Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Talyllyn Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Talyllyn) is a narrow gauge preserved railway in Wales running for 7¼ miles (12 km) from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1865 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, and was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain authorised by Act of Parliament to carry passengers using steam haulage. The line remained open despite many financial struggles, and in 1951 on 14 May it became the first railway in the world to be preserved as a heritage railway by volunteers.
In 2021 the railway was designated a World Heritage Site as part of the slate landscape of north-west Wales.
The fictional Skarloey Railway, which formed part of The Railway Series of children's books by The Rev. W. Awdry, was based on the Talyllyn Railway.
The preservation of the line also inspired the Ealing Comedy film The Titfield Thunderbolt.

Created: Fri, 24 Sep 2021, Updated: Sat, 14 May 2022