May 2013 Holiday - Day 6

We'd been on the Talyllyn,  the first narrow gauge railway in Britain authorized by an Act of Parliament to carry passengers using steam. We'd been on the Ffestiniog, the first steam powered narrow guage railway in Britain. Now Jen was treating me (us) to a trip on the Welsh Highland, the newest and longest narrow gauge railway (in Wales).

The train was due to leave Porthmadog at 10.50, arriving in Caernafon at 13.15. Tickets were discounted to £24.50 plus £3.00 for a dog [Full adult return fare was £34.00 and another £20.00 if you wished to travel in the 'First Class' coach]. We were early enough to see the 10.15 Ffestiniog train depart.

The Double Fairlie drawn train ready to depart Porthmadog

Our coaches were shunted out and back into the single platform by a dinky diesel. This would also draw our train down The Cob, and un-hook by the new WH boarding platform that is under construction. The Garratt locomotive, meanwhile, had come from the Boston Lodge sheds at the other end of The Cob and run around so that it could draw our coaches back out through the town.

Shunting engine, Criccieth Castle

Our Garratt steaming into position

Leaving the town, the line stays on 'the flat' through the Afon Glaslyn valley, first one side and then crossing over to the other at Pont Croesor. The line rises to pass over the A4085 just before Nantmor (request stop), and keeps rising, passing through several tunnels. It clings to the side of the Aberglaslyn Pass, before crossing the river again and then under the road before reaching Beddgelert station, where we were due to pass the 10.00 train from Caernafon.

Our train is a tourist draw - Aberglaslyn Pass

Pulling hard

... and into Beddgelert.

The line passes through forestry and moorland to reach the summit at Rhyd Ddu (650 ft aod), where there is another passing platform, before a less steep descent to Waunfawr (400 ft asl). We arrived here with 15 minutes to spare and had to wait for the signal. It was a bit parky by now as the sun had gone in. The line has all the latest electronic signalling, although the signals themselves conform to the old, round, long established, Welsh, narrow gauge set up with eight "lights", giving four (paired) positions.

Hanging about at Waunfawr

The next station was Dinas, where there was a beer festival weekend about to start. We took coal on board here, loaded by a JCB.
We reached Caernafon in good time, alighted and went towards the castle across the road. Not knowing the place, we searched around for somewhere to eat, the proviso being that the proprietors must have a water bowl for dogs outside. Hooray, we found one down a back street. A Dutch pancake and ice cream parlour. 

Caernafon Castle

The train was due to depart at 14.30 and we arrived in time to talk to the engine crew. Our engine, NG143, was the last Garrett 2-8-2 + 2-8-2 to be built by the Beyer- Peacock company in Manchester and it served South African Railways for most of its previous life. The WHR also has the first Garrett to be built, called K1, in a shed at Dinas awaiting restoration.

Time for a chat about the engine

On our return journey, the weather was a little more "Welsh", but it didn't rain. I had a chance to have a good look at the 'back side' of Snowdon, the non- touristy bit and more for serious walkers. You could just make out the new summit cafe and a diesel engine with its single carriage starting the descent to Llanberis.

Snowdon (1085m) - with its hat off for a moment.

Until fairly recently the line stopped south of the Aberglaslyn tunnels and the remains of the yard can be seen beside the current track. It was also the base for extending the line into the Harbour Station, Porthmadog.

The "old" southern temporary terminus

A new bridge had to be constructed over the river to carry both the road and the railway. This is where you will now find the RSPB Osprey watch-point, adjacent to Pont Creosor station. Parking is available.

The RSPB "collection of huts" (and video cameras)

We visited the following day, having already spotted the nest tree and watchers' caravan en route. The first chick had hatched on the Monday and the second on the Wednesday. Mother and babies doing fine. This has been a traditional site for a decade or so.
At last we came into town, with a short stop between the supermarket and the river. With much sounding of bells and whistles, we proceeded down the road, across onto The Cob and then reversed into the platform. We finished the day with fish and chips from 
Penrhynddeudraeth, where Jen was addressed in Welsh. Taken aback, or what.

Postscript. It's a small world.
Jen was sat on a bench at Porthmadog station. The couple next to her were taking about Cambridge. To cut a long story short, I mentioned a road and a house in his home village of Waterbeach and it turned out he was a Tory district councillor  and friends with two of mine, both of whom are LibDem councillors. Can't go anywhere these days without the past catching up on you!