• Steam Locomotives
• Diesel Locomotives

Steam Power

Bala Lake Railway aims to run steam trains on each day of timetabled operation. All but one of the 5 steam locos currently at Llanuwchllyn were built by the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds, England. Each of the Hunslet locomotives are 0-4-0 ST (saddle tank) coal-fired and were all made for the extensive 2ft narrow gauge systems that operated within the Dinorwic Slate Quarry, Llanberis, North Wales. The odd one out was built by Peckett & Co. in Bristol and spent all its working life at a cement and limeworks in the english midlands.

Holy War, Hunslet works no. 779

Supplied new to the Dinorwic Slate Quarry in 1902, Holy War worked up to 1,860 feet above sea level. She was the last steam locomotive to work in a British slate quarry finishing at Dinorwic in November 1967, ending 120 years of steam in the quarries.

After leaving Dinorwic she was taken to Quainton Road, near Aylesbury, for preservation. In 1975, Holy War was purchased by Rev. Alan Cliff, then Minister of Wrexham Methodist Church, & arrived at Llanuwchllyn that December. Following overhaul she entered passenger service in 1979, & has worked regularly ever since, except for extensive boiler repairs 1985-1987. Holy War was purchased from Alan Cliff by the railway company in 1989, securing its long term future at Llanuwchllyn.

Maid Marian, Hunslet works no. 822

Maid Marian was built in 1903 and delivered to Dinorwic where it worked until 1964 when it was withdrawn from service. In 1965 a group of enthusiasts clubbed together, formed the Maid Marian Locomotive Fund (MMLF) and bought the loco for preservation.

The loco, bought by the MMLF and which has been on the Bala Lake Railway since 1975 has the frames and many of the numbered parts of King of the Scarlets (HE 492 of 1889) because the works at Dinorwic swapped components around when major overhauls took place.

Late in 2004, Maid Marian was withdrawn from service and stripped down so that a new boiler could be made. This work, entirely paid for by members of the MMLF was completed by end of 2006 and the loco was rebuilt in the Llanuwchllyn workshops of the Bala Lake Railway, re-entering service 28 May 2007 resplendent in the colour scheme she carried while at Dinorwic.

Alice, Hunslet works no. 780

Built in 1902, Alice is the sister engine to Holy War (No. 779). She worked at Dinorwic until about 1960. She was then used for spare parts at the quarry and purchased as a source of spare parts by the then owner of Holy War.

In 1977 the remaining parts were gathered together at the Bala Lake Railway and in 1987 these remains were purchased by BLR volunteer worker Chris Scott & work started on restoration. The remains were later moved to the owners garage, the Ffestiniog Railway and onto the Leighton Buzzard Railway who agreed to finance the new boiler.

Alice returned to steam in 1994, having been rebuilt in the style of quarry locomotives - cabless and with dumb buffers made from large lumps of timber. The locomotive moved back to the Bala Lake Railway in 2003.

George B, Hunslet works no. 680

Built in 1898 and originally named Wellington, the engine was purchased from Dinorwic in 1965 by Alan White and moved the loco to Ashchurch, Gloucestershire of the Dowty Railway Preservation Society. The engine ran for a couple of years on the Dowty line but was withdrawn from service in 1969 and stripped down to enable a total overhaul to be carried out. Due to changing circumstances, while much work has been done on components, the loco was not reconstructed.

Following an agreement between Alan White and Bala Lake Railway, all the parts have now been moved to Llanuwchllyn to enable full rebuild to take place. Steady reconstruction work has happened since its arrival and it is hoped that once complete, the loco will join the working fleet hauling passenger trains.

Triassic, Peckett works No. 1270

An 0-6-0 ST locomotive built in 1911 by Peckett & Sons of Bristol. The engine spent its entire working life at Kaye & Co. Lime and Cement Works, who had an extensive rail network around their quarry and works at Little Itchington, near Southam, Warwickshire. Kaye & Co had six 'identical' Peckett locomotives, all named after types of rock.

Triassic is a pioneer of preservation, having been the first industrial loco to be bought for private preservation in 1957 by the late J.B. Latham.

The loco is now owned by Bryce Latham who has reached an agreement with the Bala Lake Railway to enable a full "heavy" overhaul of the locomotive to take place. It is hoped that Triassic will be fully restored to working condition in the future.