It took a few attempts over two days to find Beddgelert station which we managed to. Running in to terminate its service from Caernarfon is NGG16 class Garratt 130 with the 1130 off the northern terminus of the line.
In wonderful sunshine, No 130 passes along the long and curved island platform at Beddgelert station.
With the coaching stock safely parked up in the platform with the handbrake very securely on, No 130 comes through the other platform whilst running round. In doing so it is lit wonderfully by the autumnal sunshine.
The gradient here is 1 in 43 rising in the direction of viewing so the driver will need to have steam on all the way along. The headboard reads the "Gelert Explorer" in English and Welsh.
The fireman takes on water and in doing so add more adhesion weight to the front unit. No 130 was built by Beyer, Peacock and Co in Manchester in 1951 for the South African Railway. It was repatriated by the Exmoor Steam Centre and bought by Pete Best. A new boiler was constructed by the South Devon Railway and the power units were rebuilt at Dinas. It returned to service in April 2021 and is in Burrell Plum livery.
The lamps and headboard have been placed on the coal bunker for the return run to Caernarfon. Watering has been completed.
The driver moves the 60 ton 2-6-2+2-6-2 loco away from the station up the 1 in 43 gradient and will stop just beyond the turnout. The station water tower needs a repaint.
The fireman waves the driver onto the stock and the approach is both very slow and very careful. The gradient is falling at 1 in 43 and a runaway it hit too hard would generate a great deal of paperwork! We did not record the departure but did watch it.
The second train booked to terminate at Beddgelert is the 1340 from Porthmadog and here it comes blasting up the 1 in 40 gradient in a cutting is No 190 Lyd.
The replica Lynton and Barnstable Railway 2-6-2T loco will have to be worked hard right through the station until the driver is about ready to stop his train.
The stock is varied and vintage in nature. The guard totally looks the part in his Victorian era uniform. There is a tearoom and small shop which opens when the terminating trains are running.
The crew have uncoupled from the train, run forward to the water crane and taken water. Now the driver takes his charge out of the station to run round. The sun is coming out and catches the side of the loco.
Lyd now runs through the southbound platform. The remains of the tree behind the loco would have been growing back when the original Welsh Highland Railway ran.
A general view of Beddgelert station. To the right is a single siding which originally ran over an inspection pit. But the alignment did not allow Garratt locos to pass over the very tight curve to reach it. So the pit was filled in and track laid at an angle over it. Behind the bloke and his child is the original water tower. The tank is new but the two concrete legs are original. The hill in the background is Moel y Dyniewyd rising to 1,253 feet above sea level.
The fireman waves his driver onto the stock. It would help however if the driver was facing the opposite way and looking at the fireman!
In glorious autumn sunshine Lyd and the train is lit to perfection. The original Beddgelert station was here but it did not have a platform. This station is the only one which serves any real tourist destinations, that is why trains terminate here.
One last photo here and we head off to Llandwrog airfield for the small aircraft museum located there. 8/10/22
Our train from Blaenau Ffestiniog was about 20 minutes late back into Porthmadog and the Beddgelert train was waiting for it. So we legged it from the station as I really wanted this shot, a Garratt on the road section. 11/10/22
The crew on NGG16 class Beyer Garratt No 87 keep a sharp lookout as they bring their train out of the station and over the open road crossing.
No87 bears right to leave the Britannia Bridge whilst the back of the train is still within the station. This is a remarkable piece of railway.
This working is the 1340 from Porthmadog to Beddgelert, the "Glaslyn Venturer and is running about 25 minutes late. Like the Friday photos, these are pure bonus shots.
We drove around for a while to seek out a location for the return working and decided on the road and rail bridge over the Afon Glaslyn at Pont Croesor. No87 approaches running chimney leading with the 1540 Beddgelert to Porthmadog. The peaked mountain is Yr Arddu and rises some 1,273 feet about sea level.
The rail section of the bridge was demolished after the Welsh Highland Railway closed so it had to be rebuilt. This is actually part of the much earlier Croesor Tramway built in 1864 carrying slate from the Croesor Quarries to Porthmadog harbour. It was absorbed into the Welsh Highland Railway in 1922.
NGG16 class loco No 87 was built by Cockerill in Belgium in 1937 for the South African Railways. It was brought to the UK by the Exmoor Steam Centre and sold to the Welsh Highland/Ffestiniog Railway in 2006. It was returned to steam in 2009 and after a ten year overhaul was turned out again in 2020. It wears the black livery of South African Railways with their SAR/SAS logo on the coal bunker. No 87 crosses the B4410 and will be slowing for the token stop at Pont Croesor station just ahead of it.
I did not think we would get the train again but Ross wanted to visit the Porthmadog station shop so we managed to get the train crossing the Britannia Bridge from a different view point, more bonus shots.
