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Offline ShannonN  
#1 Posted : 07 January 2019 04:10:53(UTC)
ShannonN

Australia   
Joined: 14/08/2016(UTC)
Posts: 492
Location: Maryborough, Qld


With a camera mounted on the front of one of the powerful ex South African NGG16 Garratt locomotives No. 87 our train eases out of Porthmadog station onto the Britannia Road Bridge and level crossing.

Number 87 negotiates its way through the town before crossing the Cambrian Coast railway via Britain’s only mixed gauge flat crossing. For a short distance we run next to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) to Pen y Mount junction, passing under the new Porthmadog bypass into open countryside.

Shortly after Pont Croesor station is an interesting bridge carrying both road and rail over the Afon Glaslyn (River Glaslyn). With the distant hills looming on the horizon we steam through pleasant farmland punctuated by the odd river bridge to Nantmor halt after which the character of the line changes as we enter the Aberglaslyn Pass via No.4 tunnel.

Bursting from the tunnel onto a ledge high above the pretty river below, with glorious mountain scenery all around we are now traversing one of the most photographed locations in the country. We leave the Aberglaslyn Pass via Goat tunnel to enter Beddgelert station where a Porthmadog bound train is waiting for us to clear the single line.

The noise from our engine increases as it lifts its train through the wooded slopes to the summit marker board a mile or so short of Rhyd Ddu station.


Welsh Highland Railway - Driver's Eye View - Part 2 - Rhyd Ddu to Caernarfon



Track gauge - 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm)

With the uphill climb behind us now, our Garrett locomotive eases its train away from Rhyd Ddu for the largely downhill run to Caernarfon. Soon after resuming our journey we round the first bend to an amazing vista stretching to Lly Cwellym reservoir and beyond.

This is wild wales, with mountains all around, the odd farm building and dry stone walls to keep the cattle and sheep from straying. Our train looks small in this vast landscape as we descend to Snowdon Ranger, a small halt serving one of several hiking trails leading up Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales at 1,085 m (3,560 ft).

With Llyn Cwellyn reservoir to our left and high mountains to our right, we are surrounded by awe inspiring scenery in every direction. We coast past Plas y Nant (Halt) without stopping as there is no one leaving or joining here, to cross the Afon Gwyrfai (River) on one of the bow sting bridges used to carry the original line.

The countryside for the next few miles is influenced and shaped by the winding course of the Afon Gwyrfai, first passing the disused station at Betws Garmon, before stopping a Waunfawr station and passing loop. Our train gets underway again, staying close to the Afon Gwyrfai as far as Tryfan Junction where a line once branched off to serve Bryngwyn Slat Quarry, now a footpath.

Our journey continues through typical Welsh farmland to Dinas (Halt) where the original line terminated, at the one time station on the now closed standard gauge line to Afon Wen. There is a substantial railway presence here, with the motive power depot, carriage sheds, coaling stage and sidings.

For the run into Caernarfon the track bed of the closed standard gauge line is shared by both the WHR and a cycle track, with our train terminating just short of the castle at a temporary structure soon to be replaced by an eye catching new station with the facilities needed to cater for the increasing passenger numbers to this popular Welsh tourist destination.
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by ShannonN
bph
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