| Great Escapes: North Wales 7 |
North Wales is able boast a greater
density of narrow gauge steam railways than anywhere else in the world. What's more, with many of the tracks running alongside lakes, up through wooded valleys and even as far as the summit of Snowdon itself, they are the perfect, leisurely way to see some of the best scenery that Britain has to offer.
Sadly, the rise and fall of the narrow gauge railways matches that of North Wales' mining
industry. Some of the railways on our tour endeavour to provide a timetable service which connects to mainline services but they are better viewed as a simple pleasure journey. And, with more than a century of service under their wheels, and all of them evoking the romance of a past era with their polished brass and paintwork, that's plenty enough pleasure for us.
Start here
The start/finish for our tour of North Wales' railways is the Bala Lake Railway at Llanuwchllyn. It's 12 miles north east of Dolgellau on the A494, turning off right onto the B4403.
1. Bala Lake Railway
The market town of Bala is set on the shores of Llyn Tegi, the largest natural lake in Wales. The Bala Lake Railway steams along the eastern length of these shores, and offering superb views of the surrounding scenery including the Berwyn, Aran and Arenig mountain ranges. Bala is well known as a centre for watersports too, so people enjoy sailing, windsurfing and canoeing on the lake.
2. Ffestiniog Railway
Return to the A494, zero your car's trip meter and turn right for Bala. In 4.5 miles, turn left onto the A4212. Turn right at 21.4 miles, signposted Betws-y-Coed A470/Porthmadog (A487). At the toll bridge at 32 miles, the cost of a return crossing/day return is just 5p, which you hand to the attendant. At 32.9 miles turn left into the Ffestinniog Railway car park.
The Ffestiniog is rightly world famous. For a start it's the oldest railway company in the world. In its heyday it was carrying 130,000 tons of slate a year, but with the decline in the slate industry the railway closed in 1946, to be reopened in 1982 after painstaking rebuilding at the hands of the Ffestiniog Railway Society.
The perfect weather for a ride on the Ffestiniog railway is when it's both cold and sunny: that way you get great views while staying snug and warm in one of the cosy little carriages. It runs 13.5 miles from the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog in the mountains, through the superb Snowdonia National Park scenery of towering peaks and wooded slopes, past lakes and pasture land, to the harbour town of Porthmadog.
Historic locomotives pull the little carriages through cuttings and tunnels on the 669ft descent to Porthmadog: our train took two and a half hours for the return journey from Porthmadog to Ffestiniog, with an onboard buffet service to keep us well refreshed.
For those with a broad have-a-go streak in them, there's a guest driving programme in operation, which means that you can have your hand on the regulator, or enjoy a day on the footplate, both driving and firing the engine.
You can also try your hand at the slate shunt, with a coal-fired vintage steam engine and a series of slate wagons.
Alternatively there are a number of special events to attend, including 'jazz on a summer's evening' and 'fish and chips trains', where your lunch will be ready and waiting for you at one of the minor station stops.
3. Snowdon Mountain Railway
Head back across the toll road and turn left on the A4085 for Beddgelert at 36 miles. At 43.2 miles in Beddgelert, turn right on the A498 and ascend the pretty Aberglaslyn Pass, then turn left at 50.5 miles onto the A4086 for Llanberis and Caernarfon. The road ascends to the Snowdonia National Park rangers'
outpost at Pen-y-pass, then descends the Llanberis Pass between Snowdon and the massive rock slabs of the Glyders. Entering the village of Llanberis, parking for the Snowdon Mountain Railway is on your left
at 55.6 miles.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway is a masterpiece of Victorian engineering. It's Britain's only rack-and-pinion railway, and was opened in 1896. The five-mile track has gradients of up to 1 in 5 and, on its way to the summit, the train runs along the edge of the Clogwyn du'r Arddu precipice.
In all, the railway climbs more than 3000 feet up Snowdon from Llanberis, with the upper terminus just below the summit. Be sure to check in advance for any remaining 'foot and mouth' restrictions to prevent you alighting and walking on the mountain during the 30-minute stop on the two and a half hour round trip.
The railway is laid along the north-western slopes of Snowdon, and on clear days the views all the way up the ascent are unrivalled. But only take this trip if you're confident you've got a reasonable head for heights. It really is mountaineering without all the hard work, and as its advert says, this is "the little railway with views far above its station".
4. Llanberis Lake Railway
From the Snowdon Mountain Railway car park, it's only a mile to Llanberis Lake station, in the Padarn Park.
The Llanberis Railway is a thoroughly enjoyable lakeside trip, again on a narrow-gauge steam train. Built on the track bed of part of the 4ft-gauge Padarn Railway, it's working lifetime spanned more than a century, during which it carried slates away from the Dinorwig Quarries to the wharf at Y Felinhli on the shore of the Menai Strait. However, like many of its steam railway counterparts, it became redundant when the mining industry lost its momentum.
The views over Lake Padarn towards Snowdon, as it looms over the village of Llanberis, are stunning. Penllyn and back, including a short stop at Cei Llydan for sightseeing on the return leg takes just over 40 minutes. You can choose to stop off here for a picnic and catch a later train back to Llanberis.
• Return to the A4086 at 58 miles and drive up the winding Llanberis pass. At 63.1 miles, follow the road around to the left in the direction of Capel Curig. Turn right onto the A5 at 67.2 miles and return to Betws-y-Coed at 72.6 miles. Continue on the A5 and at 81.5 miles turn off right onto the B4501. At 87 miles, turn left onto the A4212, which brings you back to Bala at 89 miles. |
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Distance 89 miles.
Time Nine hours.
Start/Finish Bala Lake Railway.
Suitable for All the family.
REFRESHMENTS
Pont-y-Pair, Betws-y-coed.
Tel 01690 710407
Pen-y-Gwyrd, Nant Gwynant.
Tel 01286 870211
Bryn Tyrch, Capel Curig.
Tel 01690 720223
ATTRACTIONS
Snowdon Mountain Railway.
Tel 01286 870223
Llanberis Lake Railway.
Tel 01286 870549
Ffestiniog Railway.
Tel 01766 512340
Bala Lake Railway.
Tel 01678 540666
TIP
To join the Ffestiniog Railway Society, phone 01766 512340, or for more information visit their website at www.festrail.co.uk.
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