February 26, 2026 - 190 views
The Llangollen and Corwen Railway is set to get a taste of Yorkshire in North Wales!
The popular Heritage Railway is delighted to announce that their Railcar Department have, via their sister charity Llangollen Railcars, secured a rare and interesting Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) to bolster their fleet following the withdrawal of our much-loved Class 104 last year.
The only remaining three-car Class 110 will soon be joining the Railway’s fleet. Built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company in 1961, the 110 was designed to work on the steeply graded lines in and around West Yorkshire, earning them the moniker of ‘Calder Valley’ units.
Utilising Rolls-Royce engines, the class had a higher power to weight ratio than similar railcars of the era, making the 110 also well suited to working on the railway’s steeply graded line, including the fearsome 2.5 mile, 1 in 80 Berwyn Bank.
This unit is not a stranger to the railway, visiting in two-car configuration for their 2018 Railcar Gala - where it proved both popular and capable.
Comprising power car numbers 51813 and 51842 and centre trailer number 59701, the unit gave 29 years of reliable BR service before being withdrawn in 1990. It has now been in preservation even longer than this and has seen service on both the East Lancashire and Wensleydale Railways.
The Calder Valley Railcar is expected to arrive by road at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway imminently, and the team will immediately start work on an interior and exterior refresh, and a full mechanical inspection, with the aim of having the first vehicle back in service by Summer 2026.
John Joyce, Head of the Railcar Department said, “We’re very pleased to have the 110 coming back as a resident member of our fleet. One of our dedicated team of volunteers is particularly looking forward to being reunited with it, having spent many of the early years of his career working on maintaining it for British Rail before moving on through more technical roles.
“Our other members are also familiar with the class after two of the cars visited our line in 2018 for our Railcar Gala. It’s not very often you can say you’re being moved by Rolls-Royce power, and the 110 has four Rolls-Royce diesel engines delivering some 720hp. Progress towards Corwen and accelerating up to our line speed of 25mph will be swift!”
Tez Pickthall, Press Officer for the Railway added, “It really is great that John and his team have secured the 110. I can remember riding on these distinctive railcars as a kid around the North-West. You could always tell when a Calder Valley was coming from their distinctive and large trapezoidal front windows.
“If you could get a seat at the front, they always offered a great view of the line ahead and the driver at work. I also used to love sitting at the back and watching the railway and countryside pass by. Most of our midweek services are handled by railcars and they are getting more and more popular.
“Having a three-car set like this will bring us more capacity. This is also an excellent opportunity to remind everyone that tickets are already on sale for our Heritage Railcar Gala on 17th and 18th October 2026, where at least one of the 110's vehicles should be playing a starring role alongside our varied and interesting home fleet of historic railcars.”
Tickets and more information can be found by visiting: https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/heritage-railcar-gala/
