Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid-Wales

Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid-Wales
Author: James I. C. Boyd
Publisher:
Total Pages: 392
Release: 1965
Genre: Narrow gauge railroads
ISBN:

Jimmy the Hand, boy thief of Krondor, was a pickpocket with potential-- until the day he met Prince Arutha, and ran afoul of Black Guy's secret police. His youthful bravado and courage will plunge him deep into the maw of chaos and perhaps even death.

Railways in North and Mid Wales in the Late 20th Century

Railways in North and Mid Wales in the Late 20th Century
Author: Peter J. Green
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2022-06-16
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1399091239

The coastal and mountain scenery around the railway lines of North and Mid Wales is among the best in Great Britain. Here we look at the British Railways lines and the trains that ran on them in the years between 1980 and 2000, as recorded by my cameras during my many visits to the area. A few photographs from earlier years are also included to help to complete the picture. During this period of time, quite a lot of mechanical signalling and many old station buildings still remained, all adding to the railway atmosphere. Featured here are the North Wales Coast line and its branches, the former Cambrian line from Welshpool to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, and the Welsh section of the Shrewsbury to Chester line. While the emphasis is very much on the main lines, the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, closed by British Railways in 1956 and reopened as a heritage railway, and the Llangollen Railway on a section of the former Ruabon to Barmouth line also feature, as does the Vale of Rheidol Railway, sold by British Rail into private ownership in 1989. A few photographs of the steam specials that regularly ran on the main lines are also included.

The Corris Railway

The Corris Railway
Author: Peter Johnson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 387
Release: 2019-10-30
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1526717557

An extensively illustrated history of this Welsh railway—and the effort to restore it. One of Wales’ oldest narrow gauge railways, the 2ft 3in gauge Corris Railway was built to carry slate from several quarries in the Dulas valley to wharves on the river Dyfi. At first forbidden to use steam locomotives or to carry passengers, it overcame these obstacles and became an essential part of the community that it served. It was also a forerunner in encouraging tourists, offering inclusive tours to nearby Talyllyn, with passengers traveling on the train and on railway-operated road services. Taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1930, the railway was closed by British Railways in 1948, apparently for good. Fortunately, the last two steam locomotives and some rolling stock was saved by the nearby Talyllyn Railway, where it played an essential role in that railway’s preservation. Eventually, the thoughts of enthusiasts turned to reviving the Corris Railway, and, after many twists and turns, the first passengers were carried on a short section in 2002. In this book, historian Peter Johnson has delved into many sources to uncover the intricacies of the railway’s origins, development, operation, and revival.

The Vale of Rheidol Railway

The Vale of Rheidol Railway
Author: Peter Johnson
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2020-04-30
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1526718081

Built to carry minerals from mines in the Rheidol valley, the 2ft gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway found its niche carrying tourists to the tourist attraction at Devil’s Bridge, 12 miles inland from the Cardigan coast resort of Aberystwyth. Taken over by the Cambrian Railways and then the Great Western Railway, it became the last steam railway operated by British Rail. In 1989 it became the first part of the national network to be privatized. Now under the control of a charitable trust it is undergoing a revival that will see it become one of the leading tourist attractions in Mid-Wales.

Light Railways in England and Wales

Light Railways in England and Wales
Author: Peter Bosley
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Total Pages: 234
Release: 1990
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9780719017582

Volume three in this series focuses on the basic principles of light pulse compression through chirp generation and compensation inside and outside the laser cavity. Traces the developmental of light railways from before the 1896 Light Railways Act, and places the failure of the subsequent expansion in the context of financial problems of the rail industry as a whole, due most especially to the concurrent rise of motor traffic. Assesses the impact on the remote areas served, and follows the form of transportation to its terminal decline between the wars. For historians and rail buffs. Distributed by St. Martin's. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Narrow Gauge Railways

Narrow Gauge Railways
Author: Peter Johnson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 65
Release: 2013-07-10
Genre: History
ISBN: 0747813922

Narrow gauge railways, so well suited to difficult, mountainous terrain, were built in many of the UK's most scenic locations. Their genesis was in mines and quarries where they replaced manor horse-pulled wagons, but their adaptability meant that by the 1860s they were also carrying passengers, in some cases over quite considerable distances. Today a good proportion of all the important lines survive in the service of tourists, whose appreciation of the landscape, and the railways themselves, keep these relics of industrial Britain alive in all their variety. Peter Johnson has been researching and writing about narrow gauge lines for many years, and this is the perfect introduction to a rich and appealing corner of British railway history.

The Snowdon Mountain Railway

The Snowdon Mountain Railway
Author: Peter Johnson
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2021-12-30
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1526776103

The Snowdon Mountain Railway is one of the great narrow gauge railways of North Wales, with thousands of visitors travelling to the summit of Mount Snowdon along the line each year. This book covers the history of this historic and interesting line from its beginnings in the 1890s through to the present day. The author Peter Johnson has been writing about narrow gauge railways for many years and has a deep knowledge of the lines in North and Mid Wales. The Snowdon Mountain Railway is an important part of the tourist industry in North Wales and plays a vital part in providing transport in this popular and much visited area. This volume looks at the narrow gauge railway's history and development, taking in the present and future development of this fascinating line's operation.