1946 - 1959: Start of the Wilkins Years

From its rebuild phase, it was completely abandoned during WW11, with much of the track churned up by army tanks through to acquiring the land to "jump" the stream.

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1948: Lister Autotruck 'Whippitquick' in the original station road at Fairbourne, looks like its coupled to a Basset-Lowke 4-wheel carriage, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1948: 4-wheel all steel fully enclosed carriage with sliding doors, Triplex glazing and 8 seats built by Wilkins & Mitchell at Darlaston (J. C. Wilkins main business), from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1949: The original Fairbourne terminus. Lot of detail in this picture - Basset-Lowke 4-wheel carriages, one of the Basset-Lowke glass screen/glass end carriages & at least one wooden-bodied twin-bogie carriage, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1949: The original Fairbourne terminus, from outside the 'top gate' showing the ex Hardwick Manor mock Signal Box that sold ice creams in its original position. Lot of detail in this picture - Basset-Lowke 4-wheel carriages, one of the Basset-Lowke glass screen/glass end carriages & at least one wooden-bodied twin-bogie carriage, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1949: Lister Autotruck 'Gwril' with original steel body, in the original station road at Fairbourne, with a train of Basset-Lowke 4-wheel carriages, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection circa 1950: 'Count Louis' with train of Bassett-Lowke 4-wheel carriages waits to depart from the original Fairbourne terminus - postcard, Bill Hyde collection 1950: ex-Hardwick Manor Railway bogie compartment First Class carriage in its original livery, purchased from the Sutton Miniture Railway, sits in road two of the original Fairbourne terminus, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1950: Original Sir Athur Heywood 'Katie' frame, stripped of everything was dumped at various places around the station until disposed of in 1974, this was how they looked in 1950, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1951: John Charles Wilkins (JC, Johnny, Mr Wilkins or gaffer depending on who you were) drives his beloved 'Count Louis' with a full train toward the Ferry, from book 'Short History of the Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1951: 'Count Louis' crossing Penrhyn Bridge on way to the Ferry (c) J C Wilkins collection 1951: J C Wilkins drives 'Count Louis' and busy train to the Ferry (c) J C Wilkins collection 1951: J C Wilkins driving 'Count Louis' over Penhryn Bridge, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill hyde collection 1951: 'Count Louis' and train of toast rack coaches at the (new) Ferry, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill hyde collection 1951: Fine study of 'Count Louis' at the Ferry. The railway called itself The Fairbourne Miniture Railway at the time, hence the FMR plate on the cab side, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1951: The Passing Loop has been added and 'Dingo' with the articulated open set is on the down train as it passes 'Count Louis' with 7 of the Bassett-Lowke (all of them?) 4-wheel carriages on the up train, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1952: Dingo (original design) & train of the first set of articulated open carriages sit at the Ferry, note platforms not yet built and no Canteen siding, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1953: Canteen coach mk1 with battery wagon (the Canteen had an ice cream fridge inside, the batteries kept it frozen for a day, they were recharged overnight at Fairbourne) at the Ferry, still no actual platforms, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1950's: 'Count Louis' with train of Bassett-Lowke 4-wheel carriages steams away from Fairbourne, an undated postcard - Bill Hyde collection 1953: Rebuilt 'Dingp'with articulatred open carriage set at the Ferry, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection circa 1954: 'Dingo' with ex-Hardwick Manor First Class carriage at the Ferry, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1955: Rebuilt 'Whippitquick' with train consisting of one Bassett-Lowke 4-wheel, one wooden-bodied twin-bogie and the ex-Hardwick Manaor half+half carriage - this was a platform with open seats and a small enclosed section - at the Ferry (still no actual patforms), from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection 1957: 'Count Louis' with ex-Hardwick twin-bogie wooden-bodied carriages & the half+half carriage at the rear waits to leave the new Fairbourne terminus, postacrd - Bill Hyde collection 1958: 'Count Louis' and train of Bassett-Lowke 4-wheel carriages and ex-Hardwick Manor twin-bogie carriages waits to leave the new station. Just visible at the back of the running shed is the Traverser built by S.H Heywood & Co Ltd of Redditch Worcs, which arrived 1958 and was the only way to move the arriving loco from track one to the run round loop, from book 'Short History of Fairbourne Railway' - Bill Hyde collection

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