Coronavirus: Steam train lover's marathon railway challenge

There have been plenty of memorable charity fundraisers during the lockdown - but one steam railway lover has taken it to a whole new level.

Ellis Morey has done 77 laps - 26 miles (41km) - around a miniature railway on an hand-cranked train.

His challenge was to raise funds for heritage steam railways, as some fear closure due to the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis.

The 25-year-old's "uncomfortable yet unique" challenge took seven hours.

Ellis, a 6ft 3in (1.9m) youth charity worker who also volunteers at three steam railways, squeezed onto an old American-made children's hand-crank train on a miniature railway on Anglesey.

"I don't feel too bad afterwards," he said.

"I'm a little tired with a bit of back pain, but on the whole fine."

The seven-and-a-quarter inch (18cm) track is in a two-acre (0.8ha) back garden of a fellow railway enthusiast.

It is where Ellis, whose father and grandfather both worked on the railways, is spending lockdown.

As others have been bingeing on TV, attempting to home-school children or doing DIY, Ellis has been stripping back steam locomotives, updating signalling systems and doing track maintenance on family friend John Davies's private track.

Now he will board the hand crank for his charity mission and raise awareness for struggling steam railways, pointing out their importance on local economies.

"Heritage railways are an important part of the British culture and are part of Wales' DNA too," he said.

"They provide so many benefits for their local areas and in 2014 were estimated to bring in £250m to the UK's leisure economy - as well as being a great source of employment and skill development.

"Sadly due to lockdown, railways are beginning to struggle as they spend a vast amount of money in the winter on maintenance and expect to have a return in the summer with passengers and events."

As well as raising awareness for steam heritage railways hit by the coronavirus crisis, Ellis, from Caernarfon, wants to raise funds for three lines where he has "happy memories".

The Llangollen Railway in Denbighshire has already warned it may not reopen without financial support, while the Vale of Rheidol line between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge in Ceredigion was the last remaining steam-operated line on the British Rail network.

Ellis also wants to support the historic Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in west Yorkshire which provided the backdrop to the classic film The Railway Children.

The 26-mile challenge was the length of Ellis' three favourite lines combined - and he has raised £1,000 of his £3,000 target.

"Dad and Grandad worked on the railways and I've had trains in my blood since I can remember," said Ellis.

He did the challenge where Ellis first started learning about railway maintenance - in the back garden of John Davies.

"We've been friends since I was 11 when he started teaching me about the engineering behind it all," said Ellis.

"We've been doing the essential upkeep work on his miniature railway during lockdown but I also wanted to something for the railways I love - and that are so important to the economy and history of this country.

"John had a hand crank in the shed and I thought 'that's it'. It'll be hard and uncomfortable but I thought it's unique and quirky enough that people would support me."