Julian Worker's Blog, page 4

The Brecon Mountain Railway

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Bala Lake Railway

Bala Lake/Llyn Tegid is the largest natural body of water in Wales, covering 1,084 acres. The lake, four miles long and one mile wide, sits in a mountain valley. Bala lake is of glacial origin and once extended to twice its current length. The waters of the lake are famously deep and clear.

The River Dee flows through Lake Bala, though this is not apparent when you look at the map. This is because between its source on the slopes of Dduallt and Bala Lake, the river is known by its Welsh name, Afon Dyfrdwy. Bala Lake is part of the River Dee regulation system.

The lake has some legends attached. On moonlit nights, if you look closely, you can see towers and buildings under the waters and if you listen carefully, you can hear bells. These buildings, according to legend, were the palace of King Tegid, husband of Ceridwen, who was the mother of Taliesin. Llyn Tegid is also home to the rare and protected whitefish called the Gwyniad (a kind of land-locked herring whose presence in the lake is said to date back to the last Ice Age). 

The railway’s HQ is in the pretty Welsh village of Llanuwchllyn. The station has free car parking, refreshments, a small gift shop, toilets, and a cafe. There’s a red phone box containing three hanging baskets, an original cigarette dispensing machine, and an old platform ticket dispenser. There are picnic tables, plus all the railway’s storage and repair facilities and an original Great Western Signal Box that is often open to visitors.

All trains start and finish their journey at Llanuwchllyn, and if you arrive early, you can watch the locomotive being prepared prior to the departure of the first train of the day. After each round trip to Bala (except the last), the crew services the locomotive at the water tower on the west side of the Llanuwchllyn station.

I boarded the train with its maroon and cream livery. After leaving Llanuwchllyn, the line heads straight out for a mile, on the way descending the 1 in 70 Dolfawr Bank toward the lakeside, offering expansive views of the lake, water meadows, and surrounding hillsides. Llanuwchllyn bound trains must work hard here to ascend the steep gradient. Pentrepiod is a request stop with a small platform just long enough to accommodate a single coach. It serves a nearby camping field and is useful for walkers.

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

Llanberis Lake Railway

Aside from the Snowdon Railway, this is the other steam railway in and around Llanberis. Like most passengers, I began my journey at Gilfach Ddu Station, in Padarn Country Park. The station is an attractive rock building with wooden doors, red trimmings, and hanging baskets. The car park serves the railway, the slate museum and several other attractions in Padarn Country Park. Before you make your way to the station, take a moment to reflect that if you’d been here 200 years ago you would be in the middle of the lake, as the whole of the car park and the area known as Gilfach Ddu is reclaimed land because of the quarry tipping slate waste into the only available space – the lake!

Train tickets, gifts, books, and refreshments are available for purchase in the Station Building. Boarding the train, I noticed that the coaches have doors on one side only. This is because all the stations are on one side of the line. Passengers operate the carriage windows using leather straps with holes to hold the window in place when open. The train departs from the platform and, after crossing the access road to the station, starts the run alongside the Slate Museum. This building was once the main workshop for the whole quarry and was totally self-sufficient. Other steam engines were outside the building, as part of the museum is used as an engine shed and railway workshop. 

We were soon off again in the opposite direction – with the locomotive pushing the carriages – as the train retraced its path to Padarn Park, but this time went non-stop through the station. Views across Llyn Padarn (Padarn Lake) now began. The train follows the shore of the lake, close to the water’s edge. Llanberis and the Snowdon Mountain range are visible across the lake. I spent some time trying to work out which of the peaks was Snowdon and wondering where the train line to the peak was, as I couldn’t see it. 

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

Ffestiniog Railway

The Ffestiniog Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Ffestiniog) is a heritage railway based on a 1 ft 11.5 inch narrow-gauge. The railway is roughly 13.5 miles long and runs from the harbour at Porthmadog to the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, travelling through the forested Vale of Ffestiniog and upwards through shattered, mountainous terrain. It is single track throughout with intermediate passing places. The first mile of the line out of Porthmadog to Boston Lodge runs on an embankment called the Cob, which is the dyke of the polder known as Traeth Mawr. On my journey, the steam locomotive Mountain Spirit pulled the train frontwards. 

Once I left Porthmadog the train crossed over the estuary on the Cob embankment before climbing up the valley through the sheep pastures and entering the naturally wooded slopes. After the picturesque Tan-y-Bwlch Station, the train left the trees behind and clung to the steep side of the valley. After rounding the spiral at Dduallt and passing through the tunnel, the train emerged beside the man-made Llyn Ystradau reservoir. 

