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Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway Station, a station which is shared with the normal gauge Conwy Valley Line and the Ffestiniog Railway Narrow Gauge Railway. Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales.
The first railway to be built in Blaenau Ffestiniog was the Festiniog Railway, which opened for slate traffic in 1836. The main line terminated at Dinas to the north west of the town (now buried under the spoil tip) with a branch line from a junction near Glanypwll to Duffws near the town centre. The first passenger trains ran from Porthmadog to Dinas on 6 January 1865 and the passenger station at Duffws opened in January 1866. Until 1870 alternate trains ran to Dinas and Duffws but by the end of 1870 Dinas passenger station had closed and all passenger services from then on terminated at Duffws. An interchange station with the LNWR (known as Stesion Fein) was opened in 1881, and an interchange with the GWR opened in 1883. In 1931, Duffws closed as a passenger station, and the GWR exchange station became the terminus. The main Duffws station building survives as a grade 2 listed building, now serving as a public toilet block on the central car park.
Meanwhile, the narrow gauge Festiniog and Blaenau Railway had opened from Llan Ffestiniog to Blaenau Ffestiniog on 29 May 1868. Its station was located where the FR foot access gate is now located. The line was initially worked by the Ffestiniog Railway and all slate traffic on the F&BR throughout its existence was carried in FR owned wagons. The FR and F&BR stations were both called Duffws although they were several hundred yards apart and passengers walked between the two. On 1 September 1882 the standard gauge Bala Ffestiniog Line reached the Llan Ffestiniog from the south. The following year the narrow gauge line was converted, with the station re-opening on 10 September 1883.
The first standard gauge railway reached the town in 1879. It was the London and North Western Railway Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction, which established its slate yards at the northern end of Blaenau Ffestiniog and built its passenger station near Glanypwll and across the road from the Ffestiniog Railway on which an interchange station was built in 1881. The LNWR had built this line in order to seek a share of the Ffestiniog slate traffic (including that then being carried by coastal steamer from Porthmadog to ports on the Irish sea and elsewhere). To this end they established a slate wharf at Deganwy and a feature of early LNWR operation of the line was the carriage of slate in narrow gauge wagons from Blaenau to Deganwy pick-a-back on standard gauge wagons. So highly did the LNWR rate the commercial prospects of Blaenau Ffestiniog that in the 1880s they established their own hotel in the town, now demolished; it features on LNWR publicity of the period.
The last major change in the 19th century was the construction of the Great Western Railway line from Bala to Llan Ffestiniog and the conversion of the Festiniog and Blaenau line to standard gauge in 1883. The Ffestiniog Railway provided an interchange platform adjoining the GWR station. From 1883 until 1930 there were therefore five railway passenger stations in use in Blaenau Ffestiniog (GWR, LNWR, FR Duffws, the FR-GWR interchange, and the FR-LNWR interchange Stesion Fein). Duffws station closed in 1931 and the two remaining FR stations closed at the outbreak of war in 1939. A feature of GWR operation of this line from 1883 to 1945 was the carriage of slate in narrow gauge wagons from Tanymanod to Blaenau (about ¾ mile) pick-a-back on standard gauge wagons.
Following nationalisation, the LMS (LNWR) station was renamed Blaenau Ffestiniog North and the GWR station became Blaenau Ffestiniog Central. The construction of the Tryweryn reservoir from 1958 brought the closure of the former GWR line to passengers on 2 January 1960 and to freight trains on 27 January 1961. Later, the construction of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in 1963 led to the extension of the Conwy Valley line to the Central station site in order to provide rail access to the power station. Passenger services continued to terminate at Blaenau Ffestiniog North.
In 1982, with the completion of the rebuilding of the Festiniog Railway back to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the new Ffestiniog Railway/British Rail Joint Station was opened on the site of the Festiniog Railway/GWR Joint Station of 1883. British Rail trains first used the new station on 22 March 1982 and Festiniog Railway services to Blaenau Ffestiniog were resumed on 25 May 1982. The former LNWR "North" station on the Conwy Valley line was therefore closed. The FR Stesion Fein station was not rebuilt.
The new joint station was officially opened on 30 April 1983 by George Thomas, Speaker of the House of Commons, who unveiled a plaque at the station recording his visit. The Royal Oakeley Silver Band and the Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir led the celebrations.
