One out of 3 isn't bad...

DH and I love historical railways and looked forward to riding on some in the UK. Before we left Australia we did discover that many of the railways don't run until closer to summer and that many would be closed for most of the time we were on holiday. 

Wales seemed our best chance and when we arrived in Aberystwyth  we went around to the little station...

The sign said that the railway was closed until early May! DH walked up the hill behind the station and took some photos...

While he was doing that, that's me down the hill and looking at the waterfront...

Yesterday we drove towards Caravon and stopped at the little rack railway that goes to Snowdonia...it looked promising as the ticket office was open...but the ticket seller wouldn't sell us any tickets in case the second train for the day (and the last!) didn't get enough people to run...he wanted 25 people to buy tickets...once more DH took photos of this fascinating type of railway...the beautifully restored carriage sitting at the platform...

Those 'teeth' on the rack line...these help get the train up steep hills...

The station staff delayed the 1pm train by half an hour in the hope that enough people would turn up to buy tickets...

Here come the 12 midday train back from its trip...

Eventually we were given the news that there would not be another trip yesterday...so we went back to our car and headed for Canarvon...

As we drove towards the castle at Canarvon we saw another railway and I went across the road to make enquiries...this train was running and the next one would leave in just under half an hour. We could also park for free on the station property...what a win! 

The countryside we passed through was gorgeous...

There were lots of sheep grazing...they looked different some how? Then I realised that unlike Aussie sheep, these sheep still had their tails...

We passed a number of clear streams...babbling brooks perhaps? 

We had been told to get off the train at Rhyll Ddu as the train we were on was not returning to Canarvon until the next day...our next train came within a few minutes...

The interior of the second train was a little different...

Don't you love bends on the railway line?...

A couple of ladies out for a run...

Canarvon Castle shrouded in mist, just before we came into the station...

As I said to DH...if the Snowdonia train had been running we would have missed the steam train from Canarvon...and it had been such a lovely ride. A railway staff member did tell us that the mist/fog was so bad that day that not much could be seen from the train that day if we had have got that other train.