Llangollen - Steaming along

Just a few showers today, and we have seen the sun, hooray! So we have been on a train ride through the lovely Dee valley from Llangollen to Carrog.

Last year I think the trains running were not hauled by steam, or running only at weekends, that would explain why we didn't have a ride. Being just a month earlier this year, steam engines are running all week long. 

The Great Western Railway Locomotive no. 7822 Foxcote Manor is a 4-6-0-Manor Class built in 1950 at the Swindon Works.

The railway follows the river Dee for 7.5 miles through the hills up to Carrog. 

The style of the train, stations and guard's uniform is 1950's, but not sure about the orange jacket!

One of the stations along the way is Glyndyfrdwy, only in Wales could you have such a name with no vowels. Apparently it is pronounced glyn-dove-dwee, easy really!

Guard just checking no-one is leaning out of the window, oh dear think I was spotted!

Time for a sandwich before changing ends. 

Looking over the road bridge at Carrog as the loco reverses up to make the return journey.

Great Western Railway benches at Llangollen station.

We have also walked along the far end of the canal from the basin terminus up to Horseshoe Falls, where the river Dee feeds into the canal.

This photo was taken today

compared to October last year

With all the rain we have had in the last few days let alone all summer, the levels are higher and more obviously in the photos, much more turbulent.  It is very dramatic and lovely to see, when safely on the bank.

A lot of debris has got caught up on the way over Telfords horseshoe shaped weir. Most of the water is sent on down the river, but 12 million gallons a day is fed into the canal and travels the length of the Llangollen to the reservoir at Hurleston at the junction with the Shropshire Union.

river Dee through Llangollen

the calm and tranquility of Llangollen canal in comparison.

So this has been our Llangollen home, a lovely mooring in the basin, with plenty of grass, shrubs and trees around, rabbits playing just outside our windows, and hills in the distance all around us. What a grand place to be.