After a significant length of service, Dafydd Thomas retired from the Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri Board in September 2024. To mark his retirement, a special headboard was made and presented to him during the SuperPower event.

Commemorating Dafydd’s service Ian King, stepping into the role succeeding Dafydd as CRhE Chair said:

“Dafydd retired from the society board at the AGM in September, I doubt very much though that we will be seeing any less of him around the railway indeed relieved of his board duties he may have more “hands on” involvement.

When I was asked to write this I started to ask myself what did Dafydd do? It rapidly became clear it is easier to say what he didn’t do! As part of his retirement we started to compose a list of “Dafydd tasks”, when we got to the second sheet of A4………

According to Companies House Dafydd joined the board on 16^th September 2000 and served just two days under 24 years as a Director, given that the society itself has only existed as a limited company for a couple of months short of 29 years that is quite something. He was Chairman for 14 of those years. I won’t try to say much about that role, I’m learning rapidly myself, but Dafydd brought an astounding combination of energy, patience and determination to the job.

On the railway itself I don’t think Dafydd ever ventured onto the footplate or into the workshops or “passenger facing” jobs. His preferred home is anything to do with permanent way or buildings usually in the company of the legendary Black Hand Gang, a gang famous for its prodigious work output and equally massive appetite for panad a bisgedi!

An exception to not facing the punters is the beer festival, Dafydd can always be relied upon to be in the forefront there but only once he has put the marquee up.

We wish Dafydd a long and happy retirement although I suspect it will long continue to involve shovels, ladders, screwdrivers etc, etc. “