First preserved railway

The first railway to be preserved was the Talyllyn Railway, which runs 7.25 miles (11.6 km) through the Fathew Valley from Tywyn Wharf station to Nant Gwernol in Gwynedd, Wales. A former commercial railway operation, it was taken over by the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society as a tourist attraction and reopened on 14 May 1951. Preserved railways have become popular tourist attractions throughout the world, from America to Australia. The increasing number of preserved tourist railway sites give pleasure to thousands of visitors of all ages each year. Opened in 1866 on a track gauge of 2 ft 3 in (686 cm), the line was originally built to carry slate from Bryneglwys Quarry to Tywyn. By 1951 the quarry had closed and passengers were few in number, so the line looked certain to close. Following a public appeal, theTalyllyn Railway Preservation Society was formed and the Talyllyn line operated its first train as a preserved railway on 14 May 1951. As of March 2012, the line is still in operation.