Vale of Rheidol Railway completes Brecon Mountain Railway acquisition

The Vale of Rheidol Railway has completed its acquisition of the Brecon Mountain Railway, bringing together two of Wales’ narrow gauge railways. The two railways had previously operated under a unified management between 1988 and 1996, but the two businesses separated. Tony Hills took responsibility for the Brecon Mountain Railway, while Peter Rampton continued developing the Vale of Rheidol Railway. Tony Hills sadly passed away in 2015 but helped to establish the Brecon Mountain Railway, which runs on part of the former Brecon and Merthyr Railway trackbed. The line runs with American-inspired locomotives and coaches. Peter Rampton passed away in 2019 but developed the Vale of Rheidol Railway into what it is today. This acquisition lets the two railways share engineering knowledge and facilities, especially with a heavy investment into facilities at Aberystwyth – and of course the famous Collection X. Both railways will keep their identities and locomotive fleets. “For those of us who knew and worked with Peter Rampton and Tony Hills, this is a particularly significant moment.“They were two remarkable railwaymen who shared a passion for narrow-gauge railways, each with a clear vision for what their railway could become. Having worked alongside them for more than 30 years, I feel privileged that we now have the opportunity to bring the two operations back together and continue the work they started.“Tony’s vision for an American-style narrow-gauge railway at Brecon is something we are committed to preserving and developing, alongside Peter’s legacy at the Vale of Rheidol.“There is an enormous amount of knowledge and experience within both railways. Bringing our teams Vale of Rheidol Railway Chief Executive Llŷr ap Iolo together creates opportunities to share that expertise, particularly in engineering, maintenance and restoration, while retaining the character that makes each railway special.”