THE Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) has awarded an £18,000 restoration grant to the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway to help return its 1906-built Avonside 0-4-0ST Desmond to steam.
Restoration of the former Orb Steelworks locomotive will give the L&MMR its first operational steam presence at its Cynheidre base, near Llanelli.
To date the railway has spent more than £70,000 on restoring Desmond, including £50,000 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund. Much of the work was carried out at the Llangollen Railway.
The loco transferred to the Flour Mill Workshops in the Forest of Dean on September 23, where an assessment of outstanding work required to complete the restoration will be carried out.
The hope is to have the loco back in steam as soon as possible.