Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway

The railway was opened in 1903 to link the rural communities to the market town of Welshpool. The gauge of 2 ft 6 inches allowed for tight curves and steep gradients following the contours of the countryside. Operated at first by the Cambrian Railways, the Welshpool and Llanfair was taken over in turn by the Great Western and British Railways; being run with less and less hope of profit. After 1931 the line was only used for freight traffic until it finally closed in 1956. In 1963 a group of enthusiasts rallied round and reopened the line, searching world wide for suitable rolling stock.

Today the journey begins on the edge of Welshpool. The excitement begins as the train battles up the notoriously steep Golfa Bank accompanied by the sound of the locomotive echoing off the hills. From the open balconies of the unique Austrian coaches you will see the beautiful mid-Wales countryside roll slowly by as you travel deep into the delightful Banwy Valley. The historic steam locomotives hauling the train come from as far away as Finland, Sierra Leone, Austria and even Manchester. You may well see deer, hawks and even otters on your journey through this picturesque part of Wales.

Towards the end of its journey the train follows the River Banwy into the western terminus at Llanfair Caereinion. Here the traveller can visit the shop, have a snack in the popular tearoom or talk to the friendly staff. The railway now has a replica of one of the original timber bodied balcony end coaches (the originals were lost when they were broken up after the cessation of passenger services in 1931) which was built for it by the Ffestiniog Railway at its Boston Lodge Works.

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