The slate tips around Blaenau reinforced the feeling of an artificial landscape. Trains remain at Blaenau for approximately 50 minutes. Should you wish to stretch your legs after taking pictures of the steam locomotive, the town centre is only a five-minute walk away, where there are a few cafes and shops. The station shop has a small selection of gifts and snacks.

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

Welsh Highland Railway

The Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) is a restored 25-mile long, 1 foot 11.5 inches narrow-gauge heritage railway operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog. The line passes through several popular tourist destinations, including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. 

At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway and is close to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway – there is an actual rail connection between the two railways, but I don’t believe it’s used now. 

Originally running from Dinas, near Caernarfon, to Porthmadog Harbour, the current line includes an additional section from Dinas to Caernarfon. The original line also had a branch to Bryngwyn and the slate quarries around Moel Tryfan. This has become a footpath “rail trail”, the lower section of which was resurfaced and supplied with heritage notice boards.

The steam locomotive heads out of Porthmadog in a northerly direction, pulling eleven or twelve carriages. This first part of the journey takes place in and around Porthmadog and is officially called the Porthmadog cross town link. Then the route crosses Porthmadog High Street and the River Glaslyn across the Britannia Bridge, with road traffic stopped by lights when trains pass. The train trundles through some back streets before it crosses the standard gauge Cambrian Line on the level. This is the only mixed gauge flat rail crossing in the UK. The train continues along the track bed of the Welsh Highland Railway to the junction with the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway just north of Pen-y-Mount. After this, we were out in the countryside and heading to the first halt at Pont Croesor. My understanding is that a halt is a basic railway station. A halt usually has only a rail-level platform with a name board at either end. There is no yard, station building or staff provided at these halt stations.

The next halt is Nantmor and then comes an interesting part of the journey as the train goes through The Long Tunnel and then two sections of the Aberglaslyn Tunnel before crossing the Afon Glaslyn, going through the Goat Tunnel and arriving at Beddgelert Railway Station.

Beddgelert has a large, curved island platform, allowing for two trains to pass each other. There are two small shelters for passenger use. They installed a large water tower at the northwest end of the platform. An original locomotive siding on the west side of the station has been kept and lengthened. The original water tower from old WHR days, on the downside of the station, has been restored and is sometimes used for small locomotives. This is a proper station!

After Beddgelert, the train goes to another halt at Meillionen and then the station at Rhyd Ddu, first opened in 1881. This is where the railway maintains a 1:40 gradient for six miles, making it the steepest non-funicular track in Britain. 

The next station is the Snowdon Ranger Station, currently operated as an unmanned halt, and trains call only by request. Next is Plas-y-Nant, an unmanned halt. Up next is Waunfawr station, whose flower and shrub beds were laid out and maintained by the local community enterprise charity, Antur Waunfawr. The Snowdonia Park Hotel adjoins the station and was built originally as the stationmaster’s house. Entrance to and exit from the station platform is via the hotel car park. The station footbridge links with a car park and a caravan park. Snowdonia Sherpa Bus services call at the station.

Tryfan Junction, a request stop, comes next. At Dinas, workers built the new narrow-gauge platforms on the site of the former standard gauge platforms. Two buildings survive from the North Wales Narrow-gauge Railways era, namely the former goods shed and the original station building, which has been carefully restored. Dinas Station houses the Welsh Highland Railway offices and the carriage sheds and locomotive depot, plus extensive civil engineering works and sidings.

Bontnewydd is the last station, an unstaffed halt, before Caernarvon. The halt was opened on 31st May 1999 on the petition of the villagers of Bontnewydd. It is a request stop with no station buildings and a single low platform.

Caernarvon is the northern terminus of the railway. The present station, built during 2018 and 2019, is sited on the former standard gauge track bed next to St. Helen’s Road. The station buildings accommodate the booking office, a tourist shop, and passenger facilities. In the winter of 2005/06, engineers lengthened the passenger platform and run-around loop at Caernarfon to accommodate trains up to ten carriages long.

The trains of the Welsh Highland Railway leave from the Ffestiniog Railway Harbour Station, with its main signal box of plain white with red trim. On my journey, the steam locomotive, The Harbourmaster, pulled the carriages backwards to Caernarvon. The countryside on the higher parts of the trip is mainly scrubby grassland with some natural rocky outcrops and plenty of small slate waste tips. 

Of all the railways I travelled on, this is the one I will recommend to people if they only have time to go on one train journey. If they had a day, then I’d recommend they go on the WHR and the FR on the same day, as these two railways share a station in Porthmadog.

