Permission to provide volunteer accommodation associated with the “first preserved heritage railway in the world”  is being sought from Gwynedd planners.

Cyngor Gwynedd will consider a proposal to benefit the historic tourist steam railway – Rheilffordd Talyllyn – also known as the Talyllyn Railway at Tywyn.

A full application has been made to Cyngor Gwynedd for a change of use of a five bedroomed property to provide overnight accommodation for volunteers and an office.

The application, for the space associated with the Talyllyn Railway, includes the construction of an extension to form accessible bedroom and office space, along with the formation of parking area.

The property is located next to the Rheilffordd Talyllyn’s Wharf Station on Brynhyfryd Road.

The railway runs for seven miles from Tywyn through Fathew Valley and stops at Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol.

Visit Wales website, claims the the railway “became the world’s first preserved railway in 1951, being run and operated entirely by volunteers”.

The railway was originally built originally to carry slate from the Bryn Eglwys Quarry outside Abergynolwyn to Tywyn Wharf,

Planning documents describe how the proposal seeks planning

permission to develop volunteer accommodation at a house known as Trefri.

They want to add a single-storey extension to property, that would provide an accessible bedroom along with a small office and meeting room.

The applicant has been listed as Nick Broster through agent HPA Architects.

The property is described as being 0.7km from the sea front and 0.4km from Tywyn Station, in the popular seaside town.

The site would be accessed from Brynhyfryd Road, which runs along the railway’s northern boundary.

The proposal seeks to increase the existing four parking spaces, to eight, including a disabled parking bay.

Secure storage for bicycles would also provided in the external store

located to the side of the building, plans say.

Work would include the demolition and replacement of an existing conservatory to provide an ‘improved’ sun-room, upgrading of the existing outbuilding to provide additional accommodation space for railway volunteers, addition of a small single-storey extension to the front of the existing outbuilding to provide an accessible bedroom and accessible access to the ground floor.

It also includes addition of a single-storey extension to the rear of the property to provide space for railway administration office and education / meeting room.

A rearrangement of the internal layout of the existing building will provide “high-quality accommodation for railway volunteers and meet the modern building regulation. A proposed new extension will be single storey and make use of flat green roofs.”

According to its website the Talyllyn Railway is the “first preserved railway in the World, known affectionately as ‘The Railway with a Heart of Gold”.

“It was over 150 years ago, in 1865, that the line opened and in 1951 the Preservation Society was born to take over the railway after the death of the owner Sir Haydn Jones.

“The heritage steam engines transport passengers from Tywyn, the coastal town on the edge of the Eryri National Park, to Nant Gwernol buried deep in the mountains above Abergynolwyn.”

“The journey itself crosses more than seven miles of spectacular scenery within sight of one of Britain’s highest mountains, Cadair Idris.

“The journey takes 55 minutes up the line from Tywyn through the ancient woodlands and meadows of the Fathew Valley. “