Rhyl Miniature Railway
Britain's oldest miniature railway, with a one-mile steam or diesel train ride around Marine Lake in Rhyl and a small hands-on museum at Central Station.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Rhyl Miniature Railway opened on 1 May 1911 around the artificial Marine Lake at the west end of Rhyl. It was the last line built by Miniature Railways of Great Britain, a company run by W. J. Bassett-Lowke with the engineer Henry Greenly, and its route of almost one mile around the lake is still followed today.
In 1912 the line passed to the local firm Rhyl Amusements. Its manager Albert Barnes had six steam locomotives of the Albion class built at his own works in Rhyl from 1920 onwards, and these engines still form the heart of the collection. The railway closed in 1969 when the amusement company left the site. It reopened in 1978 under a concession from the local council, and since 2001 it has been run by the charity Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust with the help of volunteers.
A new station building called Central Station opened in 2007. It contains the Albert Barnes Room, a museum that tells the story of the railway and of Marine Lake, with historic photographs, postcards and objects as well as interactive displays for children. The railway gained Accredited Museum status in 2010, and in 2014 it acquired Prince Edward of Wales, the locomotive that hauled the first trains in 1911.
Highlights
- Train ride of about one mile around Marine Lake, hauled by steam on peak days
- Britain's oldest miniature railway, opened in 1911
- Albert Barnes Room museum with hands-on exhibits, including Billy the engine
- Locomotives built in Rhyl in the 1920s and coaches almost a hundred years old
- Free entry to the museum, station and toilets
Permanent exhibition
- Albert Barnes Room museum – An accredited museum in Central Station about the history of the miniature railway and Marine Lake, with the locomotive Billy, historic photographs and interactive exhibits for younger visitors.
- Founded
- 1911
- Operated by
- Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £4 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £3free up to age 1 · Children aged 2 to 14. Accompanied children under 2 travel free. |
The fare covers a train ride of about one mile around Marine Lake. The station, museum and toilets can be used free of charge without a train ticket. Dogs in the care of their owners travel free. Santa train tickets must be booked online in advance.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Central Station is all on one level and has three entrances, one of them step-free from the pavement of the main road. Each train has a carriage adapted for wheelchair users, with a fold-down ramp and a locking system; ask the guard for help. The ticket office has a hearing loop and a counter at waist height. The platform edge has tactile paving, the toilet doors have tactile and braille signs, and display panels use very large text. The accessible toilet has an alarm cord and a baby changing unit. Dogs are welcome in the building and on trains.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 1 |
|---|
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
The railway describes itself as suitable for children of all ages. Hands-on exhibits in the museum include sitting in the driver's seat of a locomotive, pulling signal levers and a children's quiz. A council-run play area next to the station is aimed at children up to about ten, and crabbing is popular at Marine Lake. Santa trains run in December.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Arriva Cymru bus route 12 (Rhyl railway station to Llandudno) passes regularly, and frequent buses towards Towyn and Abergele can stop next to the station. Taxis wait at the rank by Rhyl railway station.
By car
Paid parking
Marine Lake car park is pay and display, about 150 yards from the station. Alternative pay and display parking is at Quay Street, north of Wellington Road.
The railway is at Marine Lake behind the promenade at the west end of Rhyl, close to the blue bridge and a short walk from the Pont y Ddraig footbridge. Satnav postcode LL18 1AQ. From Rhyl town centre or the Central Promenade it is a walk of about 20 minutes (about one mile).
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The ticket office sells tea, coffee, soft drinks, ice cream and confectionery as well as children's books and gifts, and there is a patio with seating by the lake path. Toilets are free to use.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | A museum visit takes place after the train ride in the Albert Barnes Room, which has a touch-screen presentation, a signalling display, a model locomotive to sit in and a table of objects to handle. Volunteer staff answer questions at the ticket office. |
|---|
