Gwyn
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17 years ago
I didn't know this group existed until I saw their stand at the Dyffryn Ogwen Show, yesterday.
They are in advanced negotiations to take over the Felin Fawr mill site and engine sheds. They have acquired some of the track bed and rebuilding is underway, track materials being on site.
Have a look at www.penrhynrailway.co.uk :thumbsup:
Vanoord
17 years ago
Fascinating, albeit the website is infuriating in that it keeps opening new pages in the same window and having no way of navigating back, not to mention that most of the photographs lack captions...!

I wish the Penrhyn Railway Heritage Trust every success - although for all the comments that they don't wish to be seen as another tourist railway, such an aim doesn't necessarily seem to me to be a bad thing.

I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be worth the Penrhyn Quarry Railway's while speaking to some of the tracklaying people from the Welsh Highland Railway, whose skills are going to be without a use quite shortly. It's either that or extend the Padarn Lake Railway back towards Felinheli ;)

And... I can't help but imagine that I've seen two very similar Rustons lying around abandoned somewhere recently ::)
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
thorpey
17 years ago
they have mod wagons as we regauged some wheels for them at work recently.
Thorpey
Nut deep in water!
Wyn
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17 years ago
I wonder how they'll cope with the bridge near the crematorium (pont marchog?) where the old A5 crosses the lines. This used to cross the narrow guage and the Port Penrhyn branch from the BR main line. They're side by side at this point, but the branch is at a higher elevation. Unfortunately when they replaced the old bridge some years ago they did leave an underpass, but it's on the branch line contour....
Gwyn
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17 years ago
I don't think they have plans to go that far,Wyn, at least at present!....But wouldn't it be wonderful if they did!
You do, however, raise one of the seemingly insuperable problems that face any railway from quarry to port. This relates to the plans (on another thread) to increase export, by sea. I may be totally wrong but it does seem that, if it goes ahead, it will be road transport from quarry to port, which seems to partially defeat the idea as seen by many people. An increase in the heavy road traffic from the quarry will not be welcomed by alot of people. By the same token, any re-instatement of either rail system will not be welcomed by alot of other people.
Rocks and hard places!
Penrhynman
17 years ago
"Wyn" wrote:

I wonder how they'll cope with the bridge near the crematorium (pont marchog?) where the old A5 crosses the lines.



There are other major obstacles before getting that far. There's the level crossing at Hendurnpike and the missing bridge (plus much widened road) at Felin Hen. Compared with those two, the bridge across St Ann's Road is minor.
Wyn
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17 years ago
Penrhynman wrote
Quote:

....and the missing bridge (plus much widened road) at Felin Hen.


Lot's of work ahead then!!
I used to know the routes fairly well (Penrhyn and BR) because I used to walk them when I was a kid (after Blanche came down for the last time, which the whole family went to see). Anyway wasn't the bridge over the B road at Felin Hen for the branch line and the penrhyn line went across at road level.
I wish I could remember these things a bit better and also taken a bit more notice!
Gwyn
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17 years ago
...and to think that at one time a canal system was considered for this route, from quarry to port!
Well, a limited line from Felin Fawr to Hendurnpike would be a good start for the Society. Like Vanoord, I wish them well. :thumbsup:
Gwyn
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17 years ago
I've just been looking at maps of the routes and switched Google Earth on. There's been a vast improvements in the quality of the pictures for alot of Gwynedd/Anglesey, including the Bethesda/Bangor area. Very good!
CheatingRabbit
13 years ago
"Wyn" wrote:

Unfortunately when they replaced the old bridge some years ago they did leave an underpass, but it's on the branch line contour....



A few years ago - more like 35!

The bridge had to be strengthened so that they could move the turbines from Port Penhryn to Dinorwic. I remember the te huge slate beds that were removed and discarded to be replaced by pre-stressed concrete
Penrhynman
13 years ago
"CheatingRabbit" wrote:

A few years ago - more like 35!

The bridge had to be strengthened so that they could move the turbines from Port Penhryn to Dinorwic. I remember the te huge slate beds that were removed and discarded to be replaced by pre-stressed concrete



Fortunately, the cast iron sections of the old bridge still exist. Up to 2 years ago, they could be seen at Port Penrhyn if you knew where to look. Now they are safely stored away.

Penrhynman
Roger the Cat
13 years ago
I wouldn't fret too much over the obstacles.

The WHR did an amazing job of overcoming a number of non-existant and corroded bow bridges during the construction of Phases 3 & 4. There was also a complicated cross-town link through Portmadoc involving the construction of a 45-degree squint to an existing road bridge and the installation of new tramway across the main road and associated signalling.

I think that the Pièce de résistance was the multi-span bridge at Pont Croesor over the Afon Glaslyn. All designed by a brilliant guy called John Streeves. I believe he recieved a prize from the ICE for work to historic structures.

http://www.isengard.co.uk/S4A.htm 
CheatingRabbit
13 years ago
"Penrhynman" wrote:



Fortunately, the cast iron sections of the old bridge still exist. Up to 2 years ago, they could be seen at Port Penrhyn if you knew where to look. Now they are safely stored away.

Penrhynman



Evidently not in the scrap yard!

I've been running, in my mind, what the route was. I need some help, as it is bugging me!

The A5 / Ogwen bridge, the stretch to/from Tregarth used to be a foot & cycle path. I am a bit hazy here, but i think it ran alongside the road - where did it cross? Then it ran roughly parallel to to the old A5 to the outskirts of Llandegai (where I *think*) it went to under the road and to the south of the village. It then ran between the the road and cricket club....

Am I right or have the mists of time done their worst? 😞
JohnnearCfon
13 years ago
Go to www.streetmap.co.uk select 1:25,000 you can follow the route of the Penrhyn Railway (and the LNWR branch) quite easily on there.
Penrhynman
13 years ago
http://maps.nls.uk/os/25k-gb-1937-61/browse2.html 
The relevant sheets are SH56, SH57 and SH66.
Both railways are even easier to follow on the older maps.

Just to muddy the added clarity, sheet SH56 shows the PQR as a standard gauge line - the PRQ is the one that has Rhydau Doun on its SW extremity. Also, on the same sheet, the dog leg at the junction with sheet SH66 isn't nearly as sharp as shown.

The quarry area is well worth a look as well, the exact opposite to the latest SH66 which just shows a big white patch.

Penrhynman

JohnnearCfon
13 years ago
Ooooh haven't seen that site before! What a great resource!

Yes, it is a pity that all modern maps from 1:50k right down to 1:2,500 scales have all been "dumbed down" to such an extent. As you say, where there used to be details shown there are just blank white areas. I think it started when they introduced the new metric 1:50k maps in 1974. Their answer at the time was (when comparing one inch and 1:50k maps) there will be bigger spaces due to the larger scale (it was an increase of approx. 25%). However, if you actually compared like for like there was obviously a lot of previously shown detail missing. A great shame. :thumbdown: :thumbdown:
BertyBasset
13 years ago
Yes,they're excellent quality maps those.
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