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A LIFE SPENT CHASING TRAINS

  2. Trains
  3. 2012

The Snowdonian - a weekend in North Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Back to North Wales for a weekend of two foot gauge steam, both watching and riding. The riding bit was quite special, the railway companies ran an all day special - the Snowdonian - from Porthmadog to Caernarfon and back via Blaenau Ffestiniog. Over the Ffestiniog the two Penrhyn Quarry sisters, Linda and Blanche provided the power but over the steeper gradients of the WHR two of the boys, double Fairlies Merddin Emrys and Earl of Merioneth, were called for. Listening to them lift the heavy train up the 1 in 40 grades through Beddgelert Forest was spine tingling.

For narrow gauge suckers like me it was unmissable
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Lyd pounding up the grade out of Tanygrisiau, the only up hill bit of the entire route back to Porthmadog.
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Lyd pounding up the grade out of Tanygrisiau, the only up hill bit of the entire route back to Porthmadog.

Welsh narrow gaugelydsteamGwynedd

  • April 13th
  • Motive power was single Fairlie Taliesin and double Fairlie Merddin Emrys, here starting from a brief stop at Tanygrisiau.
  • Taliesin is a relatively new engine, built at Boston Lodge in the 1990s although there are a couple of components which were saved off the original, which was scrapped in the 1930s, so technically it's a rebuild.
  • On the return the locos swapped position so that Taliesin led, bunker first. I was a tiny bit disappointed, here they are passing Oakeley Square (the Oakeley's were big quarry owners) between Blaenau and Tanygrisiau.
  • The next up train featured the railway's newest - Southern Railway 190 Lyd - the replica Lynton & Barnstaple 2-6-2T. Last time I saw her she was masquerading as a fictitious BR 30190. Today she wears Southern green
  • Passing the turbine house of the Ffestiniog pumped storage HEP scheme, the building of which flooded the original Ffestiniog RoW and resulted in the construction of the new line, at a higher elevation.
  • Looking across the reservoir towards Manod Bach (511m).
  • As it pulls in to Tanygrisiau the train is dwarfed by the scenery.
  • Evidence of the slate quarrying industry, which once dominated this upland town, is everywhere. This inclined plane disappears into a tunnel, the quarry being on the other side of the ridge.
  • Lyd pounding up the grade out of Tanygrisiau, the only up hill bit of the entire route back to Porthmadog.
  • On her return on the 13:40 ex-Blaenau Lyd stopped briefly at Tanygrisiau.
  • Lyd arriving at Tan-y-bwlch where it will cross the 13:45 ex-Porthmadog.
  • Merddin Emrys storms into town with the up train, entertaining a couple of youngsters in the play area (and me of course).
  • Lyd has her admirers.
  • Back in Porthmadog Funkey diesel Vale of Ffestiniog is on pilot duty whilst a refurbished ATW class 158 crosses Traeth Mawr on the 10:09 from Birmingham International.
  • Lyd drifts into town on the 13:40
  • First picture on the Welsh Highland, 87 passing Pen y Mount Junction and approaching the new by pass overbridge.
  • Lyd leaves town on the 16:00 to Blaenau.
  • Merddin Emrys approaches the Harbour, the fireman and ground frame operator prepare to perform the age old task...
  • ...of exchanging the token for the section from Minffordd.
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