Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Autumn Gala 2019 LYD Becomes LEW & Coach 5 Enters Service

Once again, we were pleased to welcome to her spiritual home, the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway’s locomotive LYD. After unloading, she was transformed into the loco she is a replica of, LEW. When the Southern Railway took ownership of the L&B in 1923, they embarked on an extensive improvement programme for the line. Track replacement, new freight rolling stock and even a new fifth locomotive, LEW. Built, as the originals, by Manning Wardle & Co of Leeds, essentially to the same 1897 design of the original three locos. YEO, EXE & TAW. It’s seen as testament to their modern design of the time that the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway was satisfied to continue with it almost thirty years later. LEW was delivered in July 1925 so was just ten years old when the railway closed on Sunday 29th September 1935, hauling the last train with sister YEO, the first loco to be delivered. Nine coaches packed with more people than had ever been carried on one train. LEW escaped the scrapper’s blowtorc