Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.
Three Mile Island Historical Marker
Historical Marker.
Naval Air Station Richmond
Today, all that’s left of the mishap-plagued dam is its powerhouse.
Historic Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse
Small steam pumping engines on display at the museum.
The London Museum of Water & Steam
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
about 7 hours ago
You don’t need to go to Turkey to see hundreds of hot air balloons rising.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Find the Most Unusual Festivals in the U.S.?
1 day ago
Located in Indianola, Mississippi, Club Ebony hosted performances by blues legends like B.B. King.
How Club Ebony Helped Keep the Blues Alive in the Jim Crow South
1 day ago
Spot Gentoos and other species of penguins waddling, swimming, and diving from icebergs.
Adventure at Sea: An Explorer’s Guide to Antarctica
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Wales Rhyl Rhyl Miniature Railway
AO Edited

Rhyl Miniature Railway

Britain's oldest miniature railway.

Rhyl, Wales

Added By
Gareth Hacking
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Joan.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Joan.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Albert Barnes Room.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Signals.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Railway mural.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Rhyl Miniature Railway   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Marine Lake Signal Box.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located next to Rhyl harbor and encircling the town's Marine Lake, Rhyl Minature Railway is Britain's oldest miniature railway. From the station house built in 2007, small steam engines carry visitors on a one-mile route during the summer months.

The brainchild of W. J. Bassett-Lowke, the railway opened in May 1911 and has been in continuous use ever since, except between 1969 and 1978, when a dispute over land leasing resulted in its closure and the tracks were removed.

Run today by Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust, a registered charity, the railway is home to a variety of miniature locomotives, with some such Joan and Railway Queen being over 100 years old. There is also a small on-site museum, giving visitors a chance to delve into the railway's history.

Related Tags

Railroads History & Culture Trains

Know Before You Go

Trains run from April to September. Check the website for the timetable, and which days that steam trains are running. The trip takes around five minutes. The booking office and platforms are level, although some with mobility issues might have trouble with the small carriages.

Community Contributors

Added By

Gareth Hacking

Edited By

jooniur

  • jooniur

Published

June 27, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Rhyl Miniature Railway
Rhyl, Wales
United Kingdom
53.313786, -3.50326
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Prestatyn Roman Baths

Prestatyn, Wales

miles away

Roman Helmet

Prestatyn, Wales

miles away

Gwrych Castle

Abergele, Wales

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wales

Wales

United Kingdom

Places 136
Stories 21

Nearby Places

Prestatyn Roman Baths

Prestatyn, Wales

miles away

Roman Helmet

Prestatyn, Wales

miles away

Gwrych Castle

Abergele, Wales

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wales

Wales

United Kingdom

Places 136
Stories 21

Related Places

  • Stockton Diamond Railroad Crossing

    Stockton, California

    Stockton Diamond Railroad Crossing

    In a forgotten Central Valley industrial park lies the busiest railroad junction in California.

  •  Visitors to the Oklahoma Railway Museum can explore—and ride—century-old vessels restored by local train buffs.

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    Oklahoma Railway Museum

    A crew of die-hard train buffs spent decades turning a defunct stretch of railway in Oklahoma City into a museum now home to over 50 antique and restored trains.

  • Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station

    Silver Spring, Maryland

    Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station

    Built in 1945, this historic train station has a new lease on life with its baggage area serving as an event space.

  • Old Two Spot Logging Train

    Flagstaff, Arizona

    Old Two Spot Logging Train

    Crafted in 1911, this steam locomotive spent its entire working life in Flagstaff.

  • National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa

    Portici, Italy

    National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa

    The first Italian factory to produce locomotives is now a marvelous museum.

  • Vișeu de Sus, Romania

    Vaser Valley Forestry Railway

    The last active narrow-gauge forest railway in Europe.

  • Interior of the historic roundhouse.

    Baltimore, Maryland

    The B&O Railroad Museum

    At the birthplace of American railroading, a world-class collection of historic trains.

    Sponsored by Visit Maryland
  • Looking up at the Highball Signal.

    Delmar, Delaware

    Highball Signal

    This relic is one of the last survivors of the earliest eras of the American railroad.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.