Barry Tourist Railway
Barry Tourist Railway
On Sunday 18th February I was granted escorted access to the Barry Tourist Railway for a little photography project that I had been thinking about for a while. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t that great, but it was still a good opportunity for me to get some decent images. I had arranged to meet Mike Baker (one of the volunteers) at 7am hoping to catch the ‘golden hour’ of sunrise and I was instantly impressed with his knowledge of the site and his enthusiasm.
The whole site is such a wonderful reminder of our industrial heritage, that is right on our doorstep here in Barry.
It’s hard to believe that this was once a thriving depot, and just a few hundred yards away would have been the legendary scrapyard of the Woodham Brothers. Unfortunately Mother Nature hasn’t been kind to the area, but I feel it does add to the authenticity of the place. The team of volunteers are working tirelessly to help preserve the area for future generations to enjoy. If you closed your eyes for a second you could just imagine all the steam trains transporting our world famous Welsh Coal to the docks.
The site was the former Home to the ‘Barry 10’, a collection of scrapyard locomotives that were removed from Woodham Brothers in the late 80's when Dai Woodham retired. Many of these locos have found a new lease of life in one way or another.
I would 100% recommend a visit to anyone who cares about the towns heritage or has a interest in trains. You really will be in for a great experience. The railway has some exciting plans for the future, all designed to enhance and increase the existing track, and customer experience.
The Barry Tourist Railway run regular weekend and Bank Holiday services throughout the summer and you can follow their activities on their Facebook page, just click on the link below...
https://www.facebook.com/Barry-Tourist-Railway-196540117115590/
