Ferrocarril Ffestiniog

"Festiniog" vuelve a dirigir aquí. Para la ciudad, vea Ffestiniog .

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Ferrocarril Ffestiniog Rheilffordd Ffestiniog
Dos trenes que pasan por Tan-y-Bwlch, c. 1900
Lugar	Gales
Término	Porthmadog
Operaciones comerciales
Nombre	Compañía Ferroviaria Festiniog
Construido por	Compañía Ferroviaria Festiniog
Calibre original	1 pie  11 + 1 / 2  en ( 597 mm )
Operaciones preservadas
Operado por	Compañía Ferroviaria Festiniog
Estaciones	10
Largo	13,5 millas (21,7 km)
Calibre preservado	1 pie  11 + 1 / 2  en ( 597 mm )
Historia comercial
Abrió	20 de abril de 1836
Cerrado	1 de agosto de 1946
Historial de conservación
1954	Las obras de restauración comenzaron en Boston Lodge el 20 de septiembre de 1954
1955	Reabierto del puerto de Portmadoc al Boston Lodge - 23 de julio
1956	Reabierto a Minffordd
1957	Reabierto a Penrhyn
1958	Reabierto a Tan-y-Bwlch
1965	Inicio de las obras de construcción del desvío
1968	Reabierto a Dduallt
1974	Restauración del circuito de paso de Rhiw Goch
1977	Reabierto a Llyn Ystradau
1978	Reabierto a Tanygrisiau
mil novecientos ochenta y dos	Reabierto a Blaenau Ffestiniog

v t mi Ferrocarril Ffestiniog
Leyenda
Canteras de pizarra Duffws Ferrocarril Bala y Festiniog a Bala Junction Ferrocarril Festiniog y Blaenau a Festiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog 13 millas 50 ch 21,93 kilometros Blaenau Ffestiniog North Cruce de Blaenau Festiniog Línea Conwy Valley al cruce de Llandudno a antiguas canteras de pizarra Dinas Glan-y-pwll Depósito de ingeniería 13 mi 11 ch 21,14 kilometros Desviación posterior a Dinas Primera desviación a Dinas Línea principal original a Dinas Tanygrisiau 12 mi 10 ch 19,51 kilometros Cascada Cwmorthin Llyn Ystradau (1977) Línea original inundada por Embalse de Tanygrisiau Túneles nuevos y antiguos de Moelwyn Gelliwiog Dduallt 9 millas 44 ch 15,37 kilometros Plataforma de Campbell 9 mi 07 ch 14,62 kilometros Coed-y-Bleiddiau Tan-y-Bwlch 7 mi 35 ch 11,97 kilometros Hafod y Llyn Plas detener 6 mi 19 ch 10.04 kilometros Plas Privado Bucle de paso de Rhiw Goch 4 mi 16 ch 6,76 kilometros A4085 Paso a nivel de Penrhyn MG Penrhyn 3 mi 08 ch 4,99 kilometros Pen y Bryn Halt Cae Ednyfed Minffordd 2 mi 05 ch 3,32 kilometros Línea Cámbrica a Pwllheli y Shrewsbury Depósito de Minffordd (antiguo intercambio) Boston Lodge Halt 1 mi 05 ch 1,71 kilometros Boston Lodge Works La mazorca Pen Cob Detener Ferrocarril Ffestiniog Ferrocarril de las Tierras Altas de Gales Puerto de Porthmadog 0 mi 00 ch 0 kilometros Ferrocarril de las Tierras Altas de Gales a Caernarfon

The Ffestiniog Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Ffestiniog) is a 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park.

El ferrocarril tiene aproximadamente 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 millas (21,7 km) de largo y va desde el puerto de Porthmadog hasta la ciudad minera de pizarra de Blaenau Ffestiniog , atravesando paisajes boscosos y montañosos. La línea es de una sola vía con cuatro lugares de paso intermedios. La primera milla de la línea que sale de Porthmadog corre sobre un terraplén llamado Cob , que es el dique del pólder Traeth Mawr .

The Festiniog Railway Company, which owns the railway, is the oldest surviving railway company in the world. It also owns the Welsh Highland Railway, which was re-opened fully in 2011. The two railways share the same track gauge and meet at Porthmadog station, with occasional trains working the entire 40-mile (64 km) route from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon.

Historia

La compañía ferroviaria se conoce propiamente como la "Compañía Ferroviaria Festiniog". La única letra F está en el título oficial de la empresa en el acto local (2 y 3 Will. 4 c.xlviii) que creó el ferrocarril. Es la compañía ferroviaria más antigua del mundo ^[1] (aunque no es la línea ferroviaria en funcionamiento más antigua, un registro que llega al ferrocarril de Middleton , en West Yorkshire), ^[2] y fue fundada por la Ley del Parlamento el 23 de mayo de 1832 con capital recaudado principalmente en Dublín por Henry Archer , primer secretario y director gerente de la empresa. La mayoría de los ferrocarriles británicos se fusionaron en cuatro grandes grupos en 1921 y luego enBritish Railways en 1948, pero la Festiniog Railway Company, como la mayoría de los ferrocarriles de vía estrecha, se mantuvo independiente. En 1921, esto se debió a la influencia política, mientras que en 1947 se dejó fuera de los ferrocarriles británicos porque estaba cerrado al tráfico, a pesar de los vigorosos cabildeos locales para su inclusión.

