News from the Bala Lake Railway
Operating & Maintenance Assistant With the increase in business and activity, and in preparation for the extension of the railway into Bala, this is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to join us as a key member of our small team helping to run the Bala Lake Railway. This…
NEWS UPDATE No. 116 A remarkable year comes to an end, with record support and passenger numbers. General Manager David Jones puts the whole story of the final maintenance operation of the year into erudite perspective. “We had a brilliant response to help with the November track relay, so much…
NEWS UPDATE No. 115 The 11.30 departure on Friday 28th October was noteworthy, not because the management had been feeling mischievous and slotted a double-header into the schedule but because it broke a record. With its departure, the BLR achieved the record for the total number of passengers carried in…
NEWS UPDATE No. 114 What a month! That exclamation has been used before but it was definitely merited this time. The 50th Anniversary Steam Gala over the Bank Holiday weekend topped off our 50th Anniversary celebrations perfectly and was an enormous success, particularly with our ‘guest’ locos from our friends…
NEWS UPDATE No. 113 STOP PRESS! Rumours are rife that Bala Gold, our 50th Anniversary commemorative ale is to return very soon. The first delivery sold out surprisingly quickly, hence the re-introduction in time for the BLR 50th Anniversary and Bank Holiday weekends. We are grateful to General Manager David…
Our locos routinely have their tubes replaced at every 10-year overhaul, and they are expected to last until the next one. When tubes leak like this, it is a matter of expanding the ends where they pass through the tube plates until the metal fits and cures the leak. One…
NEWS UPDATE No. 112 The Bala Lake Railway has done it again! Looking back, we have employed that phrase before but it is with pride and gratitude that the reason has come our way again. Tripadvisor has (and not for the first time) awarded the BLR a Travellers’ Choice Award…
NEWS UPDATE No. 111 As a follow-up to the Jubilee Weekend and the Bala at 50 celebrations, passengers came from far and wide to enjoy the lake and the appealing BLR mode of transport. The half-term week was as busy as ever, indeed the same as last year but the…
NEWS UPDATE No. 110 As this is written (10th May), a film crew from the Welsh television channel S4C is constructing their piece for the evening magazine programme ‘Heno’ about the BLR 50th anniversary celebrations (broadcast 7:00pm 11th May). Filming has taken place along the best and most scenic sections…
Long term supporter of the Bala Lake Railway and resident of the town continues the traditional, highly skilled craft of pattern making. Volunteer, Les Symonds, member of the elite Register of Master Turners, is making a pattern for new chimney tops for Dinorwic Quarry Hunslets, Alice and Holy War. Accurate…
