Stamps pay tribute to Mid Wales rail workhorse
It has been a "workhorse" all its life – and now its hard work has been repaid.
For the classic locomotive , The Earl W & LLR No 822 , has been immortalised in a new Royal Mail stamp.
The Earl is based at the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway tourist attraction, which runs between Llanfair and Welshpool on the Shropshire border.
It features on an 88p stamp, as part of a Classic Locomotives stamp set, which goes on sale at selected post offices from today.
On the stamp, The Earl can be seen waiting in Union Street, Welshpool, while a car is moved from the line.
The Earl and its sister engine, The Duchess, pull wooden carriages up and down the nine miles of narrow gauge railway between Welshpool and Llanfair Careinion.
The Earl is currently in a workshop a the railway having its axle repaired, but bosses hope it will be ready in time for the grand opening of the line at Easter.
Volunteer and railway fireman, Andrew Charman, said: "We are delighted to be helping Royal Mail launch the stamps and highlight the work that volunteers do to ensure that their history is preserved and enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year."
Classic Locomotives of Wales is the last in a series of four miniature sheets that began in England in 2011 continuing in Scotland in 2012 and Northern Ireland in 2013.
The stamps come in an illustrated presentation pack and Welsh railway historian, David Gwyn, takes a look at Wales's steam railways.
