Vale of Rheidol Railway

In a nutshell

Gauge:       1' 11¾" 

Length:      11¾ miles

Opened:     1902

Location:    

        Vale of Rheidol Railway,
        Park Avenue,
        Aberystwyth,
        Ceredigion,
        SY23 1PG

View Narrow Gauge Railways in a larger map  

Web:      http://www.rheidolrailway.co.uk/index.htm

Email:   info@rheidolrailway.co.uk

 

Date of visit:     30 August 2012

 

Key Facts

•  The main purpose for the railway when it was built was to carry timber and lead ore from workings along the Rheidol valley to the main line railway at Aberystwyth and to shipping.
• With a decline in industries in the valley, the railway was soon promoted as a tourist attraction to picturesque Devil's Bridge with its three bridges and waterfall
• The railway as absorbed into Cambrian Railways in 1913 and into the Great Western in 1922
• There were plans to use electrically powered locomotives prior to its takeover by the Cambrian Railways using hydro-electricity from the River Rheidol
• Under the Great Western, goods services were removed and the branch to the harbour dismantled
• The railway was closed during World War II but re-opened in 1945 and was then transferred to the ownership of the newly nationalised British Railways
• In 1968, the railway was re-routed to its present terminus alongside the abandoned platforms of the mainline railway. The former main line engine sheds were converted for use by the VoR.
• For a while, the VoR Railway was the only steam hauled railway under the ownership of British Rail. The locos and rolling stock were painted in BR colours.
• The line was sold off in 1989 and is now under the ownership of Peter Rampton and the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
• The railway runs from Easter through to October, with some specials being run during the winter months (eg Santa specials)
•  The railway does not have its own catering outlet at Aberystwyth but there are a couple of places to eat on the mainline station. There is a small cafe at Devil's Bridge Station and, as the train waits there for 30 minutes, there is time for a coffee and a snack.

Route

Source: http://www.rheidolrailway.co.uk/Images/routemap.jpg

My Impressions

It must be around 50 years ago I last rode on the Vale of Rheidol. My impressions then were that the start of the journey was a bit ordinary but once the train started the climb up the side of the valley it got a lot more interesting. Somehow, I had forgotten just how spectacular the journey was.

There was a generous sized car park at Aberystwyth beside the VoR station. What's more it is free and provides easy access to the station and also to the town. We bought our tickets but as there was around an hour before the train departed we had an opportunity to enjoy a leisurely coffee and a breakfast bun at the Wetherspoons in the main station building.

The line's Baguley/Drewry 0-6-0 diesel shunted the coaches for our train into the platform .........

....... while our loco, Swindon-built 2-6-2T No. 8 Llewellyn was being prepared .......

..... before backing on to its train.

 With a few toots on the whistle, the train steam off down the line, leaving the station yard behind.

After crossing the main road and the River Rheidol, the train passed through the suburbs and then the farmland of the lower valley, before eventually steaming into Capel Bangor. After a brief pause, we ventured forth once more.

We then started the early part of the climb towards Devil's Bridge ........

..... and entered woodland.

We paused briefly at Nantyronen to allow some walkers to disembark. As with all other stations and halts on the line, there is evidence of recent construction work - with a new platform, railings and a corrugated iron station shelter in the style of GWR buildings.

The climb now began in earnest, with the regulator open wide and impressive beats and the whistle echoing across the valley.

In recent years, the company has cleared some of the trees and undergrowth to allow increasingly impressive views of the valley and the river below.

About three quarters of the way up the valley, a view is gained of the Cwm Rheidol reservoir and the Rheidol Falls.

Above Rheidol Falls is a halt, which like all the other stations is getting a makeover. We paused briefly to allow a member of the railway staff to hop off, paintbrush and paint-pot in hand.

We then continued up the valley, with increasingly sharper curves and even more impressive views down into the valley.

Ultimately, we steamed into Devil's Bridge Station .........

..... where the train paused for around half an hour.

