TODAY we share a handful of pictures from the history of one of Powys' most beloved tourist attractions.
The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway was first opened in 1903, using an unusual 2ft 6 in gauge, providing a service for passengers and goods between Welshpool, where it connected to the Cambrian Railways main line, and Llanfair Caereinion about nine miles away.
The first section of the line passed through the streets of Welshpool.
This was never an industrial area and the principal traffic was always livestock and other agricultural supplies and products.
The passenger service was discontinued by the Great Western Railway in 1931 due to a lack of profits although freight trains continued to run until 1956.
Almost immediately after closure a preservation society was formed and the stretch between Llanfair Caereinion and Castle Caereinion reopened in 1963.
On 13 December 1964, the western masonry pier supporting the steel girder bridge over the Banwy river was seriously damaged by flood waters and the bridge dislodged.
During the spring and early summer of 1965 the 16th Railway Regiment of the Royal Engineers replaced the damaged masonry pier with a fabricated steel one and repositioned the span.
Train services between Llanfair Caereinion to Castle Caereinion resumed on 14 August 1965, extending to Sylfaen in 1972 and eventually a new terminus in Welshpool in 1981.
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