Great Little Trains of Wales

In today's post, 8th August 2014, I am using three photographs of jigsaw puzzles representing narrow gauge railways in Wales.

Up first is a 400-piece jigsaw from Philmar titled Festiniog Railway. The jigsaw photograph features a passenger service passing through the glorious Snowdonia National park. The Ffestiniog Railway was saved from dereliction in 1952 and officially re-opened as a commercial venture in 1982. For more historical details about this narrow gauge railway look up the previous post of 20th May 2014. The jigsaw is one of a series of six titled The Great Little Trains of Wales made by Philmar.

The second picture features another jigsaw from the same Philmar series, the Llanberis Lake Railway.  The narrow gauge railway runs for 2.5 miles from Gilfach Ddu Station Llanberis, to Pen Llyn, along the northern shore of Lyn Padarn in Snowdonia. Trains run from Easter until September. The little red locomotive in the jigsaw photograph is a Hunslet 0-4-0 saddle tank type built in 1889, and named Elidir. The latter was originally built for working the Dinorwic Quarry and named Enid; she was re-named Red Damsel later.

The Talyllyn Railway Wales is the title of the next jigsaw, a 320-piece example from Tower Press under the 'Mallard' brand. The Talyllyn Railway was built in 1864 to carry slate from Bryn Eglwys quarry to Tywyn where it was distributed via the main line. The railway closed in 1946 following a serious rock fall but was re-opened by the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in 1951 and became the world's first preserved railway. The jigsaw photograph includes a small locomotive No.1 Talyllyn, taking on water, possibly at Dalgoch Falls. The background comprises rhododendron bushes in full bloom and several passengers, in summer clothes, waiting to board the train.