At the turn of the century Blaenafon had two stations - the low level Great Western in the town and the high level station, a little way up the Coity mountain, run by the London and North Western Railway. The last passenger train left for Newport in 1962 and much of the lower road has been built over, but the upper line survived in part and a short section from Furnace Sidings near Big Pit to Whistle Halt, Garn-yr-erw is now operated by the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Society. What is lacking in length is more than compensated for by the many interesting steam and diesel engines to be seen throughout the year - and if you take the trip you end up at the Whistle Inn, a pub well worth visiting.

Hopefully, in the near future the line will be extended southward to the old Blaenavon station and it may even be possible to relay the track further north to what used to be the highest station in England and Wales at Waun Afon. As it is, the steep climb to the Whistle Inn already ensures that there is plenty of effort required by the locomotives, with resultant satisfying noise and smoke from the steam engines!

Wales is well known for its narrow-gauge raiways, the Great Little Trains of Wales, the nearest being the Brecon Mountain Railway some 12 miles (19 kms) from Blaenafon.

If you're interested in heritage railways, there is a good list of the Welsh ones at the Railways in Wales site, and a comprehensive UK list on the Heritage Railways Association site.

The P & B Railway Society have a shop selling models at the lower end of Broad Street which is a good place to drop in for a chat about GWR 0-6-0 Pannier Tanks, if that is your thing. You can even buy shares and part-own one (that special present?). It doesn't cost much to join and support their work, and if you turn up at Furnace Sidings with a paint brush often enough they'll eventually let you drive one!