Wales West Light Railway

The Wales West Light Railway is a 1.6-kilometre (1 mi)[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]

Wales West Light Railway
Overview
Locale30°30′10″N 87°47′13″W
Silverhill, Alabama
Dates of operation2001–present
Technical
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Length1.6 kilometres (1 mi)
Other
WebsiteWales West Light Railway

Rolling stock

Dame Ann
Steam locomotive Dame Ann in "Pumpkin Patch Express" livery
Dame Ann Exmoor Steam Railway builder's plate showing year of completion and works number.

Dame Ann is an 11,700-pound[1] 0-4-2ST 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
Diesel locomotive Gareth, built by Motor Rail Ltd. operating at Wales West Light Railway in Silverhill, Alabama, USA

Gareth is a Simplex 40S[3] diesel locomotive built by British locomotive-building company Motor Rail in the mid 1960s.[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 1980s.[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. 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.
  2. "Wales West Light Railway official website". Wales West Light Railway. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  3. "Simplex Locomotives". Simplex 40S Locomotive. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
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