This Saturday, 22nd April, the Talyllyn Railway is celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Baguley locomotives No.11 ‘Trecwn’ and No.12 ‘St. Cadfan’ Watching the event from the museum will be our own centenarian Baguley locomotive No.774.
Between February and April 1919, Baguley (Cars) Ltd built six 2ft-gauge petrol locomotives for the Board of Trade, Timber Supply Department, to be used on timber tramways in various parts of the country. The design was by McEwan Pratt & Co. and these engines were the first locomotives built by Baguleys. They were given works numbers 774-779. At 20hp, they were a larger version of the 10hp locomotives previously made by McEwan Pratt.
As the first locomotive, 774 had a celebrity role as it was exhibited at the Commercial Motor Show, London in 1923, followed by the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924.
After an eventful life at Oakeley Slate Quarries in Blaenau Ffestiniog, including being abandoned in a walled up slate shed at the quarry, it was finally preserved in 1966, and was acquired by the museum in 1998.