The narrow-gauge Bala Lake railway uses the permanent way of the former standard-gauge GWR Ruabon–Barmouth line. The railway, which opened in August 1868, was built by the Bala and Dolgelley Railway Company. Its original route ran between the Corwen & Bala Railway at and Cambrian Railways' station at. In 1877 it became part of the network operated byGreat Western. In 1896 was redeveloped with the addition of a passing loop and second platform, extended building and a new signal box. Passenger services through Bala Junction ceased on Monday 18 January 1965 when the line from to was closed. Although originally earmarked for dieselisation by the Western Region of British Railways in the early 1960s, the to Bala–Barmouth line was included in the 1963 Beeching Report. Traffic on the line was gradually reduced and facilities rationalised; the last scheduled through-rail service was the mail train from in December 1964. Long-distance holiday charter trains and through freight traffic were diverted on to the Cambrian main line via. Goods traffic finally ceased on 1 January 1968 when the branch at Pontcysyllte was closed.
Narrow gauge
By 1969 the track had been lifted. Reuse of the line as a narrow-gauge railway began when local engineer, George Barnes, saw the potential of the lakeside section for both local and tourist traffic. With the help of Tom Jones CBE, then Chairman of Merioneth County Council's Finance Committee, they established Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid Ltd, the first company in Wales to be registered exclusively in the Welsh language. Bala Lake Railway opened on 13 August 1972. In its first season, it operated a small industrial diesel engine with two open carriages on of track between Llanuwchllyn and Pentrepiod. Extension work continued throughout this period with the help of local ex-British Rail employees. The line was extended to Llangower by the start of 1973. In 1975 the line reached a new temporary station at Pant-yr-hen-felin. The following year the line reached Bala, now known as Bala. Expansion plans were to extend the line into Bala's town centre, with this final section opening in 1981. However, these plans were abandoned early in that year. The canopy at Llanuwchllyn was built in 1979 with supports which were made for the Cambrian Railways station at Pwllheli, but were relocated to Aberdovey in 1907 when Pwllheli station was moved. The stations along the line are:
Llanuwchllyn, includes the main buildings, cafe, workshops and railway offices.
The company now has the largest collection of historic narrow-gauge quarry locomotives built by the West Yorkshire Hunslet Engine Company specifically for the North Wales' slate industry.
Future developments and expansion
In 2010, the company revived plans to complete the final of the railway to Bala town centre. The Red Dragon Project, under the auspices of the Bala Lake Railway Trust, has been established to build the £2.5 million extension. The plans also include: a new engine shed, a visitor centre as well as rebuilding of the carriage shed, which was completed in 2019, and a new set of carriages. In March 2017, the Trust announced that it had acquired land required in Bala for the new railway terminus. In October 2019, the Trust purchased land from Bala Rugby Club for the extension of the line.
Maid Marian, works number 822. Arrived on the line 1975. It has twice undergone overhaul supported by her owners, the Maid Marian Locomotive Fund.
Holy War, works number 779. Arrived on the line 1975, serviceable 1979.
Alice, works number 780. Bought initially for spares for Holy War, restored to its own right in 1994.
Winifred, works number 364. It was repatriated to the UK from a warehouse at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the US in April 2012. It was restored to working condition in 2015.
George B, works number 680. Entered service in April 2017.
All locos were built by the Hunslet Engine Company for the Dinorwic and Penrhyn Quarries. The numerous Hunslet slate quarry steam locomotives have led the railway to market itself as the home of the Hunslet. Until late 2011, Peckett 0-6-0st Triassic was stored on the Bala Lake Railway, was relocated to the Statfold Barn Railway during the overhauls of Winifred and George B due to storage space issues, but returned in Summer 2016. The four main diesel locomotives are:
Meirionydd, a Bo-Bo diesel-hydrostatic locomotive built by Severn Lamb of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1973, and based on a Western class standard-gauge locomotive outline
Trigger , a Baguley Drewery, works no. 780, which is the railway's main standby diesel, used to haul out of season trains, for yard shunting and goods or works train haulage, which was built as 2 ft 6in gauge for the Royal Navy at Fishguard, purchased by Pete Briddon's Yorkshire Engine Company, regauged to 2 ft, and named 'Bob Davies' in honour of a remarkable local railwayman