Various important developments in the railway's early history were celebrated by the firing of rock cannon at various points along the line. Cannon were fired, for instance, to mark the laying of the first stone at Creuau in 1833,^[3] the railway's opening in 1836,^[4] and the opening of the Moelwyn Tunnel in 1842.^[5] The passing of a later Act for the railway also saw cannon celebrations, but on this occasion a fitter at Boston Lodge, who was assisting with firing, lost the fingers of one hand in an accident.^[6]

Horse and gravity operation

One-inch map of the route of the Ffestiniog Railway about 1840, showing the inclined plane that was used until the Moelwyn tunnel was built in 1842

La línea se construyó entre 1833 y 1836 para transportar pizarra desde las canteras alrededor de la ciudad interior de Blaenau Ffestiniog hasta la ciudad costera de Porthmadog, donde se cargaba en barcos. El ferrocarril se clasificó para que los vagones cargados pudieran moverse por gravedad cuesta abajo desde Blaenau Ffestiniog hasta el puerto. Los vagones vacíos fueron subidos de nuevo por caballos, que bajaron en vagones especiales "dandy" . Para lograr este grado continuo (aproximadamente 1 en 80 durante gran parte del camino), la línea siguió contornos naturales y empleó cortes y terraplenes construidos con bloques de piedra y pizarra sin mortero. Antes de la finalización en 1842 de un largo túnel a través de un espolón en la montaña Moelwyn, los trenes de pizarra se trabajaron en la parte superior mediante pendientes (diseñado por Robert Stephenson ), cuyo sitio aún se puede ver aunque hay pocos restos visibles.

Hasta seis trenes diarios fueron operados en cada dirección y un horario impreso fue publicado el 16 de septiembre de 1856 por Charles Easton Spooner quien, siguiendo a su padre, se desempeñó como Gerente y Empleado durante 30 años. Muestra las salidas de Quarry Terminus (más tarde denominado Dinas, a veces como Rhiwbryfdir o Rhiw) a las 7:30, 9:28, 11:16, 1:14, 3:12 y 5:10. Los trenes esperaron diez minutos en las estaciones intermedias llamadas Tunnel Halt, Hafod y Llyn y Rhiw Goch . El viaje en tiempo más rápido desde Quarry Terminus hasta Boston Lodgefue de 1 hora 32 minutos, incluidas tres paradas. Desde Boston Lodge, los vagones de pizarra fueron arrastrados por caballos hacia y desde el puerto de Porthmadog. Los trenes de subida tardaron casi seis horas desde Boston Lodge hasta Quarry Terminus y cada tren tenía hasta cuatro secciones, cada una tirada por un caballo y compuesta por ocho vagones de pizarra vacíos más un caballo dandy. Este cronograma dio una capacidad máxima anual de 70.000 toneladas de pizarra revestida. ^[7] Dos frenos viajaban en cada tren descendente, controlando la velocidad mediante la aplicación de los frenos según fuera necesario. En los bucles de paso, los trenes pasaban por la derecha y esto sigue siendo una característica de la operación de Ffestiniog Railway.

Existe evidencia de que los pasajeros turísticos fueron transportados desde 1850 ^[8] sin la aprobación de la Junta de Comercio , pero estos viajes también observarían el horario.

Hafod y Llyn fue reemplazado por Tan y Bwlch alrededor de 1872. La estación Dinas (Rhiw) y gran parte de esa rama está ahora casi enterrada bajo desechos de pizarra; el resto del ramal de Dinas se eliminó alrededor de 1954-1955. Ocasionalmente surge confusión porque los lugares llamados Hafod y Llyn Isaf y Dinas también existen en el Welsh Highland Railway , aunque a 10 millas (16 km) o más al noroeste de los de la FR.

Fuerza policial

El ferrocarril empleaba solo a un oficial de policía. Las declaraciones de la Junta de Comercio de 1884 muestran que un inspector de policía tenía su base en la oficina central de la empresa. ^{[ cita requerida ]} En tiempos más recientes, la Policía de Transporte británica hizo propuestas amistosas y se les informó cortésmente que la República Federal de Alemania tenía poderes para jurar a sus propios agentes. ^{[ cita requerida ]}

Operación de vapor y gravedad

Locomotora George England " The Princess " con tren de pasajeros en la estación portuaria de Porthmadog alrededor de 1870.

Locomotora doble Fairlie James Spooner.

Pequeño motor de locomotora gigante, ferrocarril Ffestiniog circa 1875

A finales de la década de 1850 quedó claro que la línea estaba alcanzando su capacidad operativa, mientras que la producción de las canteras de pizarra Blaenau Ffestiniog seguía aumentando. En 1860, el directorio de la empresa comenzó a investigar la posibilidad de introducir locomotoras a vapor para aumentar la capacidad de carga del ferrocarril. Aunque antes se habían probado las locomotoras de vapor de vía estrecha, muy pocas se habían construido con una vía tan estrecha. En 1862, la empresa anunció la licitación de los fabricantes para construir las primeras locomotoras de la línea. En febrero de 1863, se aceptó la oferta de George England and Co. y se inició la producción de las primeras locomotoras. ^[9]

La primera de estas locomotoras, Mountaineer ', fue entregada a Porthmadog el 18 de julio de 1863, seguida unos días más tarde por The Princess . ^[9] Después de una serie de pruebas y algunas modificaciones (notablemente la adición de cúpulas) a la locomotora, el primer tren oficial corrió el 23 de octubre de 1863. Estas locomotoras de vapor del tipo 0-4-0 permitieron que trenes de pizarra mucho más largos y esto también permitió la introducción oficial de trenes de pasajeros en 1865: el Ffestiniog fue el primer ferrocarril de vía estrecha en Gran Bretaña para transportar pasajeros. En 1869, la primera locomotora articulada doble Fairlie de la línea. was introduced and these double-ended machines have since become one of the most widely recognised features of the railway.

Down trains continued to run entirely by gravity but faster up journeys and longer trains increased line capacity. A new timetable dated October 1863 shows six departures daily from each terminus at two-hour intervals, starting at 7:00 am and taking 1 hour 50 minutes including stops (totalling 20 minutes) at Tanygrisiau, Hafod-y-Llyn and Penrhyn. Trains passed only at Hafod-y-Llyn (from 1872 Tan-y-Bwlch). When passenger services started, the usual practice was for locomotive-hauled up trains to consist of loaded general goods and mineral wagons, followed by passenger carriages, followed by empty slate wagons with brakesmen. Down trains were run in up to four separate (uncoupled) portions: loaded slate wagons, goods wagons, passenger carriages and the locomotive running light. This unusual and labour-intensive method of operation was highly dangerous, at least as far as passengers were concerned; consequently, the down passenger and goods portions were combined into a single train headed by the locomotive.