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

The railway offers a 1-mile train ride to Pen-y-Mount Junction (where there is a physical rail connection to the current Welsh Highland Railway). On the return journey, the train stops at Gelert’s Farm Halt, the location of the workshops and museum, where visitors can also ride on the Miniature Railway before returning to the WHHR station at Porthmadog.

On my journey, the large, blue diesel locomotive called Emma pulled the train with green, dark red, and light blue carriages. The seating was wooden and painted green.  

The museum is full of wonderful railway paraphernalia with several fascinating exhibits. There’s an example of one of the low wagons that used to bring the finished slate down from the mountains. It looked extraordinarily heavy, and an accompanying video and photographs seemed to show that men used to ride on a ‘train’ of about a dozen of these wagons, each man sitting on one wagon, with the brakes applied manually. It looked dangerous because if the brakes failed, there’d be a hell of a mess somewhere. 

There are railway books, a steam locomotive, wagons, and plenty of crayons and paper so kids can enjoy drawing the exhibits. If you have books with you that you would like to donate to the railway, then there are two places where you can leave them in the museum, and judging by the books there, they don’t have to be about railways

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

Fairbourne Railway

The Fairbourne Miniature Railway takes travellers from the village of Fairbourne along the beaches of Bae Ceredigion/Cardigan Bay to the mouth of the Mawddach River at Barmouth Ferry station. This railway runs on a 12.25-inch (311mm) gauge for 2 miles.

Barmouth Ferry is the northern terminus of the railway and used to be on a balloon loop, so the locomotives did not have to run round their trains. They have disconnected this, and it is no longer in use. Locomotives run around the trains on arrival. This terminus is also the site of the Harbour View café, and from here, passengers can catch the pedestrian ferry across the estuary to Barmouth.

Fairbourne Station is home to the railway and has a souvenir shop, a railway museum, a G scale model railway, and a tearoom. I bought my ticket here. 

The carriages had blue trim, wooden benches, and metal flooring. In my open carriage was a notice advising that dogs don’t travel in open carriages. The locomotive was number 1078 from David Curwen in Devizes. 

After Fairbourne station, the first stop is at Beach Halt. This halt serves the beach, car park, and amusement arcade. The name of the station was formerly “Bathing Beach” during its time as a 15-inch gauge railway. From here, trains head northward through the dunes, skirting the beach before arriving at Golf Halt, which serves the 9-hole golf course and beach. Trains then continue northwards alongside the seawall before reaching Loop Halt.

Loop Halt serves the embankment footpath to Morfa Mawddach and the Barmouth Bridge. Trains continue into the passing loop and, during the two-train service, pass each other. The line then sweeps out into the sand dunes towards Estuary Halt. 

Estuary Halt is next to the Jack Steele Tunnel built in 1987 (presumably to keep the dunes off the track) and serves the car park at the end of Penrhyn Drive North. Trains pass here approximately sixteen minutes after leaving Fairbourne. Trains continue through the tunnel and more dunes before arriving at Barmouth Ferry.

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

Talyllyn Railway

The Rev. Wilbert Awdry inherited an interest in railways from his father, the Rev. Vere Awdry, and together with his brother George, became a keen railway modeller. He published his first book in what would become The Railway Series in 1945. By 1951, he had written four more. In February that year, someone sent him an article which had appeared in the Birmingham Mail entitled “Eight Miles of Railway to play with – and real trains – for £1 a year”.

The railway was the Talyllyn Railway. The article sparked Wilbert’s interest, leading him to apply for membership in the newly formed Preservation Society; he was number 79. Coincidentally, Wilbert had a distant cousin, Frank, who lived in Tywyn. They had never met, but Wilbert and George had visited Frank’s sisters in Clevedon, Somerset, and had heard stories about the ‘somewhat wayward little railway’ in Tywyn.

Having become a regular visitor and volunteer on the Talyllyn Railway, Wilbert determined to write about the Talyllyn in his books. For his tenth book in the Railway Series, Four Little Engines, he “discovered” a narrow-gauge railway on the Island of Sodor called the Skarloey Railway. By some coincidence, the engines on this railway all had “twins” on the Talyllyn: Skarloey & Talyllyn, Rheneas & Dolgoch, Sir Handel & Sir Haydn, Peter Sam & Edward Thomas. Later books introduced Engines No. 5 Rusty and No. 6 Duncan.

There is a national rail network station at Tywyn close to the Wharf station, where my journey was to begin. I arrived early and bought my ticket so I could have a look around the station. The steam locomotive ‘Tom Rolt’ was ready to go. Passengers were already filling up the chocolate brown carriages of the Corris Railway that were being used that day. The station yard really looked like a working station with mounds of coal, a large yellow digger, and a wagon full of wooden track supports or sleepers that appeared ready for use. The King’s Cafe was doing a brisk trade, and not all patrons were passengers for the train. 

The Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum is an important collection of artefacts spanning 200 years, ranging from complete locomotives to paperwork, signalling equipment, and tickets. The museum features nearly eighty narrow-gauge railways in its collection. As expected, there’s a special section devoted to the creator of “Thomas the Tank Engine” including a reconstruction of part of the Reverend Awdry’s study from his last home in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

Before heading along the Talyllyn line, keen walkers might want to look at the selection of trails from the various stations, including the Castell y Bere walk, and sightseers might want to consider looking at nearby waterfalls, including the Dolgoch Falls. It appears every station had a waiting room.

After leaving the Tywyn Wharf station, the next stop is Pendre, with the locomotive sheds and a circular walk. Next is Rhydyronen, where there are three walking options, including one that allows you to walk to the next station, Brynglas. After Brynglas comes Dolgoch with its picnic tables, toilets, waterfalls, and water tower for thirsty locomotives. At the following station, Abergynolwyn, is the Quarryman’s Caban tearoom, a picnic area and playground, a car park with a charging station, and more toilets, plus the Dysynni Gorge walk starts here. The last station is the Nant Gwernol terminus, with a waterfall nearby and a circular walk.

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

The Vale of Rheidol Railway – Aberystwyth to the Devil’s Bridge

The Great Western Railway built the locomotives and carriages currently in use between 1923 and 1938. The Vale of Rheidol Railway is the owner of an extensive collection of historical, narrow-gauge locomotives and rolling stock. Several items from the collection are visible in the brick-built Engine Shed Display Building/Museum, with exhibits being rotated. When I visited, steam locomotives of various sizes were on display, including Margaret, Drakensberg, and Fire Queen. 

The GWR livery of light yellow and brown coloured the carriages on my train, as well as the station buildings en route to the Devil’s Bridge. Most people seated themselves in the closed carriages. I thought I’d like to sit in the open carriage and possibly take pictures of the landscapes along the route. Perhaps I should have been suspicious why no one else came to sit in this carriage with me. 

Anyway, we set off, and the smoke from the steam engine was dispersing nicely, except under the tree canopy that allowed little smoke to pass through their leaves. Then I saw the tunnel approaching. I took a sip of water, swallowed, and took in a large breath of fresh air, closing my eyes as the smoke filtered all around me. The tunnel wasn’t long, and we were soon out in the sunshine. The greyness soon dispersed, and we were back amongst the fields and the landscapes.

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.

 

The Vale of Rheidol Railway – Aberystwyth to the Devil’s BridgeWelshpool and Llanfair Railway

The Great Western Railway built the locomotives and carriages currently in use between 1923 and 1938. The Vale of Rheidol Railway is the owner of an extensive collection of historical, narrow-gauge locomotives and rolling stock. Several items from the collection are visible in the brick-built Engine Shed Display Building/Museum, with exhibits being rotated. When I visited, steam locomotives of various sizes were on display, including Margaret, Drakensberg, and Fire Queen. 

The GWR livery of light yellow and brown coloured the carriages on my train, as well as the station buildings en route to the Devil’s Bridge. Most people seated themselves in the closed carriages. I thought I’d like to sit in the open carriage and possibly take pictures of the landscapes along the route. Perhaps I should have been suspicious why no one else came to sit in this carriage with me. 

Anyway, we set off, and the smoke from the steam engine was dispersing nicely, except under the tree canopy that allowed little smoke to pass through their leaves. Then I saw the tunnel approaching. I took a sip of water, swallowed, and took in a large breath of fresh air, closing my eyes as the smoke filtered all around me. The tunnel wasn’t long, and we were soon out in the sunshine. The greyness soon dispersed, and we were back amongst the fields and the landscapes.

My new book is available here.

The book covers not only the Great Little Trains of Wales but also other methods of transport in the UK.

I was eight years old when my interest in steam trains began. My parents and I lived close to someone who worked at Doncaster train station. The Flying Scotsman was the most famous train of the time, and for some reason it was at Doncaster for a few days. I was asked whether I’d like to see the train and go on the footplate. Of course I did. What I remember most was the enormous size of the train and that the driver’s cab seemed as big as my bedroom. Everything about the train, the colours, the gleaming metal, the gorgeous carriages, the mountain of coal, made a lasting impression – I wanted to go to places, and I wanted to go on a train like this one.

My father wanted to travel, and the plan was for my parents to see the world when he retired. Cancer cut short his life and their plan died with him. Once I had the finances, I felt duty bound to travel to the places he wanted to go, and if possible, go by steam train. This book is what I found.