Swiss Alpine steam train travels 900 miles to Snowdonia

Image source, Switzerland Travel Centre

Image caption, Loco No 2 will be visiting Snowdonia during the month of September

A Swiss train has begun a 900-mile journey from its Alpine home to visit its sister railway in North Wales.

The Loco No 2 from the Brienz Rothorn Bahn (BRB) mountain railway will be used on the Snowdon Mountain Railway during September.

Visitors will be able to ride the steam engine between Llanberis and Waterfall Hallt.

Project manager at Switzerland Travel Centre Nick Robb said bringing the train to Snowdonia was fantastic.

The engine and its carriage, operated by a Swiss crew, will undertake four return trips every day throughout September, except on Fridays.

Image source, Switzerland Travel Centre

Image caption, The steam engine and its carriage will operate trips between Llanberis and Waterfall Hallt

It will sit at the Llanberis arrivals platform where, between departures, visitors will be able to talk to experts from the Swiss railway and take photographs.

Mr Robb said: "It's fantastic to be bringing Loco No 2 across Europe to spend a month visiting our twin railway in Snowdonia.

"The BRB and Snowdon Mountain Railway use the same rack-and-pinion rail system and their steam engines were built in the same Swiss factory over 125 years ago.

"It feels right to reunite these historic steam engines after more than a century apart and we hope the public and rail enthusiasts alike will come along and sample a taste of the Swiss Alps in the foothills of Snowdonia."

Vince Hughes, commercial manager at Snowdon Mountain Railway, added: "We've been carefully planning this event with our Swiss friends for some time, so it's great to be just a few days away from unveiling the BRB loco and seeing it steaming up Snowdon for the first time."

The event runs from 1 September until 30 September.