Los trenes de pizarra cargados continuaron operando por gravedad hasta el final de los servicios de pasajeros en 1939. Los trenes de pizarra eventualmente se volvieron muy largos: los trenes de menos de ochenta vagones de pizarra llevaban dos frenos, pero más de ochenta vagones (y esto se volvió común) requirieron tres frenos. Aproximadamente un vagón de cada seis estaba equipado con freno, los demás sin freno. Los trenes continuaron pasando en Tan-y-Bwlch y, en menor medida, en Minffordd. El horario de verano para 1900 tenía nueve trenes diarios en cada dirección y los trenes se habían acelerado a una hora desde Porthmadog a Duffws, incluidas las paradas en Minffordd , Penrhyn, Tan-y-Bwlch, Dduallt (solicitud), Tanygrisiau, Blaenau (LNWR) y Blaenau. (GWR). Las velocidades superiores a 40 mph (64 km / h) eran entonces normales. ^[10]

Los vagones de pasajeros originales (algunos de los cuales sobreviven) eran pequeños vehículos de cuatro ruedas con un centro de gravedad muy bajo , lo que los llevó a ser apodados 'cajas de insectos'. En 1872, la República Federal de Alemania introdujo los primeros vagones de bogie que operaron en Gran Bretaña, los números 15 y 16, que también fueron los primeros vagones de bogie con estructura de hierro del mundo y todavía están en servicio. ^[11] El freno de vacío continuo se instaló en 1893. La línea estaba completamente señalizada con telégrafo eléctrico y personal y trabajo de boletos . Los instrumentos del personal del tren eléctrico se introdujeron en 1912 y continúan en uso hasta el día de hoy.

Declive de la pizarra y desarrollo del turismo

El conde de Merioneth subiendo al tren en Porthmadog

En la década de 1920, la demanda de pizarra como material para techos se redujo debido a la llegada de materiales más nuevos y a la pérdida del comercio exterior durante la Primera Guerra Mundial. Como resultado, el ferrocarril sufrió una disminución gradual en el tráfico.

En 1921, Aluminium Corporation en Dolgarrog en Conwy Valley compró por £ 40,000 (£ 1,790,000 en 2019), ^[12] una participación mayoritaria en la República Federal de Alemania y Henry Jack se convirtió en presidente, la administración financiera de la empresa de FR se mudó a Dolgarrog. Jack también fue presidente del nuevo Welsh Highland Railway. Jugó un papel decisivo en obtener el respaldo del gobierno para su finalización en el entendimiento de que el FR y el WHR serían administrados conjuntamente desde Porthmadog, con el mantenimiento realizado en Boston Lodge y con otras economías de escala. En 1923, la línea FR se unió a la línea WHR en una estación llamada "Portmadoc New". La línea de las Tierras Altas de Gales dependía casi totalmente del turismo, pero su desarrollo resultó lento por varias razones: dos caídas a principios de la década de 1920 y principios de la de 1930; el aumento del tráfico rodado, incluidos los charabancos ; y la falta de fiabilidad del ferrocarril con sus (incluso entonces) vagones antiguos y locomotoras cada vez más decrépitas.

Ordnance Survey mapa de una pulgada de 1921-2 que muestra la ruta del 'Welsh Highland & Ffestiniog Rly'.

Se estaba introduciendo la operación de trenes ligeros en FR y WHR para reducir los gastos generales de operación. En 1923, para adquirir experiencia adicional en esto, el coronel HF Stephens fue nombrado ingeniero a tiempo parcial para ambas empresas. Stephens se convirtió en presidente y director ejecutivo de ambas empresas en 1924. Cuando la WHR entró en suspensión de pagos en 1927, el coronel Stephens fue nombrado administrador judicial de la WHR y la administración financiera de ambas empresas se trasladó a Tonbridge en Kent . La fortuna de la WHR, a pesar de los grandes esfuerzos, no logró mejorar y se declaró en quiebra.en 1933. Para proteger sus inversiones, los copropietarios de ambas empresas acordaron que el WHR fuera arrendado por el FR. Sin embargo, las pérdidas de WHR continuaron con la pérdida del tráfico de pizarra de Moel Tryfan en 1935, y se cerró a los pasajeros al final de la temporada de 1936 y a las mercancías en 1937.

La FR continuó operando su tráfico de pizarra, un tren obrero de lunes a viernes durante todo el año y un servicio turístico de pasajeros de verano. Los servicios ordinarios de pasajeros cesaron en el FR el 15 de septiembre de 1939, poco después del estallido de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El servicio de pasajeros de los trabajadores funcionó por última vez el sábado 16 de septiembre de 1939. A partir de entonces, los trenes de pizarra fueron operados tres días a la semana, pero la operación por gravedad se interrumpió. El tráfico de pizarra cesó el 1 de agosto de 1946, aparte del tramo de Duffws al patio noroeste a través del centro de la ciudad de Blaenau Ffestiniog, que fue arrendado el 7 de octubre de 1946 a los propietarios de la cantera. Esto proporcionó a la compañía ferroviaria, que contrató los servicios de un administrador residente en Porthmadog, con unos ingresos pequeños durante los años moribundos.

La ley original del Parlamento que permitió la construcción de la línea no preveía específicamente su cierre o abandono. Aunque la línea principal había dejado de funcionar, la empresa no pudo desmantelar el ferrocarril, por lo que la vía y la infraestructura se dejaron en su lugar. Se podría haber buscado una ley de enmienda del Parlamento para derogar la anterior, pero la Compañía no tenía el dinero. Sin embargo, sin mantenimiento, la línea pronto se volvió demasiado grande e inutilizable.

