Bala Lake Railway
Encyclopedia
The Bala Lake Railway (Welsh:
Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid) is a preserved railway
at Bala Lake
, in Gwynedd
, north Wales
, which runs for a distance of 4+1/2 mi using gauge rolling stock.
It was built on a section of the former Ruabon - Barmouth
GWR
route which was closed in 1965. This section runs along the south-eastern shore of Bala Lake. Another section of the former trackbed is today used by the Llangollen Railway
.
The railway runs from Llanuwchllyn railway station
, where the main railway buildings, workshops and offices are located, to Bala (Llyn Tegid)
near Bala
. The station at Bala is outside the town, and there have been various plans to extend the railway into Bala itself, but none have been realised.
Steam locomotives on the line include Maid Marian, Holy War
and Alice
, all built by the Hunslet Engine Company
. The railway also has a passenger diesel engine, Merioneth.
The railway is a member of the Great Little Trains of Wales
.
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid) is a preserved railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
at Bala Lake
Bala Lake
Bala Lake is a large lake in Gwynedd, Wales. It was the largest natural body of water in Wales prior to the level being raised by Thomas Telford to help support the flow of the Ellesmere Canal. It is long by wide, and is subject to sudden and dangerous floods. The River Dee runs through it and...
, in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, north Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, which runs for a distance of 4+1/2 mi using gauge rolling stock.
It was built on a section of the former Ruabon - Barmouth
Ruabon Barmouth Line
The Ruabon to Barmouth Line was a standard gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway across the north of Wales which connected Ruabon, in the east, with Barmouth on the west coast.-Connections:...
GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
route which was closed in 1965. This section runs along the south-eastern shore of Bala Lake. Another section of the former trackbed is today used by the Llangollen Railway
Llangollen Railway
The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of...
.
The railway runs from Llanuwchllyn railway station
Llanuwchllyn railway station
Llanuwchllyn railway station in the village of Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd, Wales, was formerly a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line. It closed to passengers on Monday 18 January 1965 at the same time as the rest of the line, but subsequently reopened in 1972 as the southern terminus of the narrow...
, where the main railway buildings, workshops and offices are located, to Bala (Llyn Tegid)
Bala Lake Halt railway station
Bala Lake Halt railway station in Gwynedd, Wales, was formerly a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line. In 1976 the site became the eastern terminus of the Bala Lake Railway, now named Bala .-History:...
near Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
. The station at Bala is outside the town, and there have been various plans to extend the railway into Bala itself, but none have been realised.
Steam locomotives on the line include Maid Marian, Holy War
Holy War (locomotive)
Holy War is a preserved narrow gauge steam locomotive built in 1902, currently based at the Bala Lake Railway in North Wales. It was the last steam locomotive to operate in a Welsh slate quarry.- Construction :...
and Alice
Alice (locomotive)
Alice, a Hunslet , used to work in the Dinorwic slate quarries at Llanberis, in North Wales. Built in 1902, as Works No. 780, the locomotive was originally called ‘No. 4’. There was an earlier Alice which was built in 1889 Alice, a Hunslet , used to work in the Dinorwic slate quarries at Llanberis,...
, all built by the Hunslet Engine Company
Hunslet Engine Company
The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for...
. The railway also has a passenger diesel engine, Merioneth.
The railway is a member of the Great Little Trains of Wales
Great Little Trains of Wales
The Great Little Trains of Wales is a joint marketing scheme formed in 1970 to promote some of the narrow gauge railways of Wales and encourage visitors to Wales. As well as marketing the railways, the scheme allows visitors to purchase a discount card, allowing reduced rates on all the lines.As of...
.