Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd
(this section of track is currently disused)

31224 and 31134  squeeze through the final bridge before entering Blaenau station on a flask train on 25th July 1994.  The line from Blaenau to Llan Ffestiniog was originally built to two foot gauge which accounts for the extremely sharp curves and gradients.  It was then taken over by the the Great Western Railway as part of their line from Bala and regauged to standard.  The GWR line terminated at Blaenau Ffestiniog Central and closed in 1961.  In 1964 in order to provide access to the then new nuclear power station at Trawsfynydd, a new connection was opened to the ex LNWR line at Blaenau Ffestiniog North.  Following closure of the power station the line from Blaenau to Trawsfynydd closed in 1998 and is currently out of use.

31293 and 37691 returning to Blaenau after a reballasting foray
to Trawsfynydd, 5th December 1993.

20902 leads the weedkilling train, 17th of August 1993.

Birmingham Tyseley allocated set No. T316 is a long way from home as it crosses Tan y Manod viaduct on the outskirts of Blaenau.  This viaduct replaced a wooden trestle when the line was rebuilt to standard gauge.   The speed limit from Blaenau to Trawsfynydd was a stately 15 mph.2nd September 1990.

 A view of 20903 on the rear of the weedkiller.  In the background
are the Moelwyn mountains.

31242 passes the site of Manod station on a ballast train returning to Blaenau.
31270 follows behind, light engine, at a respectable distance.  14th November 1993.

Fitting weather for a melancholy occasion as 47785 brings up the rear
of the last train to Trawsfynydd on October 17th 1998.  The train is snaking around
the S bend at the site of Manod station.  On the front was 56108.

20187 and 075 are seen on the second Trawsfynydd Trekker railtour on 10th September 1994, at the other end of the six coach train were 31238 and 31207.  The train is seen near the site of Cwm Teigl Halt.  The track on this section was in extremely good condition following an extensive reballasting programme.

31270 on a ballast train near Ffestiniog station on the 14th of
November 1993.  Manod Mawr looms up above the train.

National Power owned 59205 brings the "Roman Nose" tour through the remains of Llan Ffestiniog station on 18th April 1998.  This station was the terminus of the original narrow gauge Festiniog & Blaenau Railway and from here to Trawsfynydd the curves are less severe.  The snow capped peak behind the train is Manod Mawr.

In 1989, as part of a plan to encourage more visitors to Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Station, it was decided to extend the Conwy Valley Sunday Shuttle services to a new platform at Maentwrog Road.  This was sited on top of the disused explosives siding.  The platform was paid for by the CEGB and the service ran for 8 weeks in the summer with the morning and afternoon services extended to Maentwrog Road.  A bus connection to the power station met prospective visitors.  The service allowed locals their first chance to travel on the line since its closure to passengers in 1961.  The following year the power station option was dispensed with and trains ran to the end of the line at Trawsfynydd.  The DMU is seen complete with Sunday Shuttle headboard on the final sunday working of 1989, the10th of September.

31190 is pictured at the head of the "Trawsfynydd Trekker" as it makes for the end of the line on August 27th 1994. On the left is the GWR goods shed and the siding originally used by explosives traffic.  This siding was installed for the traffic from Cooke's of Penrhyndeudraeth which had used the Cambrian Coast line.  The traffic finished in the late 1980's and Cooke's works has since been demolished.  A new road bridge has since been built over the railway at this point, the track was removed during its construction but has since been reinstated.

Class 37's Nos. 37377 and 37098 bring up the rear of the "Roman Nose" railtour on 18th April 1998 as is passes the disused Maentwrog Road station.  "Road" was a GWR euphemism for any station remote from the place it served - sure enough Maentwrog is about 3 miles away and 600 feet lower down.  The old station buildings are now privately occupied.  Trawsfynydd Power Station is visible above the train.  The area around Trawsfynydd was a Roman settlement and the remains of an amphitheatre are nearby.

A drivers view of the end of the line at Trawsfynydd.

The end of the line at Trawsfynydd as two nuclear flask wagons await collection in June 1994.  There is just one point at the terminus with the track layout as a simple Y shape.  The power station is about half a mile from the railhead on the shore of the lake.  The crane in the photograph above was dismantled and removed in early 2005.  The line originally continued from here to Bala and I have added further pages to give an impression of the Bala line.  Trawsfynydd translates to "between the mountains" in English.

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