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Showing posts with label Wales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wales. 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, 18 December 2019

      Snowdon Mountain Railway

      In a nutshell

      Gauge:          2'  7½"(800cm)

      Length:        4 2/3 miles (7.5km)

      Opened:      1896

      Location:   

      Email:     info@snowdonrailway.co.uk 
      Tel.:         +44 (0) 1286 870 223

      Snowdon Mountain Railway
      Llanberis
      Gwynedd
      LL55 4TT 

       

      Date of visit:     20 September 2019

      Key Facts

      • The Snowdon Mountain Railway is the only rack assisted railway in the UK
      • There has only been one accident on the line, on the day it first opened when one passenger died after the first downward train became derailed probably because it was overloaded
      • The line was constructed between December 1894 and February 1896
      • The rack system used by the railway was devised by Roman Abt, a Swiss locomotive engineer. Two racks are positioned between the rails, staggered by half a tooth to ensure there is always a complete tooth on the pinions engaged with the rack
      • The locomotive is not coupled to the carriage, so that the carriage would not be dragged down the mountainside if the locomotive became derailed
      • Gripper rails are fitted to either side of the rack to prevent the pinion from disengaging with the rack
      • Each locomotive and carriage has a manual brake which operates on the pinion
      • The locomotives also have a compression brake which uses air in the cylinders to slow the descent
      • The locomotives and carriages also have automatic brakes which engage if they exceed a certain speed
      • The railway has eight steam locomotives, five of which were built for the line's opening.
      • There are also four diesel hydraulic locomotives, powered by Rolls Royce engines
      • The line has ordered a diesel/battery hybrid locomotive which is intended to enter service in 2020. The batteries will be recharged on the descent.
      • There is a cafe and visitor centre at the summit (3560ft (1085m) above sea level) which was opened in 2009
      • There is also a cafe and toilet facilities at Llanberis station
      • During the winter or bad weather, trains will only run to Halfway station
      • It is advisable to book in advance as the number of tickets are limited each day

      Route

      Source: By MickMacNee at en.wikipedia - I created this work entirely by myself., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13430621

      My Impressions

      The last time I travelled on the Snowdon Mountain Railway was over fifty years ago, so I was anxious to see how things had changed.

      We arrived at Llanberis in good time to pick up our pre-booked tickets. While waiting we indulged in a cup of coffee and a snack, sitting outside in the early September sunshine.

      There was a good selection of food available at the cafe and so we were spoiled for choice.

      There was time to watch the departure of one of the diesel hauled trains ......


       ..... and our train being marshalled from the sheds. We were booked on one of the vintage steam services. We figured that as this was likely to be a one-off, we would travel in style.

      Before long, we boarded. Although not first in the queue, we were able to get a good seat at the rear of the carriage close to the loco.

      After crossing the Waterfall viaduct, we soon left the treeline......

      ......  and reached the first station / passing place at Hebron.

      After passing a downward diesel train, we progressed further, the mountain scenery becoming more rugged, until we reached Halfway Station, where we paused to wait for another downward train.

      Our guard/train manager took the opportunity to point out some of the scenic features observable from our vantage point ......

      ..... until the downward train passed us on the loop.

      We continued upwards, allowing a fine view of the downward train and the emerging landscape towards Anglesey.

      As we laboured further up the mountain, the views began to open out, here looking towards the Rivals on the Lleyn Peninsula.

      As we approached Clogwyn Station, the train traversed a stretch of line on a ridge, which permitted views down to the left of the Llanberis Pass in the valley below. Apart from the summit, this is probably the most spectacular view on the trip.

      We paused again at Clogwyn Station to await another downward train which we could see approaching from further up the line. There seemed to be a considerable number of people walking the path from Llanberis to the summit, hardly surprising as the weather was unseasonably warm and the sky very clear.

      Eventually, the train came nearer, passing over the curve on which the first passenger carrying train derailed on the line's opening day.

      Then it was our turn to tackle the last section of the railway to the summit. The views opened out even more, giving a fine view out of the whole island of Anglesey .......

      ..... and along the north coast of the Lleyn Peninsula ......

      ....... before our train gently eased itself into the station at the summit.........

      ............  where the loco was given a well deserved rest

       We were given 30 minutes at the summit which allowed plenty of time to browse through the souvenirs and walking equipment in the shop, ...

      .... grab a cuppa and a pie in the cafe .......

       ...... and join the crowd at the summit.

      The views from the summit were spectacular in all directions.

      Looking North West ........

      ...... looking East

      ...... South West .....

      ..... South East.

      .... and West.

