| With the end of steam on the main line in 1968, many of us turned our attention to the narrow guage lines, many of them in Wales of course. The original Welsh lines were all originally built as industrial railways, mostly linked to slate quarrying. Passenger services came as an afterthought, but increased in importance during the 1930s with the decline in the slate industry.
The second world war killed off some lines and those that did survive were in a parlous condition. The growth of mass tourism and the preservation movement have saved what we have now, and indeed new lines have appeared like the Brecon Mountain. Like it or not, the ability of tourists to get to these lines in their cars will ensure their survival. All have thier own individuality which adds to the charm. |
The Bala Lake Railway is a 60 cm gauge line built on the trackbed of part of the former standard guage Ruabon to Barmouth line. "Maid Marion" is a former Dinorwic Quaryy engine which is now used on this line 900x599 BalaLake_MaidMarion_7-8-87_a.jpg |
This view shows Hunslet loco "Maid Marian" at the terminus of the line at Llanuwchllyn, at the south end of the lake. The origins of the line as a standard guage raiwlay are immediately obvious 900x609 BalaLake_MaidMarion_7-8-87_b.jpg |
The Beer Heights Light Railway is a 7.25 inch gauge line which runs in the grounds of Pecorama at Beer, near Seaton in Devon. For such a short 1 mile line, there is quite avariety of motive power, which includes this 0-4-2ST loco built in Coventry in 1979, and which is based on the Hunslet quarry locos built for many North Wales lines 900x639 BeerHeights_24-9-81.jpg |
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The Brecon Mountain Railway has been built on part of the trackbed of the former Brecon and Merthyr Railway. This German built loco carried the name "Graf-Schwerin-Loewitz" in this view at the Pant terminus on 16 September 1997 900x623 Brecon_2_Pant_16-9-97_a.jpg |
Another view of the German locomotive at Pant on 16 September 1997. A local TV crew were filming at the location that day 900x624 Brecon_2_Pant_16-9-97_b.jpg |
The Fairbourne railway has had mixed fortunes over the years, but in recent years it has been totally rebulit as a 12.5 inch gauge line. Motive power is now rpovided by four steam lococs, all of which are half-size replicas of orginals. "Beddgelert" seen at the Fairbourne terminus on 1 June 1995, is a replica of a 0-6-4ST loco built for the North Wales Narrow Guage Railways and was built in 1979/80 900x599 Fairbourne_Beddgelert_1-6-95.jpg |
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The Fairbourne Railway was built as a 15 inch gauge line linking Fairbourne village with Penrhyn Point opposite Barmouth. In the 1970s motive power included this attqarctive 2-4-2 tender locomotive "Sian" seen here at Penrhyn Point on 18 May 1974 900x599 Fairbourne_Sian_28-5-74.jpg |
The ground frame at Porthmadog Harbour station frames Fairlie "Earl of Merioneth" on 27 August 1989 900x574 Festiniog_EarlofMerioneth_Portmadoc_27-8-89.jpg |
The Festiniog Railway built what was in effect a brand new double Fairlie locomotive which entered service in 1979. "Earl of Merioneth" was seen here at Tan-y-Grisiau which was the temporary terminus in 1981 pending final re-opening to Blenau Ffestiniog 900x586 Festiniog_EarlofMerioneth_Tanygrisiau_26-5-81.jpg |
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Blenau Ffestiniog was finally reached in 1982, and here we seen the second of the former Penrhyn lcocs, "Linda" running round its train on 1 June 1982 900x567 Festiniog_Linda_BlenauFfestiniog_1-6-82.jpg |
Festiniog's double Fairlie "Merddin Emrys" was the sole represenative of this type when I got this shot at the entrance to Boston Lodge shed on 26 May 1974 900x570 Festiniog_MerddinEmrys_BostonLodge_26-5-74.jpg |
Double Fairlie "Merddin Emrys" at Porthmadog Harbour on 28 May 1977 900x577 Festiniog_MerddinEmrys_Portmadoc_28-5-77.jpg |
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The Festiniog Railway's most unusual engine is probably this American built 2-6-2T "Mountaineer". It was built by ALCO in New Jersey in 1917 for use by the British Army in France. It remained in France until 1964 when it was brought to the United Kingdom and eventually found its way onto the Festiniog in 1967. On 26 May 1974 it was at the head of a train at Porthmadog Harbour with the station building extension taking place in the background 900x586 Festiniog_Mountaineer_Portmadoc_26-5-74.jpg |
The first steam locos on the 60cm guage Festiniog Railway were the England 0-4-0ST types the first of which was bult in 1863. The operational survivor, much rebuilt over the years is "Prince" seen here at Porthmadog on 2 September 1989 900x569 Festiniog_Prince_Portmadoc_2-9-89.jpg |
One of the two former Penrhyn Quarry saddle tanks now operating on the Festiniog Railway seen at Dduallt on 22 June 1969. At that time the line had only just been extended to this point from Tan-y-Bwlch 900x597 Festioniog_Blanche_Dduallt_22-6-69.jpg |
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The Llanberis Lake line was built on te former trackbed of the Padarn Railway which was a 4 foot guage line which connected the slate quarries with Port Dinorwic on the coast. The new line was built to 60 cm gauge and used this former quarry engine "Dolbadarn" for motive power, as seen here at Cei Llyddan on 29 May 1977 900x564 LlanberisLake_Dolbadarn_CeiLlyddan_29-5-77.jpg |
"Dolbadarn" taking water at Gilfach Ddu on 27 May 1974. In the working lives these tiny engines operated high on the mountain side up in the slate galleries, and were brought down to the depot by incline for maintenance 900x584 LlanberisLake_Dolbadarn_GilfachDdu_27-5-74.jpg |
