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The Fairbourne Railway

The Fairbourne Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd y Friog) is a 311 mm gauge miniature railway running for 3.2 km from the village of Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast, alongside the beach to the end of a peninsula at Barmouth Ferry railway station, where there is a connection with the Barmouth Ferry across the Mawddach estuary to the seaside resort of Barmouth (Welsh: Abermaw). The line has provided a service between Fairbourne village and Penrhyn Point since its opening in 1895 as a 610 mm narrow gauge horse-drawn tramway. It was converted in 1916 to 381 mm gauge, and again to its present gauge in 1986. Originally built to carry building materials, the railway has carried holidaymakers for over a hundred years. The railway had mixed fortunes during the inter war years and went through a series of changes in ownership. At one time it was leased to the ferrymen. The railway experienced motive power problems and at one stage experimented with dual gauge track after purchasing a 457 mm gauge locomotive.  The line closed in 1940. The railway was rescued by a consortium of businessmen from the Midlands and after rebuilding, was reopened by 1947. The line's heyday was in the 1960s and early 1970s. At its peak in the 1970s it was carrying in excess of 70,000 passengers a year. Despite that, the advent of mass foreign holidays meant there was a steady decline in passenger numbers during the 1970s and 1980s. The condition of the Fairbourne Railway was in serious decline and in much need of improvements. It was, subsequently, put up for sale and sold again in 1995. After 1995 there was considerable investment in the railway to improve reliability of the locomotives and the quality of the track. In 2008 ownership of the railway was transferred to a charity, the North Wales Coast Light Railway Limited. A subsidy was withdrawn after 2011, leaving the railway's future in doubt. With reductions in staff and by the encouragement of donations the railway has been able to continue in operation. Fairbourne station is the main headquarters of the line and location of the locomotive and carriage sheds and workshops. There is a small museum containing many photographs of the line.

January 3rd 2025

 

 
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