File:1965-05-01 AGM train b.jpg

The Festiniog Railway Special 1965 is the ninth annual special to run from Paddington in connection with the Annual General Meeting of the Festiniog Railway Society Ltd.

For the institution of this outstanding event in the railway calendar we are indebted primarily to Colonel Nasser, whose nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956 led to the Suez "episode" of the same year, and resulted in a 6 month period of petrol rationing in this country.

Long journeys by road being virtually impossible in March 1957, it was decided to run a train from Paddington, and some 275 members and their friends participated. The train was hauled by a Castle, no. 5040, as far as Wolverhampton, thence by City of Truro to Ruabon, and two "Dukedogs" forward to Minffordd. The 1958 special, made up partly of prototype stock,was hauled throughout from Paddington to Ruabon by City of Truro, thence once again by the "Dukedogs".

Throughout, an effort has always been made to provide attractive, and at the same time significant motive power and in succeeding years the Paddington - Ruabon sections have been hauled as follows -

1959 (The Centenary of the death of Brunel) Loco. no. 5069 "Isambard Kingdom Brunel".

1960 No. 1021 "County of Montgomery", representative of the last G. W. R. -designed express passenger class.

1961 No. 6002 "King William IV", the monarch in whose reign the Festiniog Railway Act was passed (1832).

1962 No. 6000 "King George V".

1963 No. 4472 "Flying Scotsman", acquired by Mr. A. F. Pegler, Chairman of the Festiniog Railway Co., in January 1963.

1964 No. 4079 "Pendennis Castle", the victor of the locomotive exchange of 1925. (Photo Above Right)

It has, in latter years, become traditional to use the popular "Manor" class over the Welsh section of the journey, but unfortunately