IF you went down to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Station last weekend, then you were sure of a big surprise.

Teddy bears of all shapes and sizes and their owners hopped on board the popular Mid Wales tourist attraction for the Teddy Bears Weekend.

Youngsters from far and wide brought their favourite furry friends to the railway line on September 15 and 16.

Along the line there were teddy bears to spot, while the railway’s own Big Ted was also on hand to meet the little passengers and their teddies, to pose for pictures.

“It went very well - lots of happy children and their teddies!” a Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway spokesperson said.

“Big Ted would like to say thank you for visiting this weekend.”

Big Ted and his teddy bear friends joined Station Master, John Brinkley and train driver Keith Bide for a fun-filled weekend on a specially decorated train filled with cuddly toys.

Train enthusiasts will also have their last chance in 2018 to travel back in time on the Llanfair Line’s Vintage Train this weekend.

The popular vintage trains are mixed workings, combining one of the railway’s original Beyer Peacock 0-6-0T locomotives with recreated Pickering bogie carriages and heritage freight stock.

These trains provide much interest for visitors at each end of the line as quite a lot of shunting of the stock has to take place to ensure the vacuum-brake fitted passenger vehicles are rostered next to the locomotive, this is important due to the line’s steep gradients.

Mixed trains travelling to Welshpool will stop at Sylfaen summit, around two miles from their destination, to have their brakes pinned down before descending the challenging Golfa Bank. where the ruling gradient is 1 in 29.

“The Vintage Trains offer an opportunity to really experience the railway as it would have been in its earliest Edwardian times, while the shunting operations at each end of the journey provides much of interest to railway enthusiasts.” said Llanfair Line spokesman Andrew Charman.

The vintage trains run on September 22 and 23.

, with two round trips leaving from Llanfair Caereinion at 11.10 and 14.45. Normal service trains also operate on these days – the railway is operating throughout September except on Mondays and Fridays, while the tearoom at Llanfair Caereinion is open every day.