The Fairbourne Railway has its origins as a 2 ft (600mm) -gauge horse-drawn tramway serving a brickworks, built in 1895. The tramway was converted to a 15in (380mm) -gauge steam-operated line in 1916 and to diesel operation in 1940, the year of its closure. It was rescued and reopened in 1947 and underwent considerable development, culminating in rebuilding as a 12 1/4 in (310mm) line in 1985 on which half-sized replicas of narrow-gauge steam engines operate. It runs some 3km from Fairbourne Station (nprn 41312) to a terminus (nprn 41311) at the tip of the bar opposite Barmouth at the mouth of the Mawddach estuary, where it connects with a seasonal ferry to Barmouth.
RCAHMW, 09 March 2010.