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Showing posts with label railways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label railways. Show all posts

Friday, 18 July 2025

NGRUK Home Page

Snap of Prince and Blanche at Tan-y-Bwlch in the mid 1960s
I have been fascinated by narrow gauge railways for at least the past 50 years - since a family holiday in North Wales when I was a youngster and quite by chance we camped beside the Festiniog Railway. Over the years I have visited several preserved narrow gauge railways and tramped the trackbeds of many abandoned lines. Having just retired from full time work I decided it was time I catalogued more fully my interests and my various wanderings. This blog aims to encapsulate an accumulation of information, images and video clips.

Over the coming years I intend to visit (and re-visit) the sites of narrow gauge railways in the UK accessible to the public and record the outcome of my visits and researches. The outcome will no doubt be idiosyncratic and completely partial - I am, after all, only human!

The accepted definition of 'narrow gauge' includes railways with a gauge of less than 4' 8½". This should therefore include miniature railways. However, as there are nearly 500 railways in the UK which fit this description I have decided initially to concentrate on passenger carrying and commercial railways with a gauge between 12" and 4' 8½".

Below you will find a list of the railways which fit my parameters outlined above. I think I have listed the passenger carrying and commercial lines which have existed or do exist in the UK (with a gauge greater than 12") - however, I have found it is quite difficult to find a definitive list - railways seem to come and go at will. In addition, I have plotted all the railways on a Google Map, to help me plan my visits.

View Narrow Gauge Railways in a larger map


You will notice that this list has around fifty 'live' entries so far out of just over 200 possible railways. I am intending to start from scratch - visiting and revisiting each railway but, this time, being more systematic in the information, images and videos I collect.

 Narrow Gauge Railways in England
Narrow Gauge Railways Railways in Wales

Narrow Gauge Railways in Scotland
  • Alford Valley Railway (2')
  • Almond Valley Heritage Centre (2' 6")
  • Campbeltown and Machrihanish (2’3”)
  • Clyde Valley Railway (2')
  • Craigtoun Park Railway (15")
  • East Links Railway (2')
  • Glasgow Underground Railway (4')
  • Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway (2')
Narrow Gauge Railways in Ireland
  • Arigna Mines Experience (2')
  • Ballymena, Cushendall & Red Bay (3’)
  • Ballymena & Larne (3’)
  • Ballycastle  (3’)
  • Castlerigg & Victoria Bridge Tramway (3’)
  • Cavan & Leitrim Railway (3')
  • Clogher Valley tramway (3’)
  • Cork, Blackrock & Passage (3’ (originally 5’3”))
  • Cork & Muskerry Light Railway (3’)
  • County Donegal Railway (3’3”)
  • Difflin Lake Railway (15")
  • County Donegal  (3’) 
  • Fintown & Glenties Railway (3')
  • Giants Causeway & Bushmills Railway (3')
  • Irish Steam Preservation Society (3')
  • Lartigue Monorail and Museum (0')
  • Leisureland Funworld Express (2')
  • Londonderry & Lough Swilly (3’)
  • Peatlands Park (3')
  • Schull & Skibbereen (3’) 
  • Stradbally Railway  (Railway Preservation Society of Ireland) (3')
  • Sunshine Peat Co. (2' 6")
  • Tralee & Blennerville Railway (3')
  • Tralee & Dingle (3’)
  • Tramore Miniature Railway (15")
  • Waterford & Suir Valley Railway (3')
  • West Clare Railway (3')
  • West Clare  (3’)
  • Westport House (15")
Narrow Gauge Railways elsewhere
Isle of Man
Channel Islands
    • Jersey Railway (3’6”)
    • Pallot Steam Museum (2' ??)

      Background research
      To inform my visits I have been conducting more generalised background research on the history and development of narrow gauge railways in the UK and Ireland. From time to time I will share the outcome of my researches here:

      Progress Reports
      Over time I will keep posting general progress reports in addition to the postings on railways I have visited. These will be presented here in chronological order.

      You may also be interested in my other two blogs which are slightly interrelated:
      • Swiss Railway Tour - A ten day trip I organised in 2007 to travel on what I considered to be the most well known railways in Switzerland
      • Peckforton Garden Railway - My 15mm scale garden railway depicting a fictional three foot narrow gauge railway supposedly situated in the Cheshire countryside.

