Wales West Light Railway
Locale |
30°30′10″N 87°47′13″W / 30.50278°N 87.78694°WCoordinates: 30°30′10″N 87°47′13″W / 30.50278°N 87.78694°W Silverhill, Alabama |
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Dates of operation | 2004– |
Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
Length | 1 mile |
Website | Wales West Light Railway |
The Wales West Light Railway is a one mile long[1] 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge tourist railway in Silverhill, Alabama owned by Ann and Ken Zadnichek.[1] It is built to simulate a Welsh narrow gauge railway.[1][2] The railway and associated RV park host over 30,000 visitors annually.[1]
Rolling stock
Locomotives
Dame Ann
Dame Ann is a 11,700 pound[1]steam locomotive built by Exmoor Steam Railway[2] in Bratton Fleming, England.[1][2] Her steam trials were completed at the Launceston Steam Railway in Cornwall.[2] She was delivered to the Wales West Light Railway in 2004.[1][2] Dame Ann is based on the Penrhyn Port Class locomotive built by Hunslet Engine Company in the 19th century.[2] At the time of her construction, she was the first Port Class Hunslet engine built in 83 years.[1][2]
Gareth
Gareth is a Simplex 40S[3] diesel locomotive built by British locomotive-building company Motor Rail in the mid 1960's.[2] The two thousand pound locomotive was purchased from Alan Keef Ltd for use in the construction of the Wales West Light Railway.[2] Gareth originally featured steam out-line body and had been used to pull a single car train in Scotland.[2] His new owners replaced the steam out-line body with a body modeled after the Simplex-type diesels produced by Alan Keef in the 1980's.[2]
Passenger cars
Passenger cars on the Wales West Light Railway are replicas based on plans dating to the 19th century.[2] They are built of wood over steel frames with wheels imported from England, and are equipped with modern air brakes.[2]
7.5 inch railway
Wales West Light Railway also operates a shorter 7.5" gauge miniature ridable railway.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Struck, Taylor Peyton. "All aboard! Wales West Light Railway offers an Alabama twist on a British tradition". AL.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Wales West Light Railway official website". Wales West Light Railway. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ↑ "Simplex Locomotives". Simplex 40S Locomotive. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wales West Light Railway. |
- Wales West Website
- Video on Youtube
- More information on the Motor Rail Simplex 40S
- Simplex 40S history