Wales West Light Railway facts for kids
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | 30°30′10″N 87°47′13″W / 30.50278°N 87.78694°W Silverhill, Alabama |
| Dates of operation | 2001–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Length | 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) |
| Other | |
| Website | Wales West Light Railway |
The Wales West Light Railway is a fun tourist railway in Silverhill, Alabama. It's about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) long. This special railway uses a narrow gauge track. This means the tracks are closer together than usual. Ann and Ken Zadnichek own this cool place.
The railway is designed to look and feel like an old-fashioned Welsh railway. Wales is a country in the United Kingdom. Lots of people visit every year, over 30,000! They come to ride the trains and stay at the nearby RV park.
Contents
Meet the Trains!
The Wales West Light Railway has different types of trains. These include steam engines and diesel engines. They also have special cars for passengers to ride in.
Steam Locomotives
Dame Ann
Dame Ann is a steam locomotive. She weighs about 11,700 pounds. She was built in England by a company called Exmoor Steam Railway. Her first test runs were done at the Launceston Steam Railway.
Dame Ann arrived at the Wales West Light Railway in 2004. She looks like the old Penrhyn Port Class locomotives. These were built a long time ago in the 1800s. When Dame Ann was built, she was the first engine like her in 83 years!
Diesel Locomotives
Gareth
Gareth is a diesel locomotive. He was built in the 1960s by a British company called Motor Rail. This train weighs about 2,000 pounds. He was bought to help build the Wales West Light Railway.
Gareth used to look like a steam train. He even pulled a single car in Scotland. His new owners changed his look. Now he looks like other diesel trains made in the 1980s.
Passenger Cars
The passenger cars on the Wales West Light Railway are special. They are copies of old designs from the 1800s. They are made of wood but have strong steel frames. The wheels for these cars come all the way from England. For safety, they also have modern air brakes.
Smaller Railway
The Wales West Light Railway also has a smaller railway. This one uses a 7.5-inch track. It's a miniature railway that you can ride on!
