The Vale of Rheidol Railway is one of the Great Little Trains of Wales, and was the last steam railway owned by British Rail until it was privatised in 1989. Opened in 1902, it was originally built to serve the lead mines in the Rheidol Valley. Passengers and timber also formed the mainstay of traffic on the 1ft 11¾ in gauge route which passes through some of the most rugged terrain of any railway in the United Kingdom. Despite the narrow gauge of the rails, the locomotives and carriages - built at the Great Western Railway's Swindon Works - are as wide as their standard gauge equivalents.
The VoR Railway runs for 11¾ miles from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge. The terminus is adjacent to the national network station at Aberystwyth, and on the hour-long journey passengers have spectacular views of the wooded Rheidol Valley - views unseen for decades until the VoRR began its renovation programme ten years ago. This programme continues today, and will see more views opened up for VoRR passengers, and improved facilities at both terminal stations.
At Devil's bridge, there are walks to Mynach Falls, Devil's Punchbowl and Jacob's Ladder. |
