European Railroad Discussion > UK: Wales: A Visit to Brecon Mountain Railway

On Tuesday, July 15, 2014, we visited Brecon Mountain Railway, which operates from Pant near Merthyr Tydfil along the full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir to Torpantau, Wales, United Kingdom. This 2-foot gauge railway is laid on the roadbed of a former standard gauge railway. An interesting railway museum exists a mile or so north of Pant at Pontsticill.

Power for our train was Brecon Mountain Railway 2, 4-6-2 (BLW 61269 / 1930), 2-foot gauge, ex-Eastern Province Cement Co., Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This Baldwin locomotive is one of only a handful of serviceable US-built steam locomotives operating in the United Kingdom.

Also serviceable at Brecon Mountain Railway are the following locomotives:

• "Graf Schwerin-Löwitz" 0-6-2 (Jung 1261 / 1908), 60 cm gauge, ex-Mecklenburg Pommersche Schmalspurbahn, Germany
• "Sybil" 0-4-0 (Hunslet 827 / 1903), 2-foot gauge, ex-Pen-Yr-Orsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle near Caernarfon, North Wales, United Kingdom
• "Pendyffryn" 0-4-0 (De Winton & Co., Caernarfon, Wales 0000 / 1897), 2-foot gauge, ex-Pen-Yr-Orsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle near Caernarfon, North Wales, United Kingdom
• "Redstone" 0-4-0 (Mr. Redstone / Penmaenmawr Granite Quarry [no works number] / 1903), 2-foot gauge

Under repair is: Brecon Mountain Railway 1, 2-6-0 (BLW 15511 / 1897), 1' 11-3/4" gauge, ex-Mogyana Railway, Brazil

Incredibly, Brecon Mountain Railway is constructing two new steam locomotives, both being built using original Baldwin drawings of Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes locomotives:

• Brecon Mountain Railway 3, 2-6-2; based on Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes 23, 2-6-2 (BLW 40733 / 1913), 2-foot gauge, original locomotive scrapped in 1936.
• Brecon Mountain Railway 4, 2-4-4, Forney; based on Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes 10, 2-4-4 (42231 / 1916), 2-foot gauge, original locomotive scrapped in 1936.

Brecon Mountain Railway: http://www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk/

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