Restauración

A partir de 1949, varios grupos de entusiastas del ferrocarril intentaron revitalizar el ferrocarril. En 1951, amigos se acercaron al entusiasta de los ferrocarriles Alan Pegler para comprar y liquidar la deuda pendiente en el abandonado ferrocarril Ffestiniog, para permitir su compra. Prestado £ 3,000 por su padre, él y los voluntarios obtuvieron el control de la compañía el 24 de junio de 1954. ^[13] Pegler fue nombrado primer presidente de la nueva compañía, ^[13] con el objetivo de operar el ferrocarril como una atracción turística y restaurar gradualmente la línea a la orden de trabajo. La primera reunión de los avivadores se llevó a cabo en una universidad de Bristol el 8 de septiembre. Entre los doce asistentes se encontraban Allan Garraway , Harold Holcroft yVic Mitchell. Mitchell would later be appointed a director of the company. Pegler later released complete control of the company without any personal financial gain to Ffestiniog Railway Trust, which still owns and runs the railway today.^{[13][14][15][16]}

The restoration of the complete railway was not helped by the decision by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) in 1954 to build the Ffestiniog Pumped Storage Scheme, including the creation of Tanygrisiau reservoir (Llyn Ystradau), which flooded part of the northern end of the line. The Festiniog Railway Company was able to obtain compensation in 1972, after the second-longest legal battle in British legal history^{[citation needed]}, having taken eighteen years and two months. Two years later, as a result of the case^{[citation needed]}, the British Parliament passed the Land Compensation Act 1973.

On 18 August 1954, prior to commencing the restoration, in an inspection, the first of many, Colonel McMullen of the Ministry of Transport, Railways Inspectorate, accompanied by Pegler, several directors and other supporters, walked the line from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog. The work of restoration began on 20 September 1954 when Morris Jones, the foreman fitter who had last worked for the railway in March 1947, rejoined the staff to complete the rebuilding of the locomotive 'Prince' on which he had been engaged when the works closed. He was joined at Boston Lodge works by two volunteers, Bill Harvey and Allan Garraway.^[17] The completion of sixty years service with the FR by Robert Evans (for almost 25 years as Manager) was marked on 6 November 1954 and a special train was run (with difficulty) from Minffordd to Porthmadog to celebrate the occasion and convey Mr Evans, his wife, Alan Pegler (Company Chairman) and guests en route to a clock presentation ceremony.^[18] Mr Evans continued in service as Manager until his retirement on 1 June 1955 when Allan Garraway was appointed as Manager.

The first public passenger train from Porthmadog to Boston Lodge ran on 23 July 1955. Prince returned to service on 3 August 1955 and, following extensive boiler repairs, Taliesin, then the latest of the FR Fairlie articulated engines, returned to service on 4 September 1956. The passenger service was extended to Minffordd on 19 May 1956, to Penrhyn on 5 June 1957 and to Tan-y-Bwlch on 5 April 1958. Increasing traffic was putting severe demands on the track – over 7 miles (11 km) had been reopened in four years. A long period of consolidation, rolling stock restoration and track renewal followed before the extension to Dduallt on 6 April 1968. Extension to Dduallt was celebrated on 28 May 1968 by the re-introduction of the Ffestiniog Railway Letter Service.

The Llyn Ystradau Deviation

The old route of the Ffestiniog Railway towards the northern portal of the first Moelwyn Tunnel. It was permanently blocked with a concrete/stone plug during the completion of the Tanygrisiau reservoir in the late 1950s/early 1960s. The replacement FR line is in the foreground.

Between 1965 and 1978, the Ffestiniog Railway Deviation, a 2+1⁄2-mile (4 km) long diversionary route, was constructed between Dduallt and Tanygrisiau in order to avoid the Ffestiniog hydro-electric power station and its reservoir (Llyn Ystradau). The Deviation (this is the conventional name for such railway works) was built mostly by volunteers. At the southern end is the spectacular Dduallt spiral formation (unique on a public railway in the United Kingdom). Including a bridge, it was constructed entirely by volunteers, and gains an initial height rise of 35 feet (10.7 m) in order (after a further one mile (1.6 km) of new volunteer-built railway and a new tunnel) to clear the flooded track bed north of the former Moelwyn tunnel, which is plugged near its usually-submerged northern end. Between Dduallt and the old tunnel, parts of the old railway formation can be clearly seen below the new route.

Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 composite map showing the Ffestiniog railway about 1953, after the construction of the Llyn Ystradau reservoir flooded a section of the route, but before the deviation was built to carry the railway around the west bank of the reservoir.

The new 310-yard (280 m) tunnel was constructed between 1975 and 1977 by three Cornish tin mining engineers with a small team of employees. It had to be blasted through a granite spur of the Moelwyn mountain. The tunnel plant included stone crushing and grading equipment, which produced track ballast and other aggregates from the spoil for use on the railway. Before it opened to rail traffic, the new tunnel had to be lined throughout its length with liquid cement reinforced with steel mesh in a process called 'shotcreting'.

From 26 May 1975, and over two summers, a pull and push service, officially called The Shuttle, powered by diesel locomotive Moel Hebog with carriage 110, was operated from Dduallt to Gelliwiog, to enable tourists to experience the Deviation route before the new Moelwyn Tunnel was opened.

North of the new tunnel is a long stretch of track along the west bank of the new reservoir. On 25 June 1977, full-length passenger trains first ran from Dduallt through the new tunnel to a now-dismantled temporary terminus known as 'Llyn Ystradau'. That station was alongside the Tanygrisiau reservoir but, because it was on Central Electricity Generating Board land without public access, passengers could not leave the station other than by train.

The remaining section included some specialised engineering work at its summit (668 feet (204 m)) where the new line passes over the power station pipelines. This was followed by two public road crossings with automatic signalling, on the FR's only reverse or down gradient, to rejoin the old route in Tanygrisiau station (640 feet (195 m)), which was reopened on 24 June 1978.

The largely volunteer group building the Deviation was officially called the Civil Engineering Group, but its members were popularly known (and are still remembered) as the Deviationists, who completed an enormous task over 13 years.

Project Blaenau

Double Fairlie locomotive David Lloyd George at Blaenau Ffestiniog station.

Steam locomotive Taliesin at Porthmadog.