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      Wednesday, 27 August 2014

      Snaefell Mountain Railway

      In a nutshell

      Gauge:         3' 6"

      Length:        5 miles (8km)

      Opened:      20 August 1895

      Location:  

       

      Isle of Man Public Transport
      Banks Circus
      Douglas
      Isle of Man
      IM1 5PT

      Date of visit:     

      Key Facts

      • The line runs from the interchange station with the Manx Electric Railway in Laxey to the summit of Snaefell, which is 2,034 ft (620m) above sea level 
      • It was originally intended to build the railway to a gauge of 3' (the 'standard' gauge for the island) but was eventually built to 3' 6" (1.067m) gauge to accommodate the braking system.
      • The railway uses the Fell Incline Railway System which has a centre rail for braking on steep gradients. The centre rail is not used for traction on this railway.
      • The railway is powered by 550v DC,using overhead wires with bow collectors mounted on the passenger cars.
      • The railway was built in seven months using the Isle of Man Railway's 0-6-0 locomotive Caledonia - an additional rail at 3' gauge was laid on the track for the locomotive
      • The maximum gradient is 1 in 12 - the Fell System is now used only for emergency braking, a rheostat braking system having been installed in all cars 1979.
      • A power station was constructed just below Bungalow Station, half way along the line to minimise voltage drop on the overhead wires. When it was built, the power station was the most powerful on the island.
      • When the railway as opened in 1895 its lower terminus was beside the tramsheds on the approach to Laxey. The line was extended in 1897 to a new terminus opposite Dumbells Row and then again in 1898 to its present location beside the Manx Electric Railway.
      • The line was taken over by the Manx Electric Railway in 1902 and nationalised in 1957
      • The railway has six tramcars which were all constructed in 1895 for the opening of the line. These six cars still provide transportation on the line, though they have been remotored over the years.
      • A hotel was constructed at the summit when the line opened in 1895, it was rebuilt in 1907 and burnt down in 1982. It was reopened as a cafe two years later and then refurbished in 2011. As there is no water supply at the summit, a bowser is attached to the first train of the day to supply the cafe with water.

      Route

      My Impressions

       We arrived from Douglas on the Manx Electric Railway (MER) on the trailer pulled by Car No. 20 and boarded our car (No.1) for Snaefell at Laxey Interchange Station. Car No. 1 was extensively rebuilt in 2011 and repainted in the original Prussian blue colour scheme with the original wording of Snaefell Mountain Tramway.

       While we were waiting, Car No. 6 departed. This sports the default livery for the line. The car, along with its five predecessors was built in for the railway's opening in 1895. Windows and clerestories were fitted the following year. The rheostatic braking gear on the roof was fitted to all cars in 1979 which makes the Fell centre rail braking system redundant, except for emergencies.

      We set off up the line with most of the windows fully dropped as we were experiencing a heat wave during this part of August.

       Shortly after leaving Laxey and passing the tram sheds, the car stopped for a few minutes to allow we passengers to take pictures of the Great Laxey Wheel across the valley. The undergrowth appears to have been cleared at this point specifically to promote this view.

      At around the halfway point up the line we could see the remains of the upper section of the Laxey Mines, which, at its peak, was part of the most productive mining system in the UK. It was also at this point that the line's original power station was located.

       After passing Bungalow Station beside the TT race track, the track spirals around the mountain, giving 360 degree views down around the island. Had there not been haze in the distance it would have been possible to have seen the coastlines of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

      At the summit, we had around forty minutes to take in the views and sample the coffee and snacks on the cafe.

       I spent the majority of the time watching the train movements at the summit.

      Given that the trackwork is minimalistic - with an interesting single switch blade point providing access to Up and Down tracks - the tramcars were juggled on the siding which was just sufficient in length to accommodate two tramcars.

       Eventually, we took our seats aboard Car No. 6 for the descent.

       Just past Bungalow Station we were given a fine view of the summit, before winding down the Laxey River Valley back towards the town.

      On reaching the Interchange Station at Laxey, there was an opportunity to indulge in some tram spotting.

       Here we see Car No.1 arriving from the summit. The Up and Down MER lines can be seen to the right of the car heading off in the direction of Ramsey and the green Laxey Blacksmith's shed can be seen in the middle distance. This is where some of the MER vans are being restored and the Great Laxey Mine Railway's replica tub wagons were constructed.

