The 2ft 6in gauge Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is today well known as one of the great little tourist railways of Wales, but it began life because of a need to transport agricultural goods in this picturesque part of Wales. After several failed attempts to connect the market town at Welshpool with the rural community around Llanfair Caereinion, the 1896 Light Railways Act paved the way for the railway which opened in 1902.
In The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway: The Story of a Welsh Rural Byway, renowned railway historian , Peter Johnson, tells the story of the line, describing how the early operation by the Cambrian Railways led into the Great Western Railway years and how the line later became the only narrow-gauge steam railway catering for goods traffic under the auspices of British Railways.
Sadly, the railway was closed by BR in 1956, but a group of enthusiasts soon took control of the line and ensured its revival, which started in 1963. Having overcome many obstacles, the railway is now run by a charitable trust and is today one of the leading volunteer-operated tourist attractions in Montgomeryshire.
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway: The Story of a Welsh Rural Byway covers all aspects of the railway:
- The First Proposals
- The Light Railway Order
- Building the Railway
- The Independent Years
- Change of Management and Closure
- A New Life
- Locomotives
- Carriages and Wagons
- Features along the Line
The book also includes 14 separate appendices containing statistical data about the railway, including locomotive lists, costs and revenues, key personnel and other information. Well Illustrated with 200 colour & black and white photographs, maps and track diagrams. 232 pages. Hardback.