The completion of the railway through to Tanygrisiau (height 640 ft or 195 m) left the FR with just one and a half miles (2.4 km) to go to its goal of Blaenau Ffestiniog (height 710 ft or 216 m) but the complexities of reconstructing that unique but rather derelict urban section of narrow-gauge railway took a further four years. As well as 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) of new track and its formation, which was the responsibility of the FR permanent way department and its volunteers, much other work needed to be done. Most of the work, like the deviation itself, was undertaken by volunteers who, in many cases, assumed full responsibility for the design as well as the execution of discrete projects, each under a volunteer project leader. There were four decrepit footbridges each needing to be demolished and rebuilt to the new FR loading gauge. The decrepit steel bridge across the Afon Barlwyd required total replacement, with timber (Karri) beams using the original abutments and piers. The new deck is formed of old rails. Walls and fences throughout had to be repaired or replaced. These and the many other varied tasks formed Project Blaenau.

One major task near Tanygrisiau was the responsibility of Gwynedd County Council, which had at some time after 1955 taken advantage of the absence of trains to demolish what was probably Britain's lowest road under railway bridge.^{[citation needed]} In early 1980, therefore, they replaced Dolrhedyn bridge and even managed to give it a few inches extra headroom for road vehicles.

Civil engineering contractors were employed in conjunction with British Rail and Gwynedd County Council for the new route with its bridges and roadworks and the new joint station on the former Great Western Railway station site. British Rail commenced using the new station on 22 March 1982. Ffestiniog trains returned to Blaenau on Tuesday, 25 May 1982, thus marking the 150th Anniversary of Royal Assent to the Festiniog Railway Act of 1832. The new joint station with British Rail at Blaenau Ffestiniog was officially opened on 30 April 1983 by George Thomas, Speaker of the House of Commons, who unveiled a plaque that records his visit.

With the major project of track restoration to Blaenau finally complete, attention could be turned to other matters. More Fairlie locomotives were built or restored and new carriages were built. At Minffordd, a new hostel was built for volunteers who support the permanent staff by working in every department of the railway. Stations were given new buildings, canopies and platforms, often replacing the previous temporary structures and improving the image of the railway for the future.

After fully reopening in 1982 and carrying 200,000 passengers annually, the railway became the second largest Welsh tourist attraction after Caernarfon Castle. Many saw this as the result of Pegler's drive and ability to inspire others with his unquenchable enthusiasm to fulfil his dream. Pegler, who remained fully involved with the railway until his death in 2012 as President, was appointed OBE in the 2006 New Year Honours in recognition of his contribution.^{[13][14][15][19]}

Welsh Highland Railway

Main articles: Welsh Highland Railway and Welsh Highland Railway restoration

In 1988, the Festiniog Railway Company was involved in a controversial plan to stop the neighbouring Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) being rebuilt, as it was concerned at the effect a nearby heritage railway competitor could have on the FR business. The initial plan would have involved the FR Company buying the original track bed of the WHR from the old company's receiver and giving it to Gwynedd County Council, provided no railway-related developments were allowed on the land. This was greeted with dismay by the WHR (1964) Company, which had been attempting to preserve the line since the 1960s.

This action may have delayed the start of rebuilding of the Welsh Highland Railway, although the alternative plan was dependent on the continued co-operation of Gwynedd County Council to ensure that the track bed was used solely for railway purposes. This was not guaranteed, as pressure from various groups who objected to the rebuilding of the railway was significant and it was the stated intention of the council to apply for an abandonment order on gaining the track bed. This would have left the track bed open for seizure by adverse possession ('squatters' rights') by farmers, use in other ways such as footpaths, road improvement schemes etc., as the statutory designation of the track bed as a railway would have been discontinued. Over the years, the presence of plans for footpaths and roads had indeed made it difficult for anyone wishing to rebuild the line.

This led a group to form 'Trackbed Consolidation Limited' (TCL) and, after some detective work, TCL managed to trace and purchase shares and debentures in the original WHR company. They felt that an alternative plan was available, one where the original company could be brought out of receivership. It was originally the intent of TCL to provide the track bed to the WHR (1964) Company to rebuild the line, but they refused the offer.

TCL were introduced to the FR and decided that the aims and objectives of TCL and the FR were similar thus, since 1988, the FR company has been totally committed to the reopening of the Welsh Highland Railway. All TCL-owned shares/debentures were transferred to the FR on the condition that they would be returned if the railway was not built.

The next few years were marked by protracted legal procedures before the assets of the old company could be transferred and before final consent to rebuild the railway was given. The first section from Caernarfon to Dinas, the Caernarfon Light Railway, was opened and operated by the FR from 11 October 1997. This section was not hampered by these extended legal procedures and was built as a Light Railway Order, as it was not part of the original Welsh Highland Railway route; the site of Dinas station had been sold off and thus was not part of the assets of the old WHR company. Other powers under a Transport & Works Order enabled restoration to Waunfawr in 2000 and to Rhyd Ddu in 2003. Hafod y Llyn was reached in 2009 and Pont Croesor in 2010. By 2010, the tracks of the WHR and Ffestiniog Railway had been reconnected at Harbour Station, linking Caernarfon to Porthmadog and passenger services started in 2011.

The completed Welsh Highland Railway or Rheilffordd Eryri (its Welsh name) comprises parts of the former London and North Western Railway (1867), North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (1877–81), Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway and Welsh Highland (1922-3) Railway. The FR also links with the WHR (Porthmadog) at Pen-y-Mount Station, north of Porthmadog.

Rails

Rails increased in weight and strength as traffic changed.^[20]

• 16 lb/yd Original rails for Horse drawn operation
• 30 lb/yd Rails for early steam locomotive operation found to be too light.
• 48.66 lb/yd Rails for later steam operation

Tourism and heritage

One of the earliest references to tourism is in the LNWR Tourist Guide for 1876, which waxed lyrical about the Ffestiniog Railway, which it illustrated with a drawing of a lady in Welsh National Dress (then still in regular local use) travelling on an FR up train (since many empty slate wagons – with two standing brakesmen – were attached at the rear) with the caption "On the Ffestiniog Railway". The guide uses the "double F" spelling throughout.^[21] It was, however, in the inter-war years from 1919 to 1939 that tourism, though always valued, came to acquire a major importance.

