News from the Bala Lake Railway
January 2016 Update The first month of the year is an opportunity never to be missed on any railway, and the BLR team leapt into action on the onerous task of replacing all the sleepers along a quarter mile stretch of track, which we will cover later. But other activities…
December 2015 Update The railway is now closed for the festive season, and the locos are all drained, oiled and protected against the ravages of the inclement environment. But we ended the year on a real high with record attendance on the Santa Specials, held over the weekend of 12th…
November 2015 Update Much happened in November, but if ever an update merited the codicil ‘weather permitting’, it was the month just passed. However, persistent rain did little to dampen the enthusiasm of staff and volunteers. After all, they were damp enough already, so a little extra went completely unnoticed.…
October 2015 Update If ever there was proof that it gets busierafter the end of the main operating season, then the last month on the BLR is a living testimony. The Halloween specials were an enormous success, the Wednesday Gang has been getting seriously busy again, one popular loco has…
September 2015 Update There is no dispute to the fact that the success of the August Bank Holiday Gala has had an ongoing effect on the railway. September passenger numbers were up by 10% on September last year, and the station café is enjoying even better figures, thus the Bala…
August 2015 Update August may mean holidays and relaxation for a large percentage of the population, but not for staff and volunteers at the Bala Lake Railway. Apart from the dedicated regime of ongoing maintenance, both on motive power and track needs, the return of Holy War’s boiler was eagerly…
July 2015 Update On the basis of ‘onwards and upwards’, the year to date has been very positive, and passenger numbers are up by 11% to the end of July. Even inclement weather (we prefer to call it ‘liquid sunshine’) fails to dampen the spirit of adventure, and a recent…
June 2015 Update We are half way through the year. So far, it has been really positive, and it is getting better. While group passenger traffic is actually down a little on the first six months of last year, the overall passenger figures are up by 14%, and the income…
May 2015 Update After all the excitement that took place in April surrounding Winifred and her triumphant return to service, it might be thought that May would be a quiet month. Not a bit of it! The railway has been breaking records again, and we are proud to announce that…
April 2015 Update The season has started, and what a start. David Jones, the BLR General Manager, writes: The railway re-opened on the 31st of March, in time for the Easter holidays, after a hectic period getting everything – track, engines, carriages, shop, café – through their winter maintenance and ready…
