The operational base is at Aberystwyth, where there is an engine shed. Heavy overhauls are undertaken in a purpose-built workshop on the south side of the line. From 30 May 2023, Hywel Dda University Health Board patients will be able to receive outpatient physiotherapy clinics on the ground floor of the Canolfan Rheidol building in Aberystwyth. The control room at the Rheidol hydropower plant also monitors the operations of Statkraft’s onshore wind farms in the UK. Leaving Capel Bangor the line passes the Rheidol Riding Centre before it begins to climb steeply through the woods at Tanyrallt. After about 10 minutes the train reaches Nantyronen a small country station and request stop. Here locomotives take water from the water column before the train continues on the climb to Aberffrwd.

We went on an afternoon trip going up and returning down the Rheidol valley. The fares are quite expensive but if you can afford it it is worth upgrading to first class to get an even better view which is quite spectacular.

The plant covers an area of 162 square kilometres and is made up of an interconnected group of reservoirs, dams, pipelines, aqueducts and power stations. Their highest peak is situated at 750 meters above sea level in the Plynlimon mountain range. Titled “Wales to the World” it will see the current terminus at Park Avenue, Aberystwyth transformed into a Great Western Railway style station suitable for the modern tourist together with the creation of a multifunction display and entertainment facility within our former steam locomotive shed. Alison Shakeshaft, Executive Director of Therapies and Health Science for Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to enable the health board to bring clinical services closer to home for residents in the north of Ceredigion, complementing the health board’s strategic vision to bring services closer to local communities and to support them to live active, healthy lives. Turn off the A44 (Aberystwyth -Llangurig road) at Capel Bangor towards Cwm Rheidol. Follow the road 4 miles down the valley.

The new railway from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge". Lancashire Evening Post. British Newspaper Archive. 23 December 1902 . Retrieved 17 September 2016– via British Newspaper Archive. Between Devil's Bridge and Aberystwyth runs a narrow-gauge steam railway, the Vale of Rheidol Railway. This was originally built to ship metal ore from the mines, but now provides a very popular tourist route to the top end of the Rheidol valley. A legend tells of how the mountain king sent forth his three daughters – the rivers Severn, Wye and Rheidol. Each took different routes to the sea – the severn rose early and followed a long meandering route, the Wye a similar but shorter route, while the Rheidol, rising late, rushed down the shortest route it could, tripping and leaping all the way to Cardigan Bay.Hop aboard at Aberystwyth and watch the scenery passing by your window. You will soon see the countryside change travelling through wide open fields, ancient woodland and rugged mountain scenery as the line twists and turns, clinging to the hillside to reach Devil's Bridge - home of the famous Mynach Falls and Devil's Punchbowl. The railway is promoted as one of The Great Little Trains of Wales, a joint marketing scheme launched in 1970 that encompasses eleven narrow gauge railways, mostly found in Wales. [23] It continues to operate as a tourist railway, operating between Easter and the end of October, with extra services during February half-term and at Christmas. The timetable provides the operating dates. [24] During the summer months, the railway offers a Driver for a Fiver experience on a short demonstration line at Devil's Bridge station. Trains normally wait for one hour at Devil's Bridge station before returning to Aberystwyth. Alight at one of the recently restored intermediate stations and explore the many walks the valley has to offer. If you would like more time than an hour to explore, you may return by a later train. Please discuss this with the Guard.

Dinas Reservoir and Nantymoch Reservoir provide an excellant angling experience. Both lakes are bank fishing only. Nantymoch is fly only but on Dinas spinning and worming are also allowed.By the time the railway was ready to open in 1902, lead mining in Ceredigion was in steep decline. However a significant growth in tourism was under way, and the carriage of passengers soon became the principal traffic of the railway. It opened for mineral traffic in August 1902 and for passengers on 22 December 1902, [5] using two 2-6-2T locomotives built by Davies and Metcalfe and the aforementioned Rheidol, built by Bagnall. [6]

Along the Nature Trail you will follow in the footsteps of the monks of the past and enjoy views of the spectacular 300 ft waterfalls deep withing the Rheidol gorge. To learn more about the power station and the landscape that that feeds it, visit the Statkraft Rheidol Powerstation Visitor Station. Next door is the Magic of Life Butterfly House. Cross the Rheidol at the wier to reach the Aberffrwd station of the Vale of Rheidol Railway. As dusk falls, the water of the wier dances in the pretty floodlights. Aberystwyth is served by Traws Cymru T1, T1C, T2 and T5 busses. Arriva and Lloyd's Coaches also operate local bus services. Upland Molinia spp. grassland is common growing on deep deposits of peat. Within the valleys, dense and ancient oak forests with rich understoreys of ferns, mosses and lichens are common. In the valley bottom, glacial and alluvial deposits have been worked by man into low intensive agriculture.

The Rheidol river meanders its way through lowland meadows on the final stretch of its journey to the sea. At Aberystwyth, it flows under Trefechan bridge into the harbour to join the Ystwyth in the harbour. We suggest avoiding parking at the main line railway and local shopping centre car parks as higher charges apply. On 1 January 1922, as part of the Cambrian Railways the line was grouped into the Great Western Railway (GWR). [12] A new station opened next to main standard gauge station in Aberystwyth. [6] The GWR invested quite significantly in its new asset, overhauling one of the two Davies & Metcalfe locomotives and building two brand new locomotives at Swindon, which arrived in 1923. Works records appear to show that the GWR carried out heavy repairs to the original Prince of Wales whereas in reality the locomotive was scrapped and a brand new locomotive built to replace it. [13] Rheidol was withdrawn from traffic in 1924. [14] New open carriages were built to replace the home-made examples used by the VoR and Cambrian, and in 1938 the closed carriages were entirely replaced by high quality modern replacements, all of which are still in service today. The railway is a registered charity, dedicated to preserving the heritage railway for future generations to enjoy. The historic coal fired steam locomotives and vintage carriages were built by the Great Western Railway in the 1920s and 30s and are now fully restored. There are a number of tourist attractions in the Rheidol valley. These include the Devil's Bridge waterfalls where three bridges, each built over the previous, span the top of a spectacular waterfall.