosford Air Display on Sunday.
Locomotive No.6 ‘Douglas’ was attending the show as part of its and the Royal Air Force’s centenary celebrations and it proved a great hit with visitors.
The locomotive was once owned by the RAF and is believed to be the only working piece of RAF equipment that dates to the foundation of the organisation in April 1918. This led to the invitation for it to attend Cosford Air Show, which this year was a special celebration of the RAF centenary.
(Photo: Ian Drummond)
Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society chairman, Ian Drummond, said: ‘We knew we were going to be busy during the day, as they had sold over 50,000 tickets for the event, but we didn’t know how busy.
“Just after 7am we were informed that they had opened the gates because of the queues and the fun began. For the next five hours it was manic with people wanting photos, taking timetables and asking for further information.
“This calmed down when the flying display started, but still there was a steady stream of people throughout the afternoon. A lot of people seemed keen on coming to see ‘Douglas’ in action in Tywyn and we hope this will bring additional visitors into the area.
“While No.6 couldn’t match the aerobatic skills of the Red Arrows, it nonetheless provided something different to anything else at the show. The organisers were delighted with the response, saying it was one of the most popular items on display.”
The locomotive was transported to the show by low-loader on the Friday preceding the event and returned to Tywyn the day after. It was then back in service hauling passenger trains only a few days later.
