Sean, one of our team, was recently invited on a trip aboard a steam-pulled locomotive in Mid Wales. Here he tells us a bit about the journey.

Locomotive 'Zillertal' at a level crossing © Patrick Cheshire

Europe has a vast number of quirky and scenic railways. In many countries, these are run by heritage groups and volunteers who are passionate about showcasing what their railway has to offer visitors.

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is one of several Welsh railways that are popular with train enthusiasts from across the world. Originally built in 1903, the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (Rheilffordd Ysgafn y Trallwng a Llanfair) linked farmers and communities along the Banwy valley with the market town of Welshpool, where they could sell their produce as well as collecting post and supplies.

It’s called a light railway due to its narrow gauge of 2ft 6ins, chosen to allow for the valley’s tight curves and steep gradient out of Welshpool.

The line closed in the 1950s but thanks to a dedicated group of railway enthusiasts it started to reopen in 1963 and now it offers a delightful seven mile journey through a wonderful part of Mid Wales.

I joined a trip in early spring from Llanfair Caereinion to Welshpool and back pulled by a steam locomotive called 'Zillertal'.

The journey started by boarding one of four carriages. The carriages are from Hungary and Austria due to them sharing the same gauge. The Hungarian carriage I was in had lovely wooden seats and the railway had handily provided cushions. It also was accessible to those who use a wheelchair or need help getting aboard.

Once past the engineering sheds, where essential maintenance and upkeep of the railways’ rollingstock takes place, the journey takes you alongside the River Banwy, past farms and through a very picturesque landscape. Being early spring there were new leaves opening on the trees and bushes and newborn lambs in the fields. The railway embankments were starting to come alive with bluebells, primroses, cowslips and wood anemones.

Every now and then, our attentive volunteer guard would pop by and tell us all what to look out for along the way. Nicola is typical of the volunteers on the railway, passionate about the railway, its route, visitors and the other volunteers. She volunteers once a week with her son, and her husband is currently training to be a fireman on the loco – truly a family affair.

The trip to Welshpool takes about 45 minutes at a nice pace but, in any case, this being rural mid Wales, there’s no real reason to rush.

Some of the level crossings are barrier controlled – as you’d see on any railway on the 21st Century network – but at another the train has to stop to let the fireman off, who then proceeds to halt any traffic with a red flag!

Once at Welshpool, I took a short walk to see some mothballed locomotives in the station. If I had more time to spare, then there’s the rest of Welshpool to explore, including the wonderful Castell Powis Castle.

In my case, it was just a short stop before jumping aboard to head back to Llanfair, where the station café offers snacks. There are also three pubs in the village, if you prefer.

Just down from the station in Llanfair, there’s an unexpected added bonus for transport enthusiasts. The Cloverlands Model Car Museum boasts a collection of over 6,000 model cars including 1,000 Grand Prix models and a collection of American cars with Texan plates!

If you, or your group, would like to take a journey through some wonderful landscapes in Wales by train, please do contact our friendly team today. We can organise all aspects of your tour from the minute you step aboard!