      Car No. 4 arrived and departed during this period. Car No. 4 was the last car to carry the green nationalised colour scheme which was given to the entire fleet in 1958. It was repainted in its present livery in 1963.

       Car No. 5 is the only car to show the railway's name in Manx Gaelic. It was extensively rebuilt after being gutted by fire in 1970. Whilst at the summit station there was a short-circuit under the floor which caused the fire which rapidly spread to the superstructure. It was initially thought that the short circuit was caused by the advertising boards which used to be mounted on the roofs of all the tramcars which made them rock from side to side in high winds and thereby lose contact with the overhead wires. However, it was later attributed to the practice of swapping power trucks between this car and Car No.7. When she was rebuilt to re-enter service in 1971, Car No. 5 was not given a clerestory and was initially fitted with aluminium bus-type windows. These were later removed and replaced with replicas of the original windows. The car does retain its cushioned bench seating, however; the only car on the line to have this added level of comfort.

       Until my travels on the MER and the Snaefell Mountain Railway, I had never been particularly interested in trams - much preferring the sights, sounds and smells of steam locomotives. I must confess to being won over by these magnificent vehicles. These two systems run their original Victorian stock with only the power systems having been modified and thereby give an insight as to how this form of transportation has evolved. I am still in awe of the power of electric motors - the cars handling full loads up the 1:12 inclines with apparent ease. I found the staff on the railway to be extremely helpful, providing an interesting commentary on the journey comprising a mix of anecdotes and factual information. There was clearly a blend of pride and affection in the mix which is quite understandable given the unique nature of this form of transportation.



      Video

      [In preparation] 



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      Friday, 21 October 2011

      Progress Report 1

      The 'Vintage Train' in 2010 on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

      The first progress report for this new blog. As you may have seen from the home page that it is my intention to visit as many of the narrow gauge railways of the UK as possible over the next few years. Having had a fascination with this mode of transport for at least the last 50 years and visited and travelled on many railways, I decided it was time to be a little more systematic and organised in my travels.

      River Irt at Ravenglass in 2010

       Three days ago, I happened to spend a few days in Cumbria and inevitably found my way to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. Having visited this railway on two previous occasions and taken a few random and miscellaneous photos I pondered on how else I could mark my return visit. Over a cup of coffee in the cafe at Ravenglass Station, my partner and I speculated on how many narrow gauge railways there were left in the UK for me to visit. I guessed there were around 200 (including miniature railways). On my return home I did a little background research and on the Narrow Gauge Railway Society website discovered their Guide to Narrow Gauge Railways in the UK which revealed there were nearly 500 narrow gauge and miniature railways - and this did not include those which had closed down such as the Southwold and Leek and Manifold.

      The Southwold Railway trackbed at Tinkers' Covert
      Image copyright Ashley Dace - reproduced under Creative Commons

      A plan started to emerge. I decided to visit (or revisit) all the railways listed in the guide, plus the sites of defunct  narrow gauge railways. However, I needed to prioritise. I decided to draw the line at miniature railways with a gauge less than 12" and only those which were open to public access. This was a purely arbitrary and pragmatic decision - but still left me with around 180 railways to visit, plus the sites of defunct railways.

      The North Bay Miniature Railway, Scarborough

       My next decision centred on what sort of information I needed to gather during my visits. Clearly this would be dependent on what was available to see on the day. I may use my first few visits to fine tune the sorts of evidence I will accumulate but I'm trying to consider the needs and interests of my intended audience - ie people like me who want a bit of background information and a few enticing images before they visit the railway themselves. In addition to some historical information and some factual stuff on what is there, I will include some personal impressions of my visit - what I noticed, what I felt and how much I enjoyed what I did there on the day.

      'Vale of Ffestiniog' Funkey Diesel at Blaenau Ffestinog in 2002

      Probably, the end of October is not the best time to start a project like this as many railways close down or run a much reduced (and often diesel powered) service during the winter months. Furthermore, we shall probably be using our trailer tent for accommodation and somehow this loses its appeal between October and April. However, this initial lull will give me time to do some more background research and to start planning our various journeys around the country.

      Over the next few months, I will post updates on my planning and include my first few postings of visits to railways which are within easy travelling distance and which are still running winter services.
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