Talyllyn Railway
preserved narrow gauge railway in Wales, UK / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Talyllyn Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Talyllyn) is a narrow-gauge preserved railway in Wales. It runs for 7.25 miles (11.67 km)[1] from Tywyn[a] on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1866 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn. It was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain authorised by Act of Parliament to carry passengers using steam haulage.[2][3] Despite severe under-investment,[4] the line remained open, and in 1951 it became the first railway in the world to be preserved as a heritage railway by volunteers.[5][6]
Talyllyn Railway Rheilffordd Talyllyn | |
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Locomotive No. 4 Edward Thomas stands at Tywyn Wharf station – April 2005 | |
Locale | Wales3 |
Terminus | Tywyn Wharf |
Coordinates | 52.5836472°N 4.088783°W / 52.5836472; -4.088783 |
Commercial operations | |
Name | Talyllyn Railway |
Original gauge | 27 |
Preserved operations | |
Operated by | Talyllyn Railway Company, supported by Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society |
Stations | 7 and 5 halts |
Length | 7.25 miles (11.67 km) |
Preserved gauge | 27 |
Commercial history | |
1866 | Opened |
1911 | Sold to Henry Haydn Jones |
1946 | Quarry closed |
Preservation history | |
1951 | Taken over by the Preservation Society |
1976 | Opening of extension to Nant Gwernol |
2001 | Railway celebrates 50 years of preservation |
2005 | New station building and museum opened at Tywyn --> |
Since preservation, the railway has operated as a tourist attraction. It has increased the amount of rolling stock it has. It has done this by buying and building new locomotives and carriages. In 1976, an extension was opened along the former mineral line from Abergynolwyn to the new station at Nant Gwernol. In 2001, the preservation society celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 2005 a major rebuilding and extension of Tywyn Wharf station took place. This included a much-expanded facility for the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.
The fictional Skarloey Railway was based on the Talyllyn Railway. This fictional railway formed part of the Railway Series of children's books by The Rev. W. Awdry. The preservation of the line inspired the Ealing Comedy film The Titfield Thunderbolt.