Vale of Rheidol Railway

Aberystwyth, Wales - The Vale of Rheidol Railway opened in 1902, to serve the lead mines and timber traffic of the Rhiedol Valley. To save money, and in deference to the hostile terrain through which the line was forged, the railway was built to a narrower track gauge than the norm, with many sharp curves and steep gradients.

Yet despite the fact the rails are only 1ft 11.75in apart, the three steam locomotives weigh just over 25 tons each and are more than eight feet wide! They are named Owain Glyndwr, Llwelyn and Prince of Wales. The locomotives and coaches were built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon between 1923 & 1938.

Site URL: http://ukhrail.uel.ac.uk/vor.html
Date resource added: 13-Jun-2000
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