Wales
The unique narrow gauge / standard gauge flat crossing of the
Welsh Highland Railway
with Network Rail at Porthmadog, shortly after its installation
in November 2006.
The crossing forms part of the Welsh Highland Railway extension
from Rhyd-Ddu to Porthmadog.
(Photo from the website of the Welsh Highland
Railway Project)
- Aberystwyth Cliff Railway
- Aberystwyth. Cliff railway with a rise of 389 feet (118 m) to
the top of Constitution Hill.
- Anglesey Central Railway / Lein Amlwch
- Project to reopen the line from Gaerwen to Amlwch on the island of Anglesey
(17½ miles, 28 km). Standard gauge.
- Bala Lake Railway / Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid
- Llanuwchllyn to Bala: 4½ miles (7.2 km). 600 mm gauge. Steam
hauled.
- Barry Island Railway
- Two separate lines from Plymouth Road, Barry Island calling at
Barry Island Arriva Trains Wales station: to Waterfront (1 mile,
1.6km) and to Woodham Halt (also about 1 mile, 1.6km). Extension
proposed from Woodham Halt to Barry Dock (a further 1 mile, 1.6km).
Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled and diesel railcars.
- Brecon Mountain Railway
- Pant (near Merthyr Tydfil) to Dol-y-Gaer: 3 miles (4.8 km).
Possible future extension planned Torpantau. 600 mm gauge. Steam
hauled.
- The Cambrian
- Steam trains operating on the Network Rail route between
Machynlleth and Pwllheli: 57¾ miles (93 km).
- Centre for
Alternative Technology
- Machynlleth. A modern, water-balance cliff railway with a rise of
110 feet (33 m) connects the centre to the car park (Website
contains little information relating to railway)
- Conwy Valley Railway Museum
- Betws-y-Coed (next to Arriva Trains Wales station). 7¼ in (184 mm)
gauge miniature railway, over ½ mile (0.8 km) in length, steam and diesel
hauled; and a 15 in (381 mm) gauge miniature electric tram line, also
about ½ mile (0.8 km).
- Corris Railway
- Corris (near Machynlleth) to Maespoeth, a little over ½ mile
(almost 1 km). Extension planned to Tan-y-Coed, a total of 2½ miles
(4 km). 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) gauge.
- Dolgarrog Railway
- Project to restore about ¾ mile (1.2km) of line from a point just
outside the Dolgarrog Aluminium works to the Arriva Traing Wales
station. Standard gauge.
- Fairbourne & Barmouth Steam Railway
- Fairbourne (New Station / Gorsaf Newydd adjacent to Arriva Trains
Wales station) to Penrhyn Point (for ferry to Barmouth): 2½ miles
(4 km). 12¼ in gauge. Steam hauled.
- Ffestiniog Railway / Rheilffordd Ffestiniog
- Harbour station, Porthmadog via Minffordd (connection possible
with Arriva Trains Wales) to Blaenau Ffestiniog (Arriva Trains
Wales station): 13½ miles (21.6 km). 600 mm gauge. Steam Hauled.
- Garw Valley Railway
- Project to reopen 4 miles (6.4 km) of line between Pontycymer
(near Bridgend) and Caegarw. Standard gauge. Diesel hauled. It
is hoped to commence a limited operation between Pontycymmer and
Pant-y-Gog (about ½ mile, 0.8 km) in 2008.
- Glyn Valley Tramway
- Chirk: project to reopen about ¾ mile (1 km) of the former
tramway, with a planned extension of a further 1 mile (1.5 km)
and a possible future extension to Glyn Ceiriog, a total distance
of about 6 miles (10 km). The original tramway was built to the
unusual gauge of 2 ft 4½ in (724 mm), although the restored tramway
may use a different gauge for reasons of availability of suitable
equipment.
- Great
Orme Tramway / Tramffordd y Gogarth
- Llandudno. Connects the town to the Great Orme headland, in two
sections: Victoria to Halfway, 872 yards (797 m) and Halfway to
Summit, 827 yards (756 m). Funicular railway with some street running,
unique in the UK. 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm) gauge.
- Gwili
Railway / Rheilffordd Gwili
- Bronwydd Arms to Danycoed: 2¼ miles (3.6 km). Extension proposed
from Bronwydd Arms to Carmarthen North, a further 2 miles (3.2 km).
Standard gauge. Usually steam hauled. Dining trains operate at
certain times.
- Llanberis Lake Railway / Rheilffordd Llyn Padarn
- Llanberis (across road from Snowdon Mountain Railway station) to
Penllyn: 2½ miles (4 km). 600 mm gauge. Steam hauled.
- Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway
- Project, based at Cynheidre, to reopen all or part of the line
from Llanelli to Tumble. Standard gauge. There are also plans for
a miniature railway at the Cynheidre site.
- Llangollen Railway
- Llangollen to Carrog: 7½ miles (12 km). Proposed extension to
Corwen, a further 1½ miles (2 km). Standard gauge. Steam and
diesel hauled and diesel railcars, Dining trains operate at certain
times.
- Llechwedd Slate Caverns
- Llechwedd (near Blaenau Ffestiniog). There are two passenger
carrying railways on the site, both partly underground:
- The Miners' Tramway, 450 yards (411 m) in length, narrow
gauge, battery electric hauled.
- The Deep Mine Railway, a specially constructed funicular
railway descending 235 feet (71 m)into the mine at a gradient of
1 in 1.8 (55%). 3 ft (914 mm) gauge.
- Monty the Margam Train
- Margam Country Park (near Port Talbot). Castle to Orangery,
a little under 1½ miles (2.3 km). 2 ft (610 mm) gauge. Diesel hauled
with steam outline locomotive.
- Oakwood Theme Park
- Theme park near Narberth has a miniature railway (Website
contains very little information relating to railway)
- Pembrey Country Park Railway
- Pembrey (near Llanelli). Line over ½ mile (0.9 km) in length.
2 ft (610 mm) gauge. May 2008: park literature suggest that the
railway operates during the summer months, although other sources
note the line as out of use. (No website located at present)
- Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
- Furnace Sidings (between Blaenavon and Brynmawr) to Whistle Inn:
½ mile (0.8 km). Proposed extension to Blaenavon, a further 1¼ miles
(2 km). Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled and diesel railcars.
- Rhyl Miniature Railway / Rheilffordd Fychan y
Rhyl
- Rhyl. Line about 1 mile (1.6 km). 15 in (381 mm) gauge. Usually
steam hauled.
- Snowdon
Mountain Railway
- Llanberis (across road from Llanberis Lake Railway station) to
Snowdon Summit: 4¾ miles (2.1 km), with a rise of 3140 ft (957 m).
800 mm gauge Abt rack system, the only rack railway in the UK. Steam
locomotives propel a single carriage uphill and provide braking when
proceeding down.
- Talyllyn
Railway / Rheilffordd Talyllyn
- Tywyn, Wharf station (adjacent to Arriva Trains Wales station)
to Nant Gwernol: 7¼ miles (11.6 km). 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) gauge.
Usually steam hauled.
- Teifi Valley Railway
- Henllan (near Newcastle Emlyn) to Llandyfriog: about 1¼ miles
(2.5 km). Extension proposed from Henllan to Pentrecwt, a further
2¼ miles (3.6 km). 600 mm gauge. Usually steam hauled. There is also
a 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway, about 400 yards (366 m)
in length, at Henllan.
- Tintern Steam Railway
- Tintern (old station). Proposed 12¼ in (311 mm) gauge steam
hauled railway on part of the trackbed of the former Wye Valley
Railway from Chepstow to Monmouth. The first section of about ¼ mile
(0.4 km) is expected to open in 2008 from Tintern to Brockweir. A
further ¼ mile (0.4 km) section extending from Tintern in the
opposite direction to Wye Valley View is planned for the future.
- Vale
of Rheidol Railway
- Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge: 11¾ miles (18.9 km). 600 mm gauge.
Steam hauled.
- Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon)
- Castle Square, Caernarfon to Rhyd-Ddu (12 miles, 19.4 km).
Extension under construction (planned to open around 2009) to
Porthmadog, giving a total line length of around 25 miles (40 km).
There will be connections at Pen-y-Mount with the Welsh Highland
Railway (Caernarfon), and at Porthmadog (Harbour station) with
the Ffestiniog Railway. 600 mm gauge. Steam hauled.
- Welsh Highland
Railway (Porthmadog)
- Porthmadog (WHR station, near the Arriva Trains Wales station)
to Traeth Mawr, about 1½ miles (2.4 km). On the opening of the
Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon) through to Porthmadog, services
from Porthmadog (WHR) will be cut back to Pen-y-Mount (about ½ mile,
0.8 km, from Porthmadog), where connections will be available.
600 mm gauge. Steam hauled.
- Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway
- Raven Square on the outskirts of Welshpool to Llanfair Careinion:
8 miles (12.8 km). Possible future extension into Welshpool itself.
2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Steam hauled.
Can't find it? Try searching for a map here.
©
2000-2007 Glyn Williams
