Ffestiniog
Railway
August 15 2003
I spent the the first part of the day in the Campbell's Platform/Ddaullt/Moelwyn Tunnel area on the Ffestiniog Railway. Finding these places was easy. I parked my car and followed the footpaths. I knew I has in for a climb as the line is at least 150m up from the valley floor at Campbells Platform. I certainly knew this when I got up there! With my medium format camera gear on my back the very very steep climb certainly made itself felt!
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Campbell's
platform was opened as a private station to serve the nearby Plas Ddaullt.
Today the station is nicely maintained but has no advertised service.
Visible from the platform is the now closed Trawsfynedd nuclear power
station. August 15 2003 |
Having climbed up the hill in full sun and waited around in full sun it was perhaps predictable that the first train of the day appeared when the sun had, briefly, gone behind a cloud ! Here Double Fairlie 0-4-0+0-4-0 David Lloyd George climbs towards Campbell's Platform with the 10:20 from Porthmadog. August 15 2003
The next train up was hauled by 2-4-0st+t Linda. This is the 11:20 from Porthmadog. August 15 2003
2-4-0st+t Linda climbs towards Campbells Platform with the 11:20 from Porthmadog. August 15 2003
Once Linda had passed I moved up the line a little to the Ddaullt area.
2-4-0st+t Linda drops down around the spiral on the approach to Ddaullt station with the 12:50 from Blaenau Ffestiniog. August 15 2003
At Ddaullt the deviation from the original FR route starts. Here Alco built 2-6-2t Mountaineer climbs around Ddaullt spiral with the 12:30 from Portmadog. Ddaullt station can just be seen above the loco. August 15 2003
From here I walked along the old trackbed before branching off up the 1836-42 inclines, over the new Moelwyn tunnel to get some excellent views and a few more photographs.
Double Fairlie 0-4-0+0-4-0 David Lloyd George climbs towards the new Moelwyn tunnel on the deviation section with the 13:40 from Porthmadog. The old trackbed and tunnel mouth is visible approximately above the forth carriage where the dry stone wall is. August 15 2003
With the passing of the Fairlie the cloud that had been threatening to obscure the sun finally moved in and I didn't see it again for some hours.
Double Fairlie 0-4-0+0-4-0 David Lloyd George runs down grade just after a stop at Ddaullt station with the 15:10 from Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the distance is the closed nuclear power station at Trawsfynedd. August 15 2003
Hunslet built 2-4-0st+t Linda climbs around the spiral at Ddaullt station with the 14:50 from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog. August 15 2003
Click here to hear Linda climbing Ddaullt spiral at the same time I took the photo.
Almost lost in the hills 2-4-0st+t Linda climbs away from Tanygrisiau on the deviation section with the 16:20 from Blaenau Ffestiniog. August 15 2003
Alco built 2-6-2t Mountaineer approaches Glan-y-Pwll with the 16:00 from Porthmadog. August 15 2003
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Mountaineer crosses Afon Cwmorthin just beyond Tanygrisiau station with
the 17:30 from Blaenau Ffestiniog. August 15 2003 |
Back at Porthmadog 2-6-2t Mountaineer stands alongside the water tower. August 15 2003
Alco 2-6-2t Mountaineer at Porthmadog, alongside the water tower. August 15 2003
Not unique but certainly rare. Mountaineer has outside admission piston valves as can be determined by the connection between the combination level and radius rod which is below the valve stem crosshead. Originally Mountaineer was built with slide valves, which normally are outside admission. In the early 1980's a straight swap was made from slide valves to piston valves retaining the original valvegear arrangement. August 15 2003
Viewed from my room window in the B&B I stayed at 2-6-2t Mountaineer is seen crossing the Cob, light engine, on her way to Boston Lodge depot. August 15 2003
A little later in the evening I finally managed to meet up with Shaun McMahon after many months of e-mail only contact.
The next morning I made an early start to get down to Tyseley for a days work on 6024.