There was plenty to see and do. We decided not to explore the views of the waterfall and the three bridges, instead opting for a more leisurely cup of coffee and Welsh cakes in the combined cafe and shop. There was also a display of wood carving (with a chain -saw) and an opportunity to drive a Kerr Stuart Wren class loco for the princely sum of £5.00. As you can see, this particular young lady was none too impressed with her brother's passion on sounding the whistle at regular intervals.

After taking on water ...

..... our loco ran round its train

..... and then took the train on its descent down the valley.

This time, I decided to travel in the open coach at the rear of the train.

On the way down the valley we often saw Red Kites circling on the up-currents - but I was never quick enough with the camera to snap them.

Eventually, we re-crossed the river and hove back into the station at Aberystwyth......

 ........ where there was another opportunity to admire the loco as she ran round the train to take on more water in preparation for the afternoon service.

After travelling on Aberystwyth's cliff railway and grabbing some lunch in one of the small cafes off the main street .......

 ....we decided to drive the route up the valley in the afternoon. The Ordnance Survey map showed there were numerous footpaths along and up and down the valley and so we parked up and took one of the paths leading down to Rheidol Falls Halt, where we were in time to see the afternoon train making its way back down to Aberystwyth.

The locomotives are very powerful, well maintained and impressive in the way they tackle the steeply graded line. The 11¾ mile journey to my mind is about right for a half day excursion, though in future I would like to return and explore some of the footpaths, maybe taking more photos during the summer operating season when there are twice the number of train services up and down the valley.

I would also like to spend more time exploring the history of the railway, particularly the short-lived lineside industries of lead ore extraction and timber felling - and somewhere there must be some remains of the harbour branch.

Source: http://www.francisfrith.com/devils-bridge/photos/narrow-gauge-railway-1925_77696/

 I am very glad that I have re-acquainted myself with this railway which has quite a unique feel about it - its locos are certainly very different from those found on the other railways in Wales - it's reassuring to see that they are now resplendent in their original GWR livery - though I think it would be interesting to see one in BR Blue - with the large double arrow in white on the side - the only steam locos ever to have sported this livery.

Source: http://www.transport-of-delight.com/UK/UKMinorRailways/jpgs/Vale%20of%20Rheidol-1.jpg

Video

[In preparation] 

Statfold Barn Railway

In a nutshell

Gauges:        7¼", 10¼", 2', 2'6", 4'8½"

Length:         Garden Railway (7¼", 10¼", 2') - ¼ mile
                       Field Railway (2', 2'6") - 1½ miles

Opened:     2002

 

Location:    

View Narrow Gauge Railways in a larger map

Web:      http://www.statfoldbarnrailway.co.uk/index.php

Email:   http://www.statfoldbarnrailway.co.uk/contact.php

 

Date of visit:     1 June 2013

 

Key Facts

• The Garden Railway was the original line built around 2002 by Graham Lee and his wife and the subsequent developments arose out of the need to find a 2' gauge steam locomotive to run on it.
• With Graham's acquisition of Andrew Barclay's and the Hunslet Engine Company in 2004, the facilities developed at Statfold Barn to now include a fully equipped engineering workshop and an extensive collection of locomotives - including the Hunslet Museum of locomotives and artefacts.
• In addition to the operational narrow gauge locomotives from various parts of world there are several locos awaiting restoration.
• The original Garden Railway is still in operation, with triple gauge tracks  (7¼", 10¼", 2').
• The 1½ mile long dual gauge (2' and 2'6") Field Railway runs from the main terminus beside the engine sheds past further storage sheds located at Oak Tree Halt about half way along the line to a balloon loop at the end of the railway.
• There is also another more recent 2' gauge railway which runs parallel with the Field Railway as far as Oak Tree Halt. This railway is embedded in a concrete road for most of its length. 
• The Statfold Barn Railway is privately owned but has three open days during the year for which members of the public can apply in advance for tickets by post.
• On Open Days all the workshops and sheds are open to the public with unlimited rides on the three railways which run a continuous shuttle service throughout the day.
• Refreshments are provided in the form of large burger and hot potato vans located under cover in one of the farm buildings
• There are usually book stalls and other railway traders' stands on Open Days.

