Thomas the Tank Engine steam train gets historic makeover

A section of the Talyllyn line. <span class="media-attribution">Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bods/14689908117" target="_blank" rel="external">Andrew Bowden</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/uk/" target="_blank" rel="external">CC BY-SA 2.0</a></span>

The railway that inspired Thomas the Tank Engine is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a historic makeover. The Talyllyn line, near Snowdonia in north Wales, was originally built to carry slate from mines to the coast, but its steam trains are now a tourist attraction. The original two locomotives have been repainted ‘Indian Red’, as they were in the 1860s. The line is believed to be the world’s first preserved railway - it was saved from redevelopment by volunteers in 1951. Read more: bbc.co.uk

James Smart