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Tuesday, 30 June 2026

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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      The Old Kiln Light Railway

      In a nutshell

      Gauge:        2'

      Length:      ½ mile (0.8km)

      Opened:     1982 (at present site) 1971 (as Wey Valley Light Railway)

      Location:   Old Kiln Light Railway
                          Rural Life Living Museum
                          Reeds Road
                          Tilford
                          Farnham
                          GU10 2DL




      Web:          https://oklr.org/
      Email:         info@oklr.org

      Date of visit:     21 June 2026

      Key Facts

      • Located at the Rural Life Living Museum in Tilford, near Farnham in Surrey.
      • It was originally founded in the early 1970s as the 150 yard long Wey Valley Light Railway which ran around the grounds of the Moor Park Venture Scout Unit.
      • The track and equipment were moved to the Old Kiln Museum, now known as the Rural Life Centre in 1982 when the land at the original site was sold for housing.
      • The line has since lengthened around the centre
      • A small stretch of track serves the museum's heritage timber yard demonstration area
      • The railway has two steam locomotives and currently a third is on loan from the Moors Valley Railway
      • It also has sixteen internal combustion powered locomotives and an other on loan
      • It has six coaches and around a dozen wagons, mostly former RNAD or RAF stock.
      • It is run by a team of dedicated volunteers and received the "Surrey Industrial History Group Conservation" award in 1994
      • It has four stations: Reeds Road, Old Kiln Halt, Oatlands and Mills Wood 

      Route



      My Impressions

      The 21 June 2026 was one of the hottest days of the year and so when we arrived, we made immediately for the café and sat with a soft drink under the trees.

      Source: Simon Burchell

       After a brief tour of the museum we settled down to watch the Berkshire Bedlam Morris Dancers who were staging a performance for visitors. The railway had suspended the running of trains while the morris dancers were performing. The quality of the morris dancing was superb - a series of Fieldtown dances some of which were very complex.

       While the dancers were resting, I was able to grab a quick train ride, down and back up the line. I was the only passenger.

       The dancing resumed and then a few more train rides were organised, one of which was a special train for the morris side and their families.

      The line travels around three sides of the site, mostly through woodland ......

      ........ and then between a campsite and the edge of the museum grounds. 

      There are extensive workshops and sheds housing most of the railway's collection of stock which can be glimpsed through the open doorways as the train passes by.

       The two through stations are request stops, but most of the passengers were content to travel from one end of the line to the other.

      The staff were very friendly and informative, willing to answer questions and demonstrate their knowledge of the railway and its stock.

       Unfortunately, there were only sandwiches and cakes available in the café during our visit as the cook was on holiday, but I understand there is usually a fairly comprehensive menu of hot meals available in addition to hot beverages and cold drinks.

       The exhibits around the site are interesting and well laid out. Often there are demonstrations of, for example, blacksmithing. It would be advisable to check what events are planned before making a visit.

      Source: https://www.visitsoutheastengland.com

       There are play areas for children and plenty of places undercover and outside for picnics.


      Video

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