The Garratt comes off the road section, also known as the Porthmadog Cross Town Link, to enter the station. A great day was had this day, well pleased. 11/10/22
Wednesday dawned as forecast, wet, dull and overcast, in fact the rain was quite heavy as we waited at the first location for the train. The flat crossing is located on the northern edge of Porthmadog and we are standing on a vehicle and foot crossing. A WHR signaller controls the crossing to ensure everything is safe and the necessary permission and interlocking is in place when the "big" trains are running.
No 87 forms the 0940 Porthmadog departure to Caernarfon, The Harbourmaster. The train crosses the standard gauge line on the flat just as the original Croesor Tramway did. The standard gauge line was closed for the week of our visit due to engineering works on Barmouth Bridge.
This shot is one of several "MUST DO" shots on the Welsh Highland Railway, the Aberglaslyn Pass. We had checked the location out on the Friday so we knew there was a shot and how to get to it.
Bringing the lens out to record the whole scene in the pouring rain as No 87 steams along a level section of track. The Afon Glaslyn has risen since the Friday especially after the heavy rain over night.
This is about the only open section of the Aberglaslyn Pass that allows photographs to be taken. There is a footpath below the embankment and maybe we'll check it out another time.
We returned to Porthmadog to take in the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway and their short railway built on the former standard gauge sidings and exchange sidings with the Croesor Tramway then WHR. The pride and joy of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway is this Hunslet built 2-6-2T loco, works number 901 of 1906. It was ordered and built for the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway and passed into the Welsh Highland Railway. We have ridden behind Russell when we were here in 2000, https://www.jules-merlin27.com/Railways/North-Wales-Narrow-Gauge/i-3h2W4cb/A The loco is in ticket and I stood on the footplate and raised an imaginary glass to the memory of one of Fayle's drivers, Eli Kitcatt. This loco spend several years in the early 1950's working Fayles Tramway at Norden on the ball clay trains. A special loco for both of us.
Gelert is a 0-4-2T built by WG Bagnall in 1953, works No 3050, for the Rustenberg Platinum Mines in South Africa. It came to Porthmadog in April 1982 and was restored to steam in 1992.
Karen is a product of Peckett of Bristol, works No 2024, built for the Rhodesia Chrome Mines and hauled chrome ore trains. It came to Porthmadog in 1978 and returned to steam in 1983, it is currently out of ticket.
Later in the day and after a trip round the Sygun Copper Mine at Beddgelert https://www.jules-merlin27.com/Other/Sygun-Copper-Mine-Beddgelert/ we headed out to Rhyd Ddu to see the returning train to Porthmadog. The bonus was the rain had stopped and the day was brightening as No 87 runs in.
The fireman climbs down from No 87 as it slowly passes along the platform with its train, 1420 Caernarfon to Porthmadog, "The Harbourmaster". He will have the token for the previous section to put back in the machine and then remove the token for the next section. This is the half way point pretty much and trains cross here when two full distance services are running.
We returned to the Aberglaslyn Pass to get No 87 heading south. Even though it had stopped raining the river had risen a little bit more as the water has run off the hills. This meant the southbound location we found on the Friday was not possible to get to. Ross made a brave attempt and pulled it off but I chickened out and went back to where I stood for the northbound shot. No 87 steams by in fine style.
A closer look at the Garratt loco passing along the Afon Glaslyn.
Bringing the lens out to record the whole scene in better conditions than the morning. The dampness in the air gives for a great exhaust.
As the weather had greatly improved I wanted to return to the flat crossing for the last shot of the day. The hills in the distance were not visible in the morning.
Nearly back at Porthmadog station, about half a mile away, as No 87 crosses the standard gauge line. We did a recce trip on this spot after studying the maps and aerial photos. Now home to dry out and warm up after a wet but good day. 12/10/22
Well what an absolute transformation from the previous day. After an easy morning we head to Rhyd Ddu to catch the train off Caernarfon. Looking down the valley where the railway clings to the side of the hill.
I was starting to get concerned that the train was running as its Rhyd Ddu time came and went and it still had not appeared down by Snowdon Ranger station. But running some 30 minutes down, Garratt No 130 and its train appeared passing the station. A white exhaust would've helped pick it out it the vastness of the valley.
On this very warm and wonderfully sunny day No 130 has a dark exhaust as it works hard on a rising 1 in 90 gradient with Bron-y-fedw isaf farm just below the level of the railway. The service is the 1130 from Caernarfon to Beddgelert, the "Gelert Explorer".
Opening the lens out to 100mm and Foel Goch, rises high above the train at 1985 feet above sea level. The Garratt and its ten coach train are almost lost in the landscape.
Here the line is carried over a stream gully by a stone faced embankment. This was the location for exchange sidings for an inclined plane that came down from the slate quarry higher up the hillside. When the line was rebuilt the track was slewed into the area of the sidings and further away form the edge of the embankment.
Part of the massive tailings from the Glanrafon slate quarry that dominates the valley here, the inclined plane is behind these tips. The line is still climbing at 1 in 90 and the line curves slightly to the left here.
The line is now running due south and the sun has come off the side of the coaches and loco but still on the front of the lead power unit.