Since restoration commenced in 1954, tourism has been the only significant source of income. The role of the Ffestiniog Railway in the promotion and fulfilment of tourism and in preserving railway heritage has been recognised many times, and notable mentions have included:

• 1964 Wales Tourist Board certificate for conspicuous service to Welsh tourism.^[22]
• 1972 Wales Tourist Board lists the FR as fifth most popular tourist site in Wales, after Caernarfon Castle, the Swallow Falls, the National Museum of Wales at Cardiff and Conwy Castle.^[23]
• 1979 The FR was one of only six sites in Wales to receive the British Tourist Authority's Golden Jubilee Award.^[24]
• 1987 The FR was the outright winner of the Independent Railway of the Year award.^[25]
• 2004 The "Talking Train" (an internal audio guide) was awarded the Heritage Railway Association 'interpretation' Award.^[26]

Recognition of the railway's importance to tourism and heritage has been increasingly marked by financial assistance given to the company towards capital expenditure. Prior to September 1987, the FR had received £1,273,127 in gifts and grants. Of this: £450,476 was Gifts from the FR Society and FR Trust and other supporters; £379,335 from Wales Tourist Board; £134,320 from EEC Grants and £308,996 from other public sources.^[27]

Major grants received subsequently have been: In 1989 a grant of £430,000 (£1,077,662 in 2019),^[12] mainly from The EEC (National Programme of Community Interest for the promoting of tourism in Dyfed, Gwynedd and Powys);^[28] in 1995 a grant of £500,000 (£968,252 in 2019),^[12] to promote work in Blaenau Ffestiniog^[29]and in 1998 a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £375,000 (£664,717 in 2019),^[12] for the construction of workshops to facilitate the restoration of historic vehicles.^[30]

Today the railway is promoted as one of The Great Little Trains of Wales, a joint marketing scheme launched in 1970 that encompasses ten narrow-gauge railways in the country, mostly found in north and mid Wales.^[31]

Rolling stock

Linda one of the Ffestiniog Railway's steam locomotives

Main article: Ffestiniog Railway rolling stock

Stations and halts

Main article: List of stations and halts on the Ffestiniog Railway

At Porthmadog, the original line came via the streets and across the Britannia bridge from the 1836 terminus at the northernmost end of the Welsh Slate Company's Wharf where the FR officially started. This was the second datum point for all pre-1954 mileage calculations. (the first being in Blaenau Ffestiniog). The line over the bridge also connected with the Gorseddau and Croesor Tramways and was later used by Welsh Highland Railway passenger trains from 1923 to 1936. The line over the bridge was last used in 1958 and then dismantled. It was reopened as part of the WHR in 2011.

The Cob

Between Porthmadog Harbour station and Boston Lodge, the railway runs on the Cob, the dyke of the Traeth Mawr polder. The Cob was built between 1807 and 1811 by William Madocks and, in addition to its land reclamation function in conjunction with sluice gates at the Britannia bridge, it serves also as a roadway (which, since 1836, has been at a lower level on the landward side) and as a bridge across the Afon Glaslyn. Tolls were charged with a tollgate at Boston Lodge until 2003, when the rights were purchased by the National Assembly for Wales.^[32]

The higher, original, section of the Cob carries, in addition to the railway, a public footpath throughout virtually its entire length. There is no fencing between the footpath and the railway, because the railway does not own the top of the Cob, but used a wayleave^{[citation needed]} under the local Act of Parliament passed in 1821 (1 & 2 Geo. IV c.cxv.)^[a] for improving Porthmadog Harbour. This act was repealed by the Porthmadog Harbour Revision Order 1998 (SI 1998/683)^[33] and is no longer in force.

Quarries served by the railway

Main article: List of quarries served by the Ffestiniog Railway

The Ffestiniog Railway was built primarily to connect the slate quarries in the mountains around what is now Blaenau Ffestiniog with the harbour at Porthmadog. In all at least 23 quarries were directly or indirectly connected to the railway, often by inclines. They sent their finished products over the railway in slate waggons to be transferred onto ships or, later, onto the standard-gauge railway at Minfordd.

Train operation since 1955

Infrastructure

As the line was extended, passing loops were brought into operation at Minffordd, Penrhyn and Tan-y-Bwlch. Due to the restrictions to the length of trains that could be passed at Penrhyn, Rhiw Goch was opened on 14 May 1975. Penrhyn loop remained in service for several more years before it was closed. By the end of the 1970s, the passing loops were at Minffordd, Rhiw Goch, Tan-y-Bwlch and Dduallt, and an intensive service was run in the peak summer seasons (although there were empty "slots" in the timetable which could be used by works trains). From the early 1980s, the peak summer timetable had three train sets in operation, generally passing at Rhiw Goch and Dduallt.

Automatic signalling was installed at Tan-y-Bwlch in 1986. By the 1988 season, in part due to the challenges in maintenance of the top end points at Dduallt and the planned automation of Minffordd, the loops at Dduallt and Rhiw Goch had been taken out of service for crossing trains. At the end of May 1988, Dduallt ceased to be a token station and Dduallt loop was taken out of service altogether and became a siding. Rhiw Goch ceased to be used except on odd occasions and was taken out of use as a means to cross passenger trains in 1989. The short section token instruments and the signal heads were removed, although the loop could still be used as a refuge for Engineers' trains. Minffordd and Tan-y-Bwlch therefore became the usual passing loops, both automated.

In the late 1990s, Rhiw Goch was recommissioned as a passing loop. From the 2005 season, the box has been regularly manned during the summer to provide additional operational flexibility. In 2006, an appeal was launched, through the FR Society, for funds to replace the life-expired signal box with a building of more traditional appearance. Fundraising went well and work was completed during the closed season of 2006/7.

