Goods & Engineering Wagons

Bala Lake Railway has either built or converted a number of wagons for its own use. Many have been re-gauged down to the lines 2ft gauge and have come from UK Ministry of Defence sites, where military progress and development has seen the removal of railways as a transport system. The wagons are used to carry coal, track materials, tools, maintenance people and anything else that needs to be moved from place to place on the railway.

CaToFlat

Built in the railways own workshops, the CaToFlat (part Carriage, part Tool Van, part Flat wagon) replaced at least 3 privately-owned vehicles.

Constructed on the chassis of carriage No. 3 (was a 42 seat compartment coach built in 1973 & withdrawn in 1979 originally constructed by MFD Engineering of Wrexham), was the first of the rapidly expanding railway-built good wagons and is used for track maintenance, able to carry all of the requirements of tools, people and parts needed.

Bogie Steel Sided Wagons

Bogie drop-well wagon built at Llanuwchllyn - copyright Bill Hyde

To replace privately owned bogie wagons, the railway has created a fleet of bogie steel sided wagons, using ex-MOD and ex-(Channel) Tunnel Company wagon frames.

The fleet includes some of well-wagon design and are used for coal in summer and to carry everything from chopped down trees to sand & gravel in winter.

Flat Wagons

4-wheel flat waiting new planked floor - copyright Bill Hyde

To cater for the times when a flat wagon is required, the railway has acquired 2 bogie flats (which were re-gauged at Llanuwchllyn) and 4 ex-RNAD 2ft. 6in gauge 4-wheel frames that have been re-gauged and planked.

Flat wagons are ideal for moving long lengths of rail and for storing and carrying sleepers.

Other Wagons

Small wagon built at Llanuwchllyn - copyright Bill Hyde

A variety of other, small 4-wheel ex-MOD wagons are used for everything from moving coal ash to forming a weed-killing train.

Some have been purpose built (like the one pictured) and others are used in an 'as designed state'.

Supported by Volunteers

The railway is supported by Bala Lake Railway Society (Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid), whose members provide train crews & carry out repairs & maintenance to the line's infrastructure.

You do not need to be a member to volunteer on the railway but new members are always welcome.

Accumulated society funds are used to benefit the railway. One example was the partial cost of the rebuilding of Glanllyn/Flag Station.

Visit the society website for further information and details of how to join.

Photo Gallery

Rolling Stock