A section of the Talyllyn line.
A section of the Talyllyn line.

The railway that inspired Thomas the Tank Engine is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a historic makeover. The Talyllyn line, near Snowdonia in north Wales, was originally built to carry slate from mines to the coast, but its steam trains are now a tourist attraction. The original two locomotives have been repainted ‘Indian Red’, as they were in the 1860s. The line is believed to be the world’s first preserved railway - it was saved from redevelopment by volunteers in 1951. Read more: bbc.co.uk

James Smart

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