Tour de Wales

Hi everyone, I'm planning a little tour of Wales this Summer, planned to visit Llangollen (for their 60's event) Talylyn, Vale of Rheidol Railway, Ffestiniog and welsh Highland Railways.

I know Llangollen isn't a Narrow Guage Railway but i know my way around there (roughly).

Just after any tips about the other Railways for both on and off the trains. I'm hoping to get some decent weather so I can get about and get some good snaps - again, any advice welcome.

Thanks

 

Tour de Pays de Galles sounds more authentic!

 

Down the road from the Llangollen rly you could check-out the Bala lake railway, I went for the first time during April and at the end of the day I took out membership for the railway. A wonderful set-up, I got the chance to ride on the footplate of Maid Marian within the run-round of Llanuwchllyn station, with 3 grown men on the footplate, rattling round like no-one business, oh I fell in love ( Not with the footplate crew!) just the quirkiness of it all. real escapism.

Then there's the Llwybr MAWDDACH Trail, if you like wildlife, or just a long enough walk then that's a trail for you.

And Barmouth town and Fairbourne + the Fairbourne light railway.

 

Back in 1976 a group of us from Steamport did the following route over the August BH weekend.
Welshpool, Vale of Rheidol, Tywyn, Fairborne, Bala lake and Ffestiniog.
Some we just visited others we rode as well with a 7 little trains rover ticket.
The Sunday evening was when the drought that had struck the North West broke.
I know because I was driving the transit dormobile with the drivers window stuck down and we were leaving Blaenau heading home.

 

don't miss the W&L, it's a gem

 

Off topic, I remember that day, I was in N Wales as well. I was camping along the Llanberis Pass. My cheapo tent would not stay up in the storm (other tents were disappearing up the hillside), I had to break camp and head off in search of a hotel that I couldn't afford. On a motorbike.

 

I'm planning a similar type of adventure for the weekend after next - Llangollen, Ffestiniog, Welsh Highland, Welsh Highland Heritage, Snowdon Mountain (with steam) and Llanberis Lake in one 3 day weekend - oh for another couple of days off to do even more!

 

I remember that summer well too - Iwent to the Montreal Olympics and stayed on in Canada/USA for another four weeks afterwards. The day we left the UK was the last day it rained , and we returned on the next time! Meanwhile, over the pond it was one of the wettest summers on record! On the weekend being discussed here, I was in N. Wales as well, at Bettws-y-Coed on a cross country running pre-season training getogether. Boy was it wet!

 

There are a few 'easy wins' that could be well worth your while, without straying far at all from your initial itinerary: whilst in Port for the FR and WHR, call in at the Welsh Highland Heritage - short ride, interesting museum halfway back, and the possibility of seeing 'Russell' in one piece (or even in steam); not far north from there, the Snowdon Mountain Railway and Llanberis Lake Railway have stations almost opposite each other (then you're almost at Bangor, for the Penrhyn Castle Museum and nascent Penrhyn Railway); and, if you're heading down to the Talyllyn, would recommend making time for the Corris (they are quietly getting on with amazing things).