I originally based the concept for the Lost Hollow Railway on a logging theme. However, the more I learn about the narrow gauge slate railways of Wales like the Talyllyn and Ffestiniog Railways, the more I’d like to model them. I rode the Ffestiniog back about 20 years ago but would certainly like to get back to the area again.
We definitely would not have such a large number of engines, rolling stock and even the original right-of-ways had it not been for the people who preserved the Talyllyn Railway in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Many of the preservation efforts for narrow gauge steam railways around the world can trace their start to the success of the Talyllyn. While the tone of the following video is a bit condescending, it does show why these “great little trains of Wales” continue to be so successful in the new millennium.
Talyllyn Slate Railway (Wales) circa 1960 [HD]