      It was very blustery at the top and so it was somewhat of a relief to re-board our train and start the descent. With our destination visible in the distance .....

      ..... we passed many walkers toiling their way towards or away from the summit.

      At Hebron, we met another steam heritage train making its way up towards the summit.

      Eventually, we arrived at Llanberis ......

      ...... where our train was shunted back into its siding.......

      ..... and we could watch the departure of another train towards the summit.

      Passing through the railway's shop on the way towards the exit, I bought a handy little guide on the railway's history but avoided the temptation of buying a snow globe or fridge magnet.

      I was impressed by how efficiently the railway is operated and also by the enthusiasm and willingness of the staff to help and/or discuss the railway.

      The stock was scrupulously clean and well maintained, particularly considering the age of the steam locomotives and the heritage carriages. The fare is not cheap, but then it is a unique experience in the UK and presumably the cost of maintaining the track and railway infrastructure.

      It is possible to take a one way journey, but I would advise you to check the long term weather forecast. We were extremely fortunate in having booked the perfect day for viewing the landscape. This was partly luck and partly due to careful scrutiny of the weather forecasts by my partner - who, incidentally, funded the trip as part of an unexpected Christmas present two years ago. It took us that long to find the ideal conditions in relation to weather and our availability. A previous booking we had made a year earlier had to be cancelled because steam hauled trains had been withdrawn owing to fire risk during the drought at the start of the 2018 summer season.

      It pays to be patient!

      Video





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      Wednesday, 30 April 2014

      Margam Park Railway

      In a nutshell

      Gauge:         2'

      Length:       Approx 1¼ miles

      Opened:     2011 (?)

      Location:  


      View Narrow Gauge Railways in a larger map

      Email:   margampark@npt.gov.uk
      Tel:        01639 881 635

       

      Date of visit:     12 April 2014

       

      Key Facts

      • The railway has one steam outline 0-4-0DH  'Margam Castle' and three carriages (two open one closed) built by Alan Keef Ltd.
      • The railway runs daily in the summer months (usually from 1 April to the end of October).
      • The railway runs from the car park near the entrance to the Park through the grounds, across the dam of the lake (New Pond) to the castle.
      • The line originally ran from the castle around the lake to the adventure playground.
      • There is a modest additional charge to take the train which run every half hour.
      • There is a cafe in the castle courtyard and play areas for children.

      Route


      My Impressions

       Entrance to the park is free, though there is a charge (£3.50) for car-parking - which I consider to be very reasonable when one considers the cost of visiting other visitor attractions.

      As we arrived before the first train of the day, we walked from the car park to the Castle, where we partook of a cup of coffee in the cafe. There was an opportunity to study the history of the park and the 19th Century Tudor Gothic Mansion, which was designed by the architect Thomas Hopper for Christopher Rice Talbot between1830 and 1840. I was intrigued to discover that a frequent visitor to Margam was Henry Fox Talbot, probably the country's most famous early photographer.

      Just outside the courtyard of the Castle, the train was being prepared for her first trip of the day

      The Alan Keef 0-4-0 DH loco is very similar in design to that used on the Blenheim Park Railway and the one closed and two open carriages provide utilitarian comfort for admiring the views of the parkland.

      After watching the train depart to pick up its first load of visitors, I waited for its return.

      It skirted the artificial lake (New Pond) before returning via the balloon loop to the Castle Station .....

      ...... where I boarded, the only Down passenger on this particular service.

      After paying the fare, we set off around the remainder of the balloon loop........

      ...... and off to the banks of the lake .........

       ...... eventually crossing the dam which helped form the ornamental lake. At the end of the lake, in front of the adventure playground, is the old loop which originally formed the other end of the railway.

      We branched off to the left to begin our descent through the parkland towards the car park.

      Visitors arriving at the car park and taking the train up the line to the castle will get a good feel for the park and its attractions as the train passes through some of the parkland and woodland .......

      ......as the track meanders through the park. As the train approaches the lower end of the line it crosses a stream and heads on to the balloon loop beside the cricket pitch .......

       ...... before pulling into the lower station adjacent to the entrance and the car park.

      The approach to the station is a short walk from the main entrance but there is easy wheelchair access and facilities on the train to take disabled passengers.



      The railway is in a wonderful setting and it's good to see that it is performing a useful function. I should imagine that young families who have expended their energies in the play areas and following the walks in the park will appreciate a return trip on the train. It's still very pleasing to see how excited young children get when they are having a train ride - and the length of the trip is just about right. Far enough to retain their interest but not too far that it becomes boring.

      Video


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