After the Gwili Railway trip, our next stop was at the Forestry Commission site at Bwlch Nant yr Arian. This was a good place for lunch, and to enjoy the landscape. While the red kites didn’t get low enough for me to get any clear pictures of them[1], we did at least see them wheeling overhead. Not only that, but we could just see Aberystwyth in the distance. From there, the next stop was on the coast at Borth, where the gulls were much more obliging, and did let me get some good shots. Not only that, but the sun shone a bit, too.

We then passed through some stunning countryside and passed through Barmouth before stopping at Harlech. Last year, the rain was so heavy at Harlech that I had to abandon the plan of taking pictures of the castle, but this time it was a lot better. All that can be seen in the gallery below.

[1] Note to self: pack the 70-200mm lens next time!

Our first stop on the way to North Wales was the Gwili Railway. We took the train to from Bronwydd Arms to Danycoed and on the way back had a refreshment stop at Llwyfan Cerrig. In this gallery, you can see the engine Haulwen, some nicely preserved British Railways coaches, a station or two and Thomas the Tank Engine, who runs on the same line on certain days. Haulwen is flying a Thomas flag, which you can see in some of the pictures. At Bronwydd Arms, an old coach is being converted into tea rooms, which should open fairly soon.

As I mentioned at the time, on my first day in Wales I went to Cardiff for the day. In the gallery below you can see a selection of pictures including some architectural details from the National Museum, the City Hall and the Law Courts, some views of Cardiff Castle from its less photographed, and altogether more interesting side, and one of Cardiff’s old shopping arcades, which were a distinctive feature of the city long before modern shopping malls were thought of.

In a quite shocking development, I’ve got to grips with yesterday’s pictures already. This means I’ve still got a load from Wales to do, of course.

Anyway, in the gallery below you can see a selection from the collection at Locomotion. There’s the experimental and not altogether successful tilting Advanced Passenger Train (APT-E) and its tilting gear. There’s the Deltic prototype with a plaque which gives a hint into how the engine got its name. There are some lovingly restored steam engines, some still in need of a bit of work, a goods shed with lists of some of the goods carried, and a cool sculpture thingy that changes colour if you send it a text message. And, as they say, much more. This just gives a taste of what’s there – it’s well worth a visit, and like the main museum in York, admission is free.

Click the thumbnails to see the big versions.