Great Central Railwayana Auctions

Auction Catalogue: Great Central Railwayana, 3 December 2016

Great Central Railwayana Auction Sale 221, Auction Lot 295
Lot 295 A GWR cabside numberplate, GWR 1198, from a Vale of Rheidol Light Railway 2-4-0T built by Bagnall, Works No 1497, in 1896 to 2ft 3ins gauge for a Brazilian buyer who failed to take delivery. The makers sold it instead to Plynlimon & Hafan Co Ltd where it was named TALYBONT and worked on the Hafan & Talybont Tramway which served Talybont Quarries. It was then acquired by Messrs Pethick Bros, the contractors who built the VofR, and, following alteration to 1ft 11½" gauge, it was added to VofR stock in 1903, the year after the Railway opened, as their No 3 and named RHEIDOL. The Railway was amalgamated with the Cambrian Railways as from 1 July 1913 but its three locos retained their VofR numbers in a separate narrow gauge stock. After the Cambrian was absorbed by the GWR on 1 January 1922 its engines were taken into GWR stock and VofR No 3 became GWR 1198. It was sent to Swindon Works in June 1923 and remained there until withdrawn in July 1924. Cast iron, the front repainted. £1500-2500
 This lot sold for £1250.