About the Bala Lake Railway

Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake Railway) occupies the trackbed of the former standard-gauge Ruabon to Barmouth line of the Great Western Railway. Our line runs between the peaceful village of Llanuwchllyn and what was Pen-y-Bont Halt on the opposite side of Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake) to the market town of Bala.

Opened as a 2ft narrow gauge railway in 1972, Bala Lake Railway runs mainly steam-hauled trains over a 4 and half mile section of the old standard gauge route, giving a delightful 9-mile return journey. Most ofthe steam locomotives in regular use are over 100 years old and the railway is the home to the first narrow gauge industrial steam locomotive to be taken into preservation (in 1957).

The train journey provides visitors with excellent views of the lake amid its surrounding pastoral and woodland scenery, and of the nearby mountains, Arenig Fawr, Aran Benllyn and Aran Fawddwy. All year long the valley is full of wildlife including rabbits and hares, herons and buzzards.

To the original buildings much sympathetic development has taken place:

• Llanuwchllyn station buffet was created out of the former waiting room & the seating section was once a waiting room at Morfa Mawddach (Barmouth Junction)
• The main building has been extended on the site of the old toilets to provide a booking office and store room (reusing bricks & slates from other now demolished buildings along the line)
• The canopy supports were made for the Cambrian Railways station at Pwllheli, but were taken down when the station was moved in 1907. They were then used at Aberdovey until 1979 when volunteer workers helped the railway company move them to Llanuwchllyn
• The cattle dock is now the picnic area and the cattle pen area contains our lubricants store
• The stone grain store/goods shed is now a woodworking shop
• Platform two has been allowed grass over, has had trees and shrubs planted to provide a pleasing contrast to the main platform
• The waiting room on platform two is now the railways office
• The ex-GWR Signal Box survives intact with its original lever frame
• Small platforms erected at intermediate halts
• Llangower staion moved to its present position
• Bala station rebuilt and remodelled

To these features newer buildings have been added providing an engine shed/workshop complex and carriage storage shed.

Every effort is made to ensure visitors are made welcome, and where possible visitors are allowed to visit the signal box and loco shed/workshop.

The smaller scale of the railways operation, of the old buildings and locomotives means the railway has all the charm of the old fashioned narrow gauge railway, and it remains a place where the staff and volunteers have time to deal with passengers on an almost individual basis.

Our steam locomotives are all ex-quarry engines, all but one from the Dinorwic slate quarry at Llanberis. Four of the loco’s were built by the Hunslet Engine Company and are all over 100 years old. The odd one out is a Pecket built locomotive from 1911 and was used by Rugby Portland Cement at Southam.

Bala Lake Railway is forever changing. Sometimes in subtle ways, by removing line-side growth to open up fresh vistas and sometimes more permanently, for example by the complete movement and rebuilding of Llangower Station.

You will be assured a warm welcome when you visit us - and if you like what we are trying to do, why not offer to help keep the steam trains running past the Lake of Serenity (Llyn Tegid).

If you feel you could offer your time to the Bala Lake Railway, please contact the Manager here.

Bala Lake Railway Travel & Timetable information