This 'Great Little Welsh Railway' successfully expands! (2 of 2)
Pictured here at 11.15 am on a 'Very Happy' Wednesday 19th May 2021, sees Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd built 0-4-0 Saddle Tank No.3 Dolbadarn having just arrived at its 'Much Newer' Easterly Llanberis terminus with the day's first service train. After just uncoupling, it's now using the passing loop before firstly returning to Gilfach Ddu - then finally travelling further West to Penllyn.
It's the first passenger running day for six months because of prior COVID restrictions and I very much enjoyed accompanying my good Flickr friend and the Engine's Driver Hefin Owen when visiting.
Built in 1922 it's one of three remaining steam engines, lovingly restored in 1971 at the railway's Gilfach Ddu Works and operating on this wonderful narrow gauge railway, that was originally built for the former nearby Dinorwic Slate Quarry which closed in 1969.
The narrow gauge heritage railway now runs for two and one half miles from Llanberis in the East to Penllyn in the West. After leaving Glfach Ddu, when skirting the Northern Shoreline of the picturesque Llyn Padarn, it runs on the track-bed of the former four foot gauge Dinorwic Quarry line that once transported slate West to Penscoins above Port Dinorwic for worldwide shipment before the Quarry's closure in 1969.
In 2003, an ambitious project to extend the railway from Gilfach Ddu to this more prominent main road position in Llanberis, with European Funding, was completed. The impetus had come from the Snowdonia National Park and other authorities. The extension was seen as a way of encouraging visitors to make more use of the area around the lake namely the Padarn Country Park.
That was certainly my experience as many people joined the train.
This 'Great Little Welsh Railway' successfully expands! (2 of 2)
Pictured here at 11.15 am on a 'Very Happy' Wednesday 19th May 2021, sees Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd built 0-4-0 Saddle Tank No.3 Dolbadarn having just arrived at its 'Much Newer' Easterly Llanberis terminus with the day's first service train. After just uncoupling, it's now using the passing loop before firstly returning to Gilfach Ddu - then finally travelling further West to Penllyn.
It's the first passenger running day for six months because of prior COVID restrictions and I very much enjoyed accompanying my good Flickr friend and the Engine's Driver Hefin Owen when visiting.
Built in 1922 it's one of three remaining steam engines, lovingly restored in 1971 at the railway's Gilfach Ddu Works and operating on this wonderful narrow gauge railway, that was originally built for the former nearby Dinorwic Slate Quarry which closed in 1969.
The narrow gauge heritage railway now runs for two and one half miles from Llanberis in the East to Penllyn in the West. After leaving Glfach Ddu, when skirting the Northern Shoreline of the picturesque Llyn Padarn, it runs on the track-bed of the former four foot gauge Dinorwic Quarry line that once transported slate West to Penscoins above Port Dinorwic for worldwide shipment before the Quarry's closure in 1969.
In 2003, an ambitious project to extend the railway from Gilfach Ddu to this more prominent main road position in Llanberis, with European Funding, was completed. The impetus had come from the Snowdonia National Park and other authorities. The extension was seen as a way of encouraging visitors to make more use of the area around the lake namely the Padarn Country Park.
That was certainly my experience as many people joined the train.