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The Barry Island Railway is a heritage railway
Heritage railway

A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a term used for a railway which is run as a tourist attraction, is usually but not always run by volunteers, and seeks to re-create railway scenes of the past....
 based at Barry
Barry, Wales

Barry is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles SSW of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park....
 in the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan

The Vale of Glamorgan is an exceptionally rich agricultural area in the southern part of Glamorgan, Wales. It has a rugged coastline, but its rolling countryside is quite atypical of Wales as a whole....
, South Wales
South Wales

South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west....
.

An unusual aspect of the railway is that for several hundred yards across from Barry to Barry Island the trackbed used is directly alongside the Network Rail
Network Rail

Network Rail is a United Kingdom "not for dividend" company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a company limited by shares....
 track which uses the original down line, with the BIR using the up. This continues across the Causeway bridge where the lines diverge into separate platforms at Barry Island.






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The Barry Island Railway is a heritage railway
Heritage railway

A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a term used for a railway which is run as a tourist attraction, is usually but not always run by volunteers, and seeks to re-create railway scenes of the past....
 based at Barry
Barry, Wales

Barry is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles SSW of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park....
 in the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan

The Vale of Glamorgan is an exceptionally rich agricultural area in the southern part of Glamorgan, Wales. It has a rugged coastline, but its rolling countryside is quite atypical of Wales as a whole....
, South Wales
South Wales

South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west....
.

An unusual aspect of the railway is that for several hundred yards across from Barry to Barry Island the trackbed used is directly alongside the Network Rail
Network Rail

Network Rail is a United Kingdom "not for dividend" company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a company limited by shares....
 track which uses the original down line, with the BIR using the up. This continues across the Causeway bridge where the lines diverge into separate platforms at Barry Island. The Railway does not consider itself a line but more of a network as it has two different routes. This is reflected in the map below, with Network Rail shown in blue.

In November 2008, the land owner the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Vale of Glamorgan Council

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is the governing body for the Vale of Glamorgan, one of the Subdivisions of Wales. It is run by the Conservative Party after the United Kingdom local elections, 2008, taking over the council from no overall control....
, under took a commercial tender
Tender

Tender may mean:Tender is a London-based charity that works to prevent domestic and sexual violence....
 exercise, which terminated the lease of previous operator the Vale of Glamorgan Railway
Vale of Glamorgan Railway

The Barry Island Railway is a heritage railway based at Barry, Wales in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.An unusual aspect of the railway is that for several hundred yards across from Barry to Barry Island the trackbed used is directly alongside the Network Rail track which uses the original down line, with the BIR using the up....
 in favour of a private operator, Cambrian Transport under a 10year lease.

History

In 1996, the Butetown Historic Railway Society was formed in Cardiff, running service along a short piece of line from Butetown
Butetown

Butetown is a district in the Cardiff South of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was originally a model housing estate built in the early nineteenth century by John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, for whose title the area was named....
. Evicted by the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation

The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up by the government of the United Kingdom on 3 April 1987 to undertake redevelopment of one sixth of the area of Cardiff to create Cardiff Bay....
, the company was offered a lease by the Vale of Glamorgan Council on Barry Island railway station
Barry Island railway station

Barry Island railway station is a railway station serving Barry Island in Wales. Fifteen kilometres south-west of Cardiff Central railway station, it has been the terminus - and only active station - of the Barry Island branch of the Vale of Glamorgan Line since the closure of Barry Pier railway station station in 1976....
, with financial aid from the Welsh Development Agency
Welsh Development Agency

The Welsh Development Agency was an Assembly Sponsored Public Body established in 1976 to encourage business development and investment in Wales....
.

Operations were performed under the management of the Vale of Glamorgan Railway
Vale of Glamorgan Railway

The Barry Island Railway is a heritage railway based at Barry, Wales in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.An unusual aspect of the railway is that for several hundred yards across from Barry to Barry Island the trackbed used is directly alongside the Network Rail track which uses the original down line, with the BIR using the up....
, who operated the services till late 2008. In November 2008 the Vale of Glamorgan Railway
Vale of Glamorgan Railway

The Barry Island Railway is a heritage railway based at Barry, Wales in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.An unusual aspect of the railway is that for several hundred yards across from Barry to Barry Island the trackbed used is directly alongside the Network Rail track which uses the original down line, with the BIR using the up....
 were once again evicted, this time by Vale of Glamorgan Council
Vale of Glamorgan Council

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is the governing body for the Vale of Glamorgan, one of the Subdivisions of Wales. It is run by the Conservative Party after the United Kingdom local elections, 2008, taking over the council from no overall control....
 in favor of a commercial operator.

Route

The Barry Island Railway is centred on the old Barry Island railway station and platforms. The station was maintained by the Vale of Glamorgan Railway and contains a shop, small cafe and museum as well as space for event displays and activities (which have all now gone). The Station Buildings future under the new operator is uncertain. On the other side of the building is the end of the Network Rail platform area and access to the Barry Island Railway platform and two at-present unused bay platforms. The Barry Island Railway line exits the south end of the station to Plymouth Road where the VGR stock is kept and maintained. A small platform allowed visitors to alight and see the VGR's stock as well as further exhibits while the locomotive runs around the train. In the past trains ran through Barry Island station and a tunnel to Barry Pier. At the moment the tunnel is blocked off and used as a shooting range. The railway has long-term ambitions to reopen the tunnel and route to Barry Pier but this will not happen in the short term.

