The Vale of Rheidol Railway takes in some of Wales's best scenery, and it's a reminder of our country's miles of popular, vintage railways
The Vale of Rheidol Railway takes in some of Wales's best scenery, and it's a reminder of our country's miles of popular, vintage railways
At Aberystwyth station, we reach the platform through the gift shop. Shelves are filled with paintings and prints of different steam trains from the past century, coloured coasters line ledges and homemade treats, like vanilla fudge, are boxed up in a corner. There’s also Vale of Rheidol Railway-branded stationery., for example, has gathered a huge online following for videos about trains, which may have helped to attract a new breed of passengers to heritage lines.
On the platform, as the locomotive pulls up, there are more than 100 passengers waiting to get on. Pumps of steam spurt into the air and the train lets out an undeniable choo-choo sound. It’s like being transported back in time. The red and yellow carriages are ready to board, and soon children will be poking their heads out the windows to take in the views.Of course, there are no digital tickets. Our paper versions are checked and snipped by a porter on the platform.
Other members of staff, who work on the track before we depart, are in steel-toe boots, tailcoats and flat caps. Their uniforms, which also include black waistcoats with white undershirts, are spotted with oil stains from the track and train wheels. Upgrading to the first-class carriage, which has carpeted floors, tables and wider, more cushioned seats than in second class, isn’t the only change for Shaftoe.
When the train stops at Pontarfynach, it’s just a short walk to Devil’s Bridge Waterfalls, an attraction that tourists have been visiting since the 18th century. Among them was William Wordsworth, whose visit inspiredOne of the waterfalls at Devil’s Bridge
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