Some sections are revealed when the sands shift, others are buried under the dunes. (Image: Daily Post/David Rowbotham)
is home to many hidden treasures, but few are as creepy as the buried beneath the dunes near .
Once a scenic track offering breathtaking views of the , it’s now mostly hidden under layers of shifting sand.
What’s left of the line has become a magnet for looking for an adventure.
The , known as the Balloon Loop, was part of the , a beloved narrow-gauge track that has been running since 1895.
While the main line still operates, the loop was closed in 2013 after years of battling .
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The Balloon Loop was built in the 1980s to make train operations smoother. (Image: Daily Post/David Rowbotham)
The Balloon Loop was built in the 1980s to make train operations smoother. The circular track allowed locomotives to turn around without needing to uncouple.
But nature had other plans. When the loop was laid, its track bed was on a stony foreshore.
Within a few years, that began to change. Dunes built up and sand started to swamp the new track. Two decades later, volunteers with shovels and spades were being put to hard manual labour most days just to keep it open.
David Rowbotham, a Talyllyn Railway volunteer who helps out at Fairbourne’s annual May gala, also told : “Sand and oil don’t mix well.
“It creates a grinding paste that wears everything down, and the engines started suffering. Keeping the track clear became a daily struggle.”
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A chained sleeper marks the end of the operational railway. (Image: Daily Post/David Rowbotham)
As for the main railway, in its heyday, it carried more than 70,000 passengers a year, taking them from Fairbourne village to Penrhyn Point, where a ferry crosses to Barmouth.
Even today, the railway remains popular, offering stunning views of the Mawddach Estuary and beyond.
For visitors exploring the dunes, finding pieces of the old loop has become part of the experience.
“It’s like an adventure,” Mr Rowbotham said. “Children love walking the route and spotting bits of track hidden in the sand.”
The Balloon Loop’s last official journey was in July 2013, but it wasn’t easy.
A better-preserved section of the disused loop with Barmouth Harbour in the background. (Image: Daily Post/David Rowbotham)
“Even then, volunteers had to dig sections out ahead of the train,” Mr Rowbotham recalled.
Despite the closure of the loop, Fairbourne Railway continues to thrive. Eight train services run daily in peak season, offering a memorable ride to Penrhyn Point, where visitors can catch the ferry or enjoy an ice cream on the other side.
For those feeling adventurous, walking back across the Barmouth Bridge provides incredible views of the estuary.
Tickets are affordable, with day rovers costing £13.75 and children’s fares just £1.
“It’s a brilliant day out,” said Mr Rowbotham. “The scenic route may have changed, but the magic of the railway remains.”
As for the Balloon Loop, it’s now part of the dunes, a relic of the past left to nature.