04/06/2026
🚂 Help Us Bring 5532 Back to Steam for Its 100th Birthday 🚂
Today, we visited Tyseley to see the incredible progress being made on locomotive 5532 as restoration work gathers pace. We caught up with Pete and the team as work continued on this remarkable piece of railway history.
Back in 1987, 5532 was rescued from the famous Barry scrapyard. Time had taken its toll, but beneath the rust and years of silence remained the unmistakable character and elegance of a proud Great Western prairie tank engine. She was brought home to Llangollen not simply for what she was, but for what she could become once again.
For more than 30 years, volunteers have dedicated thousands of hours to her restoration. Frames, wheels, cab and countless fittings have all been painstakingly restored or rebuilt, with much of the hardest work now complete.
5532 belongs on the Llangollen and Corwen Railway. Built perfectly for heritage services through the stunning Dee Valley, she was made for journeys between Llangollen and Corwen, steaming through the hills once more at the head of our trains.
The goal is now within reach: to see 5532 back in steam in 2028, exactly 100 years after she first entered service. This is a deadline we can hit, but only with your help.
Just imagine how special it would be to witness this beautiful locomotive celebrating her centenary in the place she now calls home, alive once again for future generations to enjoy.
We are now into the final fundraising push, and every donation, large or small, will help make that moment a reality.
Please support the appeal here:
https://www.justgiving.com/charity/lrgwlg
Together, we can make sure 5532 steams again for its 100th birthday 🚂