16942
Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway Station, a station which is shared with the normal gauge Conwy Valley Line and the Ffestiniog Railway Narrow Gauge Railway. Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales.
The first railway to be built in Blaenau Ffestiniog was the Festiniog Railway, which opened for slate traffic in 1836. The main line terminated at Dinas to the north west of the town (now buried under the spoil tip) with a branch line from a junction near Glanypwll to Duffws near the town centre. The first passenger trains ran from Porthmadog to Dinas on 6 January 1865 and the passenger station at Duffws opened in January 1866. Until 1870 alternate trains ran to Dinas and Duffws but by the end of 1870 Dinas passenger station had closed and all passenger services from then on terminated at Duffws. An interchange station with the LNWR (known as Stesion Fein) was opened in 1881, and an interchange with the GWR opened in 1883. In 1931, Duffws closed as a passenger station, and the GWR exchange station became the terminus. The main Duffws station building survives as a grade 2 listed building, now serving as a public toilet block on the central car park.
Meanwhile, the narrow gauge Festiniog and Blaenau Railway had opened from Llan Ffestiniog to Blaenau Ffestiniog on 29 May 1868. Its station was located where the FR foot access gate is now located. The line was initially worked by the Ffestiniog Railway and all slate traffic on the F&BR throughout its existence was carried in FR owned wagons. The FR and F&BR stations were both called Duffws although they were several hundred yards apart and passengers walked between the two. On 1 September 1882 the standard gauge Bala Ffestiniog Line reached the Llan Ffestiniog from the south. The following year the narrow gauge line was converted, with the station re-opening on 10 September 1883.
The first standard gauge railway reached the town in 1879. It was the London and North Western Railway Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction, which established its slate yards at the northern end of Blaenau Ffestiniog and built its passenger station near Glanypwll and across the road from the Ffestiniog Railway on which an interchange station was built in 1881. The LNWR had built this line in order to seek a share of the Ffestiniog slate traffic (including that then being carried by coastal steamer from Porthmadog to ports on the Irish sea and elsewhere). To this end they established a slate wharf at Deganwy and a feature of early LNWR operation of the line was the carriage of slate in narrow gauge wagons from Blaenau to Deganwy pick-a-back on standard gauge wagons. So highly did the LNWR rate the commercial prospects of Blaenau Ffestiniog that in the 1880s they established their own hotel in the town, now demolished; it features on LNWR publicity of the period.
The last major change in the 19th century was the construction of the Great Western Railway line from Bala to Llan Ffestiniog and the conversion of the Festiniog and Blaenau line to standard gauge in 1883. The Ffestiniog Railway provided an interchange platform adjoining the GWR station. From 1883 until 1930 there were therefore five railway passenger stations in use in Blaenau Ffestiniog (GWR, LNWR, FR Duffws, the FR-GWR interchange, and the FR-LNWR interchange Stesion Fein). Duffws station closed in 1931 and the two remaining FR stations closed at the outbreak of war in 1939. A feature of GWR operation of this line from 1883 to 1945 was the carriage of slate in narrow gauge wagons from Tanymanod to Blaenau (about ¾ mile) pick-a-back on standard gauge wagons.
Following nationalisation, the LMS (LNWR) station was renamed Blaenau Ffestiniog North and the GWR station became Blaenau Ffestiniog Central. The construction of the Tryweryn reservoir from 1958 brought the closure of the former GWR line to passengers on 2 January 1960 and to freight trains on 27 January 1961. Later, the construction of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in 1963 led to the extension of the Conwy Valley line to the Central station site in order to provide rail access to the power station. Passenger services continued to terminate at Blaenau Ffestiniog North.
In 1982, with the completion of the rebuilding of the Festiniog Railway back to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the new Ffestiniog Railway/British Rail Joint Station was opened on the site of the Festiniog Railway/GWR Joint Station of 1883. British Rail trains first used the new station on 22 March 1982 and Festiniog Railway services to Blaenau Ffestiniog were resumed on 25 May 1982. The former LNWR "North" station on the Conwy Valley line was therefore closed. The FR Stesion Fein station was not rebuilt.
The new joint station was officially opened on 30 April 1983 by George Thomas, Speaker of the House of Commons, who unveiled a plaque at the station recording his visit. The Royal Oakeley Silver Band and the Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir led the celebrations.