Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, Heritage narrow-gauge railway in Llanfair Caereinion, Wales.
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway is a narrow-gauge railway connecting two Welsh towns across roughly 8.5 miles of track powered by steam locomotives. The journey passes through open countryside on rails that measure only 2 feet 6 inches wide.
The railway opened in 1903 to move goods between the towns but stopped carrying passengers in 1931, shifting to freight operations instead. It closed completely in 1956, then reopened in 1963 as a heritage attraction for visitors.
The railway preserves locomotives and carriages from across Europe, including examples from Hungary and Austria that carry visitors through Welsh countryside. This international collection shows how narrow-gauge railways were built similarly throughout the continent.
Trains depart from two stations: Welshpool Raven Square and Llanfair Caereinion, with the full journey lasting around 45 minutes in either direction. It helps to decide which station suits your plans, as each offers different arrival points for exploring the surrounding area.
The route includes Golfa Bank, a challenging one-mile section with a very steep gradient requiring specialized locomotive operation techniques. This section reveals the skill of drivers who maneuver these small steam engines over such demanding terrain.
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