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Pictures show rural railway at end of age of steam

News imageVernon Parry locomotive in 1964Vernon Parry
Locomotive 7827 Lydham Manor heading south from Lampeter with the morning Carmarthen train on 11 March 1964

Previously unseen photos have been published of the final years of the steam railway around Lampeter, Ceredigion.

Photographer Vernon Parry captured some of the final steam-powered services in the Teifi Valley and the Aberayron Branch between 1963 and 1965.

The photos, published in a new book by David Gowan, show the railway in rural Ceredigion as the age of steam was drawing to a close.

Below is a selection of the images published in the book from Mr Parry's collection of some 5,000 negatives and travel notes.

News imageVernon Parry North-bound goods train at Lampeter in 1964Vernon Parry
North-bound goods train at Lampeter on 10 March 1964
News imageVernon Parry Driver Mr Ben Thomas, Vernon Parry and guard Mr D J Walters at Pont Llanio station and milk depot Vernon Parry
Driver Mr Ben Thomas, Vernon Parry and guard Mr D J Walters at Pont Llanio station and milk depot on 2 April 1965
News imageVernon Parry Train draws into Maesycrugiau Vernon Parry
British Railways standard class 3 number 82009 draws into Maesycrugiau with a southbound train on 10 August 1963
News imageVernon Parry Great Western Railway locomotive passes Llangybi Vernon Parry
Great Western Railway mixed traffic locomotive 6347 passes Llangybi with a goods train to Aberystwyth on 14 August 1963
News imageVernon Parry Pannier tank shunts a milk and goods trainVernon Parry
Two boys watch as Pannier tank 7437 shunts a milk and goods train at Lampeter in August 1963
News imageVernon Parry Railway staff in Aberaeron in 1965Vernon Parry
Railway staff in front of the last train ever to leave Aberaeron on Friday, 2 April 1965
News imageVernon Parry Train approaches the summit of the Aberaeron branch Vernon Parry
The morning milk train from Green Grove approaches the summit of the Aberaeron branch (near the watershed between the Aeron and Teifi valleys) on 11 March 1964
News imageVernon Parry Train leaves Aberaeron in 1965Vernon Parry
The last but one train to leave Aberaeron – photograph taken near Llanerchaeron on 1 April 1965
News imageVernon Parry Steam train leaves milk depot at Pont Llanio Vernon Parry
The last steam train to leave the milk depot at Pont Llanio on 3 April 1965