Snowdon
Mountain Railway
July 11 & 12 2003
Home Scotland & Wales July 2003 2003 Trips
We paid two visits to the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Only wanting the travel up with steam we had hoped to get on a train on July 11. In the event this was not possible so we had to return on July 12.
On shed at Llanberis, from the left, are No.4 Snowdon, No.6 Padarn and No.2 Enid. All locos made a trip to the summit this day. July 11 2003
First loco off was No.2 Enid. July 11 2003
Having been elsewhere we returned to the SMR in the early evening in time to see No.4 and No.6 arrive from the summit. Thanks to the kindness of SMR driver Nigel Day we were allowed access to the shed at Llanberis which proved very interesting.
No.4 Snowdon returns to Llanberis after a round trip. July 11 2003
As can be seen the station at Llanberis is not large. No.4 Snowdon slowly pulls in to the station. July 11 2003
Having shunted the coach to the sidings No.4 Snowdon went on shed, initially stopping for water and coal. July 11 2003
No.4 Snowdon gets watered and coaled at Llanberis. July 11 2003
Driver Nigel Day coals No.4 'Snowdon' at the end of the day. July 11 2003
No.4 'Snowdon' has enough water now. July 11 2003
Inside the shed stands No.5 Moel Siabod, currently out of traffic. July 11 2003
Also out of service was No.3 Wyddfa. Here Nigel Day (right) points something out to Jeremy Phelan. July 11 2003
No.4 'Snowdon' waits to go in to the shed alongside one of the hideous diesels of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. July 11 2003
No.6 Padarn came down the hill well after No.4. Here the loco and coach are seen going on shed. July 11 2003
No.6 Padarn alongside the coal stage and water column at Llanberis. This loco sports an early Nigel Day exhaust system. The shape of the chimney is the give away. July 11 2003
We returned to Llanberis for the 11am departure on July 12, the first steam up the hill that day. The oldest loco in the fleet, No.2 Enid, was propelling the train.
No.2 Enid at Llanberis station. July 12 2003
The motion showing the interesting drive arrangement on the first series of SMR locos. July 12 2003
This is the view from the train near Clogwyn down in to the Llanberis Pass. Somewhere down here is where SMR No.1 L.A.D.A.S. landed after the opening day accident. July 12 2003
This is the view from the summit station looking west. The lake in the middle distance is Llyn Cwellyn. On the far side of the slate tips on the left runs the Welsh Highland Railway. July 12 2003
The view from the summit of Snowdon looking south out over Bwlch Main towards the summit of Yr Aran and beyond. July 12 2003
This view from Snowdon summit shows the perilous Crib Goch ridge. Lower down the two walking routes visible are the Pyg Track (the higher of the two) and the Miners Track. July 12 2003
Llyn Llydaw can be seen in this view east from Snowdon. July 12 2003
No.2 Enid at Snowdon summit station. July 12 2003
Snowdon station is rather exposed as seen here with No.2 Enid in the station. July 12 2003