Elsewhere, Tanygrisiau had been provided with a run-round loop whilst it had been the terminus between June 1978 and May 1982. This loop was removed when the line was reopened to Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the mid-1990s, a project was launched to install a fully signalled passing loop. This proceeded as a volunteer project, including the building of a signal box. However, prior to commissioning, the project was abandoned in 2001. The trackwork (apart for the siding off the Up Loop) remained in situ. In June 2002, the loop was once again used to run trains around as part of the 2002 Gala to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the restoration of services to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The intended platform starter signals (posts, brackets and arms) have been recovered and some are now in use on the Isle of Man Railway, whilst others are destined for the resignalling of Harbour Station. In 2004, with new disc starter signals and spring-loaded points installed, Tanygrisiau became a passing loop for the first time.

Train control and regulation

A Ffestiniog Railway train leaves Porthmadog and heads towards Blaenau Ffestiniog along the Cob

The Ffestiniog Railway operates on the electric token system (ETS) using a mixture of miniature and large train staffs, under the overall control of the duty controller based at Porthmadog.

Miniature train staffs are provided for:-

• Porthmadog to Minffordd (Intermediate Instrument at Boston Lodge)
• Minffordd to Tanybwlch – Long Section (Intermediate Instrument at Rhiw Goch)
• Tanybwlch to Tanygrisiau (Intermediate Instrument at Dduallt)
• Tanygrisiau to Blaenau Ffestiniog (Intermediate Instrument at Glan-y-Pwll)

Large train staffs are provided for:-

• Minffordd to Rhiw Goch – Short Section
• Rhiw Goch to Tanybwlch – Short Section

The Short Section train staffs are brought into service by opening Rhiw Goch Signalbox, hence trapping the Minffordd to Tanybwlch Long Section Miniature train staff in the lever frame, when the signal box is opened and manned by a signalman.

The signalling and ETS equipment is primarily designed for train crew operation. To obtain permission to withdraw a train staff to enter a single line section, Control has to be contacted.

The Control Office regulates train running, giving permission for trains to enter the single line sections, recording train movements on the Train Graph, ensuring trains are formed of an appropriate number of carriages (depending on the expected train loadings), acting as the single point of contact in the rare event of a failure occurring with rolling stock, and making station announcements at Porthmadog

The Control Office is also responsible for the Train Operation on the Welsh Highland Railway and it also regulates trains from the Welsh Highland Railway Limited, including the interface with the Network Rail ERTMS signaller (in Shrewsbury) to clear the WHR route where it crosses the main Cambrian Coast (standard gauge) line at grade between Pont Croesor and Porthmadog. This is possibly the only narrow-gauge/standard-gauge level crossing in the UK, and an interface between 19th century signalling and 21st century signalling systems.

See also

• British narrow-gauge railways
• Conwy Valley line

Notes

1. An Act to alter and amend an Act of his late Majesty’s Reign, intituled An Act to enable his Majesty to vest the Sands of Traeth Mawr, dividing the Counties of Carnarvon and Merioneth, in William Alexander Madocks Esquire, and for building Quays and other Works, for the Purpose of facilitating the landing, loading and unloading of Ships and Vessels frequenting the Harbour of Port Madoc, in the said County of Carnarvon.

References

1. Burton, Anthony (28 February 2017). A Steam Engine Pilgrimage. Pen & Sword Books. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-4738-6047-6.
2. There is also a funicular dating back to the 16th century: see Reisszug
3. Carnarvon Herald, 2 March 1833
4. Carnarvon Herald, 23 April 1836
5. Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald, 4 June 1842
6. North Wales Chronicle, 17 July 1869
7. Johnson, Peter (1986). Festiniog Railway Gravity Trains ed. Festiniog Railway Heritage Group. p. 4. ISBN 0-949022-00-4.
8. Cliffe's Book of North Wales, 1850
9. Quine, Dan (2013). The George England locomotives of the Ffestiniog Railway. London: Flexiscale.
10. The Festiniog Railway, James I. C. Boyd, 1959, Volume II (page 372)
11. The Festiniog Railway, 1836-1966: 130 years in pictures. The Festiniog Railway Company. 1966.
12. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
13. Johnson, Peter (25 March 2012). "Alan Pegler obituary". The Guardian.
14. "Obituary – Alan Pegler". The Daily Telegraph. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
15. "Obituary – Alan Pegler" (PDF). The Times. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
16. Johnston, Howard (June 2018). "617 publications so far...". The Railway Magazine. Horncastle: Mortons Media Ltd. pp. 33–37. ISSN 0033-8923.
17. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No 86, Page 32.
18. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No 85, Page 22.
19. le Vay, Benedict (2008). Britain from the Rails: A Window Gazer's Guide. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 15.
20. "The Festiniog Railway". Australian Town and Country Journal. NSW. 27 April 1872. p. 17. Retrieved 19 December 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
21. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.90, Page 2
22. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.90, Page 6
23. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.58, Page 18
24. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.87, Page 13
25. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.119, Page 13
26. "ATS-heritage.co.uk". ATS-heritage.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
27. Ffestiniog Railway Company – Offer for Subscription(Prospectus) Ocean Asset Management Ltd, 1987, Page 24
28. Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.125, Page 191
29. Ffestiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.148, Page 135
30. Ffestiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.163, Page 285
31. Yarborough, Bruce. "The Great Little Trains of Wales website". Great Little Trains of Wales. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
32. "[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Welsh Assembly Government | Assembly abolishes toll on Porthmadog Cob". Webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
33. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/683/made

