Blaenau Ffestiniog and the Ffestiniog railway

47347 has just emerged from the tunnel into Blaenau on June 27th 1993.  There were two private sidings at the tunnel entrance, on the left serving Oakley Slate Quarry and on the right Llechwedd.  As shunting here required the locomotive to remain in the tunnel for a lot of the time it was not a popular duty!   The famous Slate Caverns tourist attraction is located higher up on the right hand side.  The Ffestiniog Railway had a branch to Llechwedd which passed under the standard gauge line here and accessed the quarry by an incline behind the building.

101683  about to enter Blaenau tunnel on 9th July 1994.  In the background
are the remains of  the abutments of Glan y Don viaduct.  This was a spindly wood
and steel structure which gave access to a large waste tip on the left

67030 is seen on the rear of the "Northern Belle" as it heads away from the camera
and up towards the tunnel entrance.  The track on the left was formerly
the Ffestiniog Railway's Dinas branch.  28th June 2005.

67019 crosses the bridge over the Afon Barlwyd on June the 28th 2005.

Newly restored to green livery, 101685 is viewed passing the disused platforms of Blaenau Ffestiniog North station on 14th June 1994.  This ex LNWR station was closed in 1982 when the new Central station opened.   The area on the right was once a large transhipment centre for slate with both standard and narrow gauge tracks.  In the background are the waste heaps of Oakeley Quarry, at one time the largest underground slate mine in the world.  The zigzag path marks the route once taken by the quarry workers and the now trackless incline led to the Ffestiniog Railway.

The pioneer Class 40 No. D200 brings the stock of its excursion out of the loop ready to back it into the station on April 14th 1984.  This loco is now preserved as part of the National Collection.  The Ffestiniog Railway to Porthmadog is seen on the right.

Two class 108 units wait at Blaenau while working a "Sunday Shuttle" service on 25th August 1991.   At the time a Sunday service was only provided on the six peak Sundays of the year but nowadays a Sunday service is provided throughout the Summer timetable period.   The North Wales Railway Circle always had a close involvement in the running of this service and this arrangement continued until quite recently.  Sadly a headboard is no longer carried.  The headboard came in English and Welsh versions with the Welsh one always leading up the valley.

37425 is about to leave Blaenau Ffestiniog on a return excursion to Cardiff via Llandudno on 10th September 2005.  More photos on Ivor's fotopic site.  This train was run by Arriva Trains Wales in conjunction
with the Crewe Works open day.

Dignity and impudence?   The first visit of a High Speed Train to Blaenau
Ffestiniog was on March 6th 1993 when 43043 and 073 arrived on a tour from
London Kings Cross.  The HST is seen here at Blaenau with the Ffestiniog
Railway's "Prince" posed next to it.

Another meeting between little and large was on April 18th 1998 when
National Power owned 59205 was posed next to the Ffestiniog's diesel
"Vale of Ffestiniog" which was also in National Power colours.

37422 "Robert F Fairlie" is pictured at Blaenau shortly after its naming ceremony on May 3rd 1993.  37422 was taken out of traffic on 29th October 1999 and the name removed. This was the second locomotive to carry these nameplates, they were previously on 47645 (named at Blaenau in 1985 and withdrawn in 1990).   Mr Fairlie was responsible for the introduction of the "double engines" on the Ffestiniog Railway, which are still in use today.

The carriage of explosives was a new traffic to the North Wales coast line following withdrawal of freight trains from the Cambrian Coast in the late seventies.  The explosives originated at Cooke's of Penrhyndeudraeth, part of the ICI  group.  A new siding was constructed at Maentwrog Road on the Blaenau - Trawsfynydd section of the Conwy Valley line.  Like the nuclear flasks the trains were propelled from Blaenau to the siding.  The traffic finished in the late 80's and Cooke's is now closed and the site cleared.  The photo shows 47234 entering Blaenau Ffestiniog from the Trawsfynydd direction on the evening of July 8th 1987.

DRS owned and operated Class 37's 37608 and 37612  are shown running round the farewell railtour organised to mark the end of class 37 on North Wales passenger duties on May 20th 2000.  The farewell was rather premature as the Class 37's continued to work into 2001.  By this time a stopblock had been erected to block off access to the Trawsfynydd section.

The first visit of a Class 66 to the line was on 3rd September 2000 when 66084 worked a luxury rail cruise to Blaenau.  The train is stabled in the loop having run round the stock while its passengers enjoy a trip to Porthmadog.  This 3 day tour also visited Shrewsbury, Llandudno and Holyhead.

67030 stabled in Blaenau on 28th June 2005.

Earl of Merioneth is ready to leave Blaenau on a Ffestiniog Railway train to Porthmadog.

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