The Railways by Region

The Bure Valley Railway
This extroardinary railway is an exceptional example of a modern steam hauled narrow gauge railway. Opened within this decade, the line is a modern 15" gauge railway using steam haulage designed and built recently. I would not call this line preserved, it is a new and substantial narrow gauge railway.

The Bala Lake Railway
As you have probably guessed this 2' gauge railway carries passengers along theshores of picturesque lake Bala.

The Corris Railway
The Corris Railway is said to be the oldest Narrow Gauge Railway in Wales, although it adopted steam traction later than many. It shares it's unusual 2'3" gauge with the nearby Talyllyn. A gallant restoration effort means that the first passenger trains since 1931 will be run very soon.

Fairbourne and Barmouth Railway
A miniature railway of 12 1/4" at Fairbourne on the West coast of Wales. This 2 1/2 mile line carries passengers on its, mainly steam hauled, trains to Porth Penryhn where a ferry is available (in season) to the holiday resort of Barmouth.

The Ffestiniog Railway
A 2' gauge railway which at one time carried a significant proportion of the world supply of slate from the quarries at blaenau Ffestiniog to the port of Porthmadog for shipping around the World. Now carries tourists on a spectacular 14 mile journey high into the mountains.

The Llanberis Lake Railway
A 2' gauge railway which is laid alongside Llyn Padarn at Llanberis where the grand landscape and the fascinating history of the slate industry prove a magnet for the tourist.

The Vale of Rheidol Railway
This railway was probably the last 2' gauge mineral railway to be built in Wales. Now nearing 100 years old it carries tourists from the seaside centre of Aberystwyth to the popular beauty spot of Devils Bridge along a wild, beautiful and remote valley.

The Snowdon Mountain Railway
Britain's only Rack railway carries visitors from its headquarters in the attractive Welsh town of Llanberis to the summit of the highest mountain in England and Wales.

The Talyllyn Railway
This delightful little railway is where the entire railway preservation movement started. It is also the first narrow gauge railway in the world to be built for steam haulage. Originally built for slate haulage, today it carries tourists 6 1/2 miles up the valley from Tywyn on the west coast of Wales to Nant Gwernol past the spectacular Dolgoch falls.

The Welshpool and Llanfair Railway
A 2' 6" gauge railway linking the towns of Welshpool and Llanfair Caereinion.

The Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog)
An extensive 2' gauge railway system, at one time linked to the Ffestiniog. Now undergoing restoration with a short section in Porthmadog re-opened to passengers.

The Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon)
The other Welsh Highland Railway project, this one has around seven miles of operational railway starting at the other end of the line in Caernarfon.

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
This Delightful 15" gauge railway played a large part in the development of railways of this size. The headquarters are by the Sea at the small port of Ravenglass from where passengers can take a beautiful journey behind steam haulage into the hills of the lake district to Dalegarth.

The South Tynedale Railway
This 2' gauge railway follows the track bed of a disused standard gauge branch line located in the beautiful Cumbria countryside. The railway sports an unusual collection of steam locomotives including examples from Germany and Poland.

The West Lancashire Light Railway
This short 2' gauge line brings a taste of Narrow gauge to Hesketh Bank in West Lancashire.

Mull Rail
Built in the early eighties to transport visitors from the ferry terminal to picturesque Torosay Castle and Gardens, this is the only railway in the Scottish islands. The line saves the visitor a rather awkard 1.5 mile (each way) walk. At 10.2" this is one of the very narrowest gauge lines to feature in Narrow Gauge Pleasure.

The Basingstoke Canal Railway
This page describes the use of narrow gauge railway equipment in the restoration of the canal in the 1970s. Little if anything is left of the railway now but this rare example of narrow gauge technology used to solve transport problems in the latter part of the twentieth century is remembered here.

The Leighton Buzzard Railway
This railway, a preserved industrial line situated in the green fields of Bedfordshire, is well known for its varied collection of locomotives from around the world.

The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway runs across the flat expanse of Romney Marsh in Kent and links the towns of New Romney and Hythe. New Romney was once the terminus but early in its history the 15" gauge double tracks (sadly now single on this section) were extended across an enormous shingle bank to Dungeness where the narrow gauge station stands alongside a nuclear power station.

The Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway
The Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is a 2'6" gauge industrial railway built for the paper industry. Since 1969 the line has been in preservation and serving as a passenger carrying railway run by enthusiasts.

The Brecon Mountain Railway
The Brecon Mountain Railway is a 2' gauge line of 3.5 miles length running through part of the spectacular Brecon Beacons National Park.

The Teifi Valley Railway
This railway was built by a group of enthusiasts on a disused standard gauge track bed. Having failed to prevent closure of the line it was subsequently reopened as a 2' gauge railway. The TVR is home to two steam engines including a beautiful old Hunslet locomotive. These locos were built without cabs but this is the only one I have seen that has not had one added and the result is certainly attractive. The crew, however, sometimes look cold and wet!

Launceston Steam Railway
This pretty little 2.5 mile line was built in the early eighties to 2' gauge and operates four ex Slate Quarry Hunslett Locomotives.

The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
This delightful 2' gauge railway was built to carry passengers and freight across the heart of beautiful and isolated Exmoor in Devon. Sadly closed over fifty years ago efforts are now in hand to restore this railway. There is not yet a passenger carrying line but the first passenger trains for over fifty years might run here in the year 2000.

The North Gloucestershire Railway
This railway is being built and run by a group of enthusiasts on a relatively new site and often has interesting visiting steam locomotives. Although currently only 400 yards long the railway provides a taste of narrow gauge in an area that has little else to offer.

The Seaton Tramway
The delightful Seaton Tramway owes it's origins to one mans hobby but it has grown into both a viable commercial enterprise and a charming addition to the Devon tourist scene. As a tramway this line doesn't fit into the original Narrow Gauge Pleasure concept but it's here because of it's charm and the fact that it belongs in spirit, and of course it is narrow gauge!

The Ashover Light Railway
The Ashover Light Railway had a remarkably short life from 1925 to 1950 but for much of those brief years it was one of the most prosperous narrow gauge railways in the country. Although currently all we have are memories of this little railway the Ashover Light Railway Society are now actively working to restore part of the line to passenger operation.

The Duffield Bank Railway
If you want to visit a working railway then you are a century or so too late for this one! The Duffield Bank Railway is included here because of its historical significance. It is here that Sir Arthur Heywood built his experimental railway designed to show that a very narrow gauge, he chose 15", could be used to provide a practical railway at low cost and, most importantly, one that could be built or moved rapidly for military use close to the fighting. Although such a narrow gauge has rarely been used as he envisaged the spirit of Sir Arthur Heywood lives on in the British 15" gauge railways.

The Leek and Manifold Light Railway
This railway owed many of it's unique features to its engineer E.R. Calthrop. Calthrop brought his experience from construction of the Barsi Light Railway in India to this line in Derbyshire. He applied his philosophy of very low axle weights and well designed but lightly built and therefore low cost track and civil engineering works to the project. Sadly though the engineering was sound and could have stood the test of time economic factors cut the railway's life short. The visitor to this beautiful valley today will find little evidence that the railway was ever here.

The Golden Valley Light Railway
This 3/4 mile 2' gauge line brings a taste of the Narrow gauge to the Butterley Railway Centre in Derbyshire. The centre is close to the scenic splendour of the Peak District National park.