Most of the narrow gauge railways in North Wales were built primarily to transport slate within the quarries and to ports for transhipment to other parts of the UK and overseas. A few were built for the carriage of general merchandise and passengers, and two were built solely for tourists - a function which all the surviving lines now perform.

In August 1954, Terry Gough decided it was time to see these railways for himself, but with cost being a major barrier, he decided to cycle from his home in Surrey, and eight days later reached Aberystwyth for his first trip on a narrow gauge railway.

Since that visit he has returned many times, and witnessed amazing transformations in the fortunes of several of the lines. In the process, as an enthusiastic and accomplished railway photographer, he has recorded these changes, and captured many wonderful scenes - some timeless, others merely transitory. All the photographs are his own, and they are supplemented with details about the various railways, which the reader is encouraged to visit to see the further changes which have taken place since this period.