Heading north the line crosses the causeway bridge parallel to Network Rail before taking a sharp right-hand turn and splitting into two branches, one leading up to Hood Road (the Waterfront), the other heading past Woodhams halt to the new terminus at Gladstone Bridge next to the supermarkets.

The running line run's near to the site of the former Woodham Brothers scrapyard. The former wagon repair works building at Barry is now used to store rolling stock.

Some parts of the line, particularly around the Plymouth Road/Barry Island area, were used for several scenes in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British Science fiction on television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien Time travel known as "Doctor " who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box....
 episodes The Empty Child
The Empty Child

"The Empty Child" is an list of Doctor Who serials in the United Kingdom science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on May 21, 2005....
 and The Doctor Dances
The Doctor Dances

"The Doctor Dances" is an list of Doctor Who serials in the United Kingdom science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on May 28, 2005....
 in January 2005.

Rolling stock

Stock marked with an asterisk (*) is located at the former Barry EWS
EWS

English, Welsh and Scottish Railway Ltd was the largest United Kingdom rail freight company; created as a result of the break-up of British Rail during the 1990s....
 depot.

Main-line steam locomotives The last remaining locomotives from Dai Woodham's scrapyard, these locomotives are the remains of the last locomotives left when the yard closed - a group often called the Barry Ten, as there were ten of them. Since then some of them have been removed for use in heritage railway projects and for restoration. These locomotives are not part of the Barry Railway proper, and indeed most are too large to ever run there. Instead the railway receives other benefits in the form of free equivalent steaming days from the recipients of the locomotives. All these locomotives are rusting hulks, stored and are not publicly viewable except on certain event days such as the Barry Waterfront Festival. The Barry Ten are under the management and ownership of the local council.

  • BR 2-6-4T Class 4MT
    BR standard class 4 tank

    The British Railways Standard Class 4 tank was a class of steam locomotive, one of the steam locomotives of British Railways built during the 1950s....
     no. 80150*
  • BR 2-10-0 Class 9F
    BR standard class 9F

    The British Railways BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for British Railways by R.A. Riddles. The Class 9F were the last in a series of standardised locomotive classes designed for British Railways during the 1950s, and were intended for use on fast, heavy freight trains over long distances....
     no. 92245*
  • GWR
    Great Western Railway

    The Great Western Railway was a History of rail transport in Great Britain that linked London with the south west and west of England and most of Wales....
     2-8-0 2800 Class
    GWR 2800 Class

    The Great Western Railway 2800 Class is a class of steam locomotive designed by G.J. Churchward for heavy freight work. They were the first 2-8-0 class in Great Britain....
     no. 2861*
  • GWR 2-6-2T 5101 Class
    GWR 5101 Class

    The Great Western Railway 5101 Class or GWR 2-6-2T is a class of 2-6-2T steam locomotives. These locomotives were medium-sized tank engines designed for stopping passenger work....
     no. 4115*
  • GWR 2-8-0T 5205 Class
    GWR 5205 Class

    The Great Western Railway 5205 Class is a class of 2-8-0T steam locomotives. They were designed for short-haul coal trips from coal mines to ports in South Wales....
     no. 5227*
  • GWR 0-6-2T 5600 Class
    GWR 5600 Class

    The Great Western Railway 5600 Class is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive built between 1924 and 1928....
     no. 6686*
  • LMS
    London, Midland and Scottish Railway

    The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a United Kingdom railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act 1921, which required the grouping of over 300 separate railway companies into just four....
     4-6-0 Class 5MT no. 44901*


Diesel locomotives
  • BR 0-6-0 Class 08
    British Rail Class 08

    The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel locomotive designed for shunting. It was the standard BR diesel-electric shunter, based on the LMS 12033 series ....
     no. 08481*. Non-operational, awaiting overhaul. - Owned Traditional Traction
  • BR 0-6-0 Class 08
    British Rail Class 08

    The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel locomotive designed for shunting. It was the standard BR diesel-electric shunter, based on the LMS 12033 series ....
     no. 08511. Operational (Arrived 09/07/07). - Owned Traditional Traction


Electric Multiple Unit trailers
  • BR Class 488/2
    British Rail Class 488

    The British Rail Class 488 are unpowered trailer sets, converted from British Rail Mark 2 coaches for the Gatwick Express service from London Victoria railway station to Gatwick Airport....
     unit 488206 (72505+72629)
  • BR Class 488/3
    British Rail Class 488

    The British Rail Class 488 are unpowered trailer sets, converted from British Rail Mark 2 coaches for the Gatwick Express service from London Victoria railway station to Gatwick Airport....
     unit 488311 (72620+72710+72621)
  • BR Class 489
    British Rail Class 489

    The British Rail Class 489 is a type of electrical multiple unit, specially converted for use on Gatwick Express trains, from London Victoria station to Gatwick Airport....
     unit 489110 (68509)


External links