Bibliography

• Boyd, James I.C. (1975) [1959]. The Festiniog Railway 1800 - 1974; Vol. 1 - History and Route. The British Narrow Gauge Railway. Blandford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-167-7. OCLC 2074549. B1A.
• Boyd, James I.C. (1975) [1959]. The Festiniog Railway 1800 - 1974; Vol. 2 - Locomotives and Rolling Stock; Quarries and Branches: Rebirth 1954-74. The British Narrow Gauge Railway. Blandford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-168-4. OCLC 874117875. B1B.
• Ove Arup & Partners; Report on a Rock Fall at Penlan, Ffestiniog Railway, 1979
• E. Beazley; Madocks and the Wonder of Wales, 1967
• R. F. Bleasdale; Spooner Album, 1887, also repub. with commentary by A. Gray, 2003
• D. Blenkinsop; Linda & Blanche 1993
• J. I. C. Boyd; Narrow Gauge Rails to Portmadoc, 1949
• J. I. C. Boyd; On the Welsh Narrow Gauge, no date (1970s)
• J. Buck; Discovering Narrow Gauge Railways, 1972
• D. J. Charlton; FR Spotter's Guide; 2001
• C. F. Cliffe; Book of North Wales, 1850
• W. J. K. Davies; Narrow Gauge Railways, 1962
• R. Edwards & P. Moss (eds); Festiniog Railway Historic Drawings, 1997
• R. F. Fairlie; Battle of the Gauges renewed, 1872
• R. F. Fairlie; Locomotive Engines, what they are and what they should be, 1881, reprint 1969
• Festiniog Railway Co.; Share prospectus, Traveller's Guides, Stock Books, Guide Books (about 40 in all), 1957–2005
• Festiniog Railway Society; Newsletters 1954-7;
• Festiniog Railway Society; FR Magazine, quarterly since 1958 – Ffestiniog since 1994
• A. Gray; The Spooner Album, 2003. See also Bleasdale.
• N. F. Gurley; Narrow Gauge Steam out of Portmadoc, 1980
• L. Heath-Humphrys; letter to Railway Gazette, 27 July 1951
• G. T. Heavyside; Narrow Gauge into the 80s, 1980
• B. Hollingsworth; Ffestiniog Adventure, 1981
• F. H. Howson; Narrow Gauge Railways of Britain, 1948
• P. N. Jarvis; Adeiladu Muriau Cerrig Sych – dry stone walling on the Ffestiniog Railway, 1993, revised edn 1995
• Johnson, Peter (1997). Ffestiniog Railway – a View from the Past.
• Johnson, Peter (2007). An Illustrated History of the Festiniog Railway 1832–1954.
• Johnson, Peter (2004). Immortal Rails; the Story of the Closure and Revival of the Ffestiniog Railway 1939–1983. I. Chester: Rail Romances. ISBN 1-900622-08-4.
• Johnson, Peter (2005). Immortal Rails; the Story of the Closure and Revival of the Ffestiniog Railway 1939–1983. II. Chester: Rail Romances. ISBN 1-900622-09-2.
• Johnson, Peter (1992). Portrait of the Ffestiniog.
• Johnson, Peter (1992). Welsh Narrow gauge; a view from the past.
• Johnson, Peter (1992). Welsh Narrow Gauge in colour.
• P. Johnson & C.M. Whitehouse; Ffestiniog mewn lliw, 1995
• J. R. Jones & A. Pritchard; Great Little Steam Railways of Wales, 1991
• F. Jux; British Narrow gauge Steam, 1960
• R. W. Kidner; Narrow Gauge Railways of Wales, 1947
• M. Kington; Steaming through Britain, 1990
• C. E. Lee; Narrow Gauge Railways in North Wales, 1945
• M. J. T. Lewis; How Ffestiniog got its Railway, 1965, revised edn 1968
• J. C. V. Mitchell & A.G.W. Garraway; Festiniog in the Fifties, 1997
• J. C. V. Mitchell & A.G.W. Garraway; Festiniog in the Sixties, 1997
• J. C. V. Mitchell & A.G.W. Garraway; Return to Blaenau 1970–82, 2001
• J. C. V. Mitchell, Smith, Seymour, Gray; Branch lines around Porthmadog, 2 vols, 1993
• F. H. Pole (ed); Welsh Mountain Railways, 1924, reprint 1985
• J. D. C. A. Prideaux; Welsh Narrow Gauge Railway, 1976
• Quine, Dan (2013). The George England locomotives of the Ffestiniog Railway. London: Flexiscale.
• P. J. G. Ransom; Narrow Gauge Steam, 1996
• P. J. G. Ransom; Locomotion, 2001
• A. Roberts; Gossiping Guide to North Wales, 1879 (the 5/- version is much superior to the 6d edition)
• L. J. Roberts; Festiniog & Welsh Highland Holiday book, 1923
• H. R. Schwabe; Mit Volldampf nach Ffestiniog, 1978
• C. E. Spooner; Narrow Gauge Railways, 1871, revised edn 1879
• H. Stretton; Past & Present Companion; Ffestiniog Railway, 1998
• M. J. Stretton; Festiniog Railway in Camera, 1971-1971, revised edn 1999
• 'Taliesin' (C. R. Weaver et al.); Festiniog Railway locomotives, 1988
• J. Timpson; Little Trains of Britain, 1992
• E. Vignes; Étude technique sur le chemin de fer Festiniog, 1878, English translation by Don Boreham 1986
• F. T. Wayne; "When Accounts become misleading Nonsense", Accountancy, November 1961
• Whitehouse, P. B. (1963). Festiniog Railway Revival.
• Whitehouse, P. B. (1969). Welsh Narrow Gauge Album.
• Whitehouse, P. B.; Allen, P.C. (1966). Round the World on the Narrow Gauge.
• Whitehouse, P. B.; Allen, P.C. (1966). Narrow Gauge the World over.
• C. Winchester & C.J. Allen,(eds.); Railway Wonders of the World, Vol 2, pp. 1224–28. c. 1938.
• J. Winton; Little Wonder, 1975, revised edn 1986

Coordinates: 52°55′27″N 4°07′36″W / 52.92405°N 4.12664°W / 52.92405; -4.12664 (Porthmadog, Ffestiniog Railway)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ffestiniog Railway.

• The Ffestiniog Railway's website
• The Ffestiniog Railway Society
• Ffestiniog Railway Timetables
• The Festiniog Railway Heritage Group
• The Festiniog Railway Heritage Group's Wiki