Retired railwaymen John Hurst and John (Bach) Roberts have met for the first time in 60 years.

The pair met in Bala.

John Hurst, 83, was the last station master at Bala up until it closed on 18 January 1965. Not only was he the last, he was the youngest station master anywhere in the UK at just 21 years old. It is where he met his wife Gwen.

John Bach 91, joined the railway at Llanuwchllyn in 1947 when it was still the Great Western Railway. He was relief signalman on the Ruabon-Barmouth line as well as the line from Bala to Blaenau Ffestiniog and over the years worked all of the signal boxes. In 1965 he transferred to Ruabon and later Shrewsbury before returning home to Bala to become a postman. He was an avid photographer and has an extensive record of life on the railways at that time.

A photo taken by John (Bach) Roberts of John Hurst standing beside loco 7802 “Bradley Manor” at Shrewsbury station on Sunday 17th January 1965 on the Stephenson Loco Society excursion departing for Welshpool for the last passenger train to Oswestry and Whitchurch before closure of the line the following day
A photo taken by John (Bach) Roberts of John Hurst standing beside loco 7802 “Bradley Manor” at Shrewsbury station on Sunday 17th January 1965 on the Stephenson Loco Society excursion departing for Welshpool for the last passenger train to Oswestry and Whitchurch before closure of the line the following day (Picture supplied)