Welsh Highland Railway 2016 and 2019

A collection of photos from two visits to the Welsh Highland Railway in 2016 and 2019.
David Bosher

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<h4><a href='/locations/P/Porthmadog_Harbour_WHR'>Porthmadog Harbour [WHR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>Ex-South African Railways NGG16 2-6-2+2-6-2T Garratt no.87, built 1937 by the engineering firm Cockerill and restored at the Ffestiniog Railway's Boston Lodge works, shunting at Porthmadog Harbour station before being attached to a Welsh Highland Railway train to Caernarfon, on 22nd May 2016. 1/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/P/Porthmadog_Harbour_WHR'>Porthmadog Harbour [WHR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_to_Welsh_Highland_Link'>Festiniog to Welsh Highland Link</a></small></p><p>Welsh Highland Railway train returning from Caernarfon now approaching the southern terminus at Porthmadog Harbour, negotiating the tramway-like level crossing before arriving at the station, on 22nd May 2016. Rebuilding of the entire length of this spectacular narrow gauge line, that had lain derelict since 1937, is one of the greatest and most remarkable achievements in the history of UK heritage railways. 2/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/P/Porthmadog_Harbour_WHR'>Porthmadog Harbour [WHR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_to_Welsh_Highland_Link'>Festiniog to Welsh Highland Link</a></small></p><p>Welsh Highland Railway train to Caernarfon, behind ex-South African Railways NSGG Garrett Class 16 2-6-2+2-6-2 No.87, just departed from Porthmadog Harbour and beginning its long and spectacular journey up into Snowdonia, on 22nd May 2016. This was the final section of the Welsh Highland Railway to be reopened in 2011 after having lain derelict since 1937, a remarkable achievement. 3/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/B/Beddgelert'>Beddgelert</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/W/Welsh_Highland_Light_Railway'>Welsh Highland Light Railway</a></small></p><p>Ex-South African Railways NSGG Class 16 2-6-2+2-6-2 No.138 passing the water tank as it arrives at Beddgelert station with a Welsh Highland Railway train from Caernarfon to Porthmadog Harbour on 22nd May 2016. 138 was built by Beyer Peacock in 1958 and returned to the UK after withdrawal from service for restoration at the Ffestiniog Railway's Boston Lodge works. Originally in green livery, it was temporarily withdrawn in 2007 for full overhaul and boiler inspection and returned to service in its new crimson livery in 2010. (In common with the Ffestiniog Railway, WHR trains cross on the right at stations with passing loops.) 4/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/D/Dinas'>Dinas</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/N/Nantlle_Railway'>Nantlle Railway</a></small></p><p>Welsh Highland Railway train from Porthmadog Harbour to Caernarfon arriving at Dinas on 22nd May 2016. Before the original 1930s closure of the WHR this was the northern terminus of the narrow gauge, where passengers changed to the standard gauge Afon Wen to Bangor line to reach Caernarfon. This line was closed south of Caernarfon in 1964 and north of Caernarfon in 1970, leaving the popular tourist town without a railway. It also left the trackbed between Dinas and Caernarfon free so that, when the WHR rose like a phoenix from its derelict state, it could access Caernarfon along the old standard gauge line to a new station for the town, south of the tunnel and in view of the castle. This was the first part of the revived narrow gauge line to open in 1997 along a section that was never originally part of the WHR at all. 5/10</p><p>26/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/C/Caernarfon'>Caernarfon</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/N/Nantlle_Railway'>Nantlle Railway</a></small></p><p>Ex-South African Railways NSGG Class 16 2-6-2+2-6-2 No.87, 79 years old at the date of this photo, running round at the northern terminus of the Welsh Highland Railway at Caernarfon on 22nd May 2016. This is on a new site on the trackbed of the former LNWR Afon Wen to Bangor line south of the original standard gauge station and, since this visit, reconstruction of the station began and a spacious new entrance building is now fully open. The famous 13th Century Castle can be seen in the left background. 6/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/W/Waunfawr'>Waunfawr</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/N/North_Wales_Narrow_Gauge_Railway'>North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway</a></small></p><p>Welsh Highland Railway train returning from Caernarfon to Porthmadog Harbour, seen in typical Snowdonia scenery, to the south of Waunfawr on 22nd May 2016. 7/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/R/Rhyd_Ddu'>Rhyd Ddu</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/N/North_Wales_Narrow_Gauge_Railway'>North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway</a></small></p><p>On the return Welsh Highland Railway journey from Caernarfon to Porthmadog Harbour, on the afternoon of 22nd May 2016, another lengthy wait ensued at Rhyd-Ddu station for a Caernarfon train to arrive, clearing the single line. Ex-South African Railways NSGG class 16 2-6-2+2-6-2 No.138 eventually arrived at Rhyd-Ddu and in common with stations on the sister Ffestiniog Railway, is crossing on the right. The weather had improved considerably by this time to when I set off from Porthmadog in the morning. 8/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/P/Porthmadog_Harbour_WHR'>Porthmadog Harbour [WHR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>Ex South African Railways NSGG Garrett 2-6-2+2-6-2 Class 16 No.87 now back at Porthmadog Harbour station, having hauled a WHR train from Caernarfon, 25 miles away to the north, on 22nd May 2016. 9/10</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/R/Rhyd_Ddu'>Rhyd Ddu</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/N/North_Wales_Narrow_Gauge_Railway'>North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway</a></small></p><p>A timetabled Welsh Highland Railway train from Caernarfon to Porthmadog arriving at Rhyd-Ddu on 6th April 2019. The locomotive is a 1999 replica of former 0-4-4T single 'Fairlie', built for the Festiniog Railway in 1876 and named 'Taliesin'. It was withdrawn from service around 1932 so it was well over 60 years before this replica was built, bearing the name of its predecessor. 10/10</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p>
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