A birthday celebration for a steam railway in Wales saw a number of locomotives attend, including the island’s very own ‘Fenella’.

It was the first time it had left the Isle of Man for an event in about 128 years – it arrived in the island in 1894.

Locomotive No 8 Fenella was transported to Wales last week for the celebration on a preserved railway in Welshpool.

It was a ‘Beyer Bash’ 120th birthday event for the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s original engines ‘Earl’ and ‘Countess’.

Both were built in 1902 at the same Beyer Peacock factory in Gorton, Manchester, as many of the Isle of Man’s steam trains.

The event featured a number of stands, including one manned by the Isle of Man Transport and Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters Association where emembers promoted the island’s tourism and heritage transport events.

Also given out were ‘save the date’ cards promoting next year’s Steam Railway 150th anniversary and Manx Electric Railway 130th anniversary events.

July 1, 2023 will see ‘a glorious celebration of 150 years of steam to mark the official anniversary of the opening of the Isle of Man Railway Company Ltd’, 1873’, according to the cards.

Meanwhile, two of the island’s regular working engines, No 10 G H Wood of 1905 and No 12 Hutchinson of 1908, are also currently being overhauled in the UK.