Route

My Impressions

On arrival, several noticeboards on the driveway reminded us that the Open Days are by invitation only, which can be obtained in advance via a form on the Railway's website. We were directed to a large field used as a car park which filled to well over half its capacity through the day.

The buildings immediately adjacent to the car park house the collection of operational locos, plus traction engines and the railway workshops which boast an impressive array of engineering machinery sufficient to not only maintain and restore but also to build replica steam locos (three have been built to date).

In addition there was a shed and a shelter for traders selling books and railwayana.

After admiring the static exhibits, and inevitably buying more books to add to the collection, we got our bearings and passed through the main loco shed .......

...... and set up base camp on the green between the main station and the loco shed. This provided an opportunity to take a closer look at the locos as they waited on the shed roads for their turn to haul trains on the mainline.

Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Lautoka Mill No 19

0-6-0PT Corpet 439 Minas De Aller

 There is quite a stiff climb from the mainline up to the loco shed which provides an opportunity to see and hear the locos in full steam.  I noticed several keen loco-spotters with notepads in hand jotting down the details of each loco as it came and went.

Hunslet 0-4-0 Statfold and Krauss 0-4-2T Sragi No. 1

 The main station for the Field Railway has two platforms and, by crossing a footbridge, the platform for the recently added two foot gauge line can be accessed.

Eventually, after watching a few trains come and go, I hopped aboard one of the trains and made my way down the line. First, the train crossed the branch to the loco sheds, crossed the standard gauge line and then passed the junction for the original Garden Railway.

About half way along the Field Railway, we passed through Oak Tree Halt, where the Up train was waiting on the loop and another train simmered on the parallel 2' gauge railway.

 After exchanging tokens, we made out way out into the fields towards the balloon loop which marks the end of the line.

....where another train was waiting to take the line back to the main site. I decided to leave the train here and get a few lineside shots as I strolled back up the line. After taking a photo of my train and its loco .......

 

.... I watched the loco which would haul the train back up the line couple up.

I also took a moment to admire the quality of the trackwork which on the main Field Railway is dual gauge (2' and 2'6") for its entire length.

As I meandered back along the line I got a shot of the next train, steaming its way down the line towards the balloon loop.

and then watched my own train on its return journey up the line.

I then found a comfortable position beside the line on a slight incline which gave an opportunity to film some trains steaming up the bank with their regulators open. Here I caught my train loco on her return journey with another train.

...... followed after a short while by the line's Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0WT, Bronllwyd in her Surrey County Council livery, piloting the line's O&K 0-6-0TT former Sragi Sugar Mills loco No. 14 on a goods train.

There was considerable activity going on at Oak Tree Halt ......

.... where I paused for a while to see the goods train returning ......

.... before taking a slight diversion to view the carriage shed, where more of the line's fleet are stored ........

...... including some Hunslets in various stages of restoration.

 .... and various other locos, such as this Porter, which look badly in need of considerable TLC.

 Strolling alongside the line between Oak Tree Halt and the main terminus there were many vantage points for photos, one of which afforded an opportunity to see the Land Rover railmotor

and the last Hunslet loco to be built at the Jack Lane works, Trangkil No. 4 on a mixed train.......

 ..... and 2'6" gauge 0-4-0 Pakis Baru No.1 on a double header with articulated 0-4-4-0T Pakis Baru No. 5.

 Hardly a moment goes by without another train steaming into view. This time it was 0-4-2T Hunslet Josephine.

Before making my way back to the terminus and 'base camp', I spent a while in the garden, watching the train chug its way round the Garden Railway, which is indeed in a very fine setting.

Considering the engine shed is only about ten years old, it has been lovingly constructed in the style of the period when narrow gauge railways were becoming established.

 We then decided to partake of some refreshment in the barn where the queues for food had died down but the range of grub was in no way diminished.

 The level of activity on the railway during the Open Day is very impressive. It looked as if every working loco was in steam and rostered on a rolling basis to strut its stuff on the railway. As a consequence, there was always something happening and something to see. For narrow gauge locomotive enthusiasts it would be difficult to find a more captivating and interesting venue. If I was giving railway events rankings, this would have to come somewhere near the top of the list.

Video Virtual Visit