The Mountain Spirit That Delights All Who Ride With Her
A glorious summery Saturday at Porthmadog; tickets booked for seats in the observation coach on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway’s Highland Spirit service – what a wonderful prospect lay before us, and what a memorable trip it turned out to be.
The Highland Spirit service runs the full length of the Ffestiniog Railway, from Porthmadog to Bleanau Ffestiniog, where the famous slate was quarried, becoming known as “The Town that Roofed the World.”
Wendy on the footplate, getting her fix of steam
We had reserved seats in the Observation Coach, Gwynedd; in celebration of the 150th anniversary of passenger services on the Ffestiniog Railway, the carriage is numbered 150, in deep purple-brown Victorian livery, lined in gold, with Pullman crests. Inside, it is a luxurious cocoon in which to travel, with beautifully comfortable individual seats covered in deep blue upholstery, and tables crafted from Utile hardwood, related to mahogany, edged with a veneer. The panoramic windows afford the best unobstructed views for the journey.
Happy passenger Bob - in reflection!
The train was coupled up behind the loco Merddin Emrys; she was hauling a total of 10 coaches, and we set off from the Station, chuffing along the Cob (sea wall) causeway, past the River Glaswyn.
On the Cob
The Cob was the brainchild of William Alexander Maddocks, who arranged for the Traeth Marshes, the estuary of the River Glaswyn, to be drained, and a new harbour, Porthmadog, was built in the 1820s. It developed into a busy shipping port, serving the international slate industry.
For nearly 200
years, the Cob had been a toll road; until 29 March 2003, travellers paid 1/= (one shilling – 5 pence)
to use it. From 1978, for the last 25 years as its existence as a toll road,
the fee was collected by the Rebecca Trust, and the money paid distributed
among local charities. In March 2003, the Welsh Assembley Government bought the
Cob from the Trust; it became part of the A487 route, linking north and
southwest Wales, and the toll was abolished.
The Toll House
is now known as Bridge Cottage, and is still standing. It was adapted as an
office for the Parc and Croesor slate quarries and clad in slate to show off
their products; a fine example of the beauty of slate and the patterns they can
create, it is a fine show house.
Once across the
Cob, our excursion to Blaenau Ffestiniog continued through ever-changing
scenery, and during the journey, we were treated to a whole orchestra of sounds
from the engine, as it had to increase its efforts climbing the various uphill gradients
along the line.
We were so fortunate to see a slate train passing by us, on the down line to Porthmadog; as it is gravity driven, there is no loco, but runs freely down the hill. There is a brakeman on each wagon to ensure nothing runs away too quickly; all the riders on the wagons smiled and waved as they clattered past – and we happy passengers on the Mountain Spirit service returned their greetings equally enthusiastically!
The slate train
Happy passengers on the slate train!
Our engine was coal fired, using some Welsh coal, but as this is not as abundant as it used to be, it is mixed with other synthetic material, formed into ovoids.
Unfortunately, on this trip, our engine was not entirely happy with the fuel, and it was difficult to keep the steam pressure up; the driver had to keep stopping for a “blow-up” – to get enough pressure to be able to steam to the next station.
Trees along the track
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A glimpse of the lake from the railway track
It was then decided
that at the next station, Tan-Y-Blwch, our loco would be replaced by another
engine, David Lloyd George, which very fortunately was already in steam - this
spare loco had been due to go down to Porthmadog and pick up the slate train we
had already seen earlier, on its way downhill; instead, it came to our
rescue!
When we reached the station, the change-over was accomplished with the minimum of fuss, and soon we were on our way once more.
The loco that came to our rescue, David Lloyd George
Travelling round
the Deviation Spiral, built between 1965 and 1978, we could see so clearly the
ingenuity of those mid-twentieth century railway engineers, allowing the line
to traverse Llyn Ystradau (Tanygrisiau Reservoir), created as a lower water
storage area for the Tanygrisiau power station. The hydro-electric scheme was
proposed by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), which, from 1958
until privatisation, was responsible for the generation, transmission and sales
of electricity in Wales and England.
We arrived at Bleanau Ffestiniog a little behind schedule; but no-one complained at having had the chance to enjoy extra time on board the Mountain Spirit service.
Alexandra's turn for a whiff of steam!
All too soon we had to take our seats again in the wonderful observation coach, for the return journey downhill, back to Porthmadog; but how we wished we had had the opportunity to stay longer in Bleanau Ffestiniog, and learn much more about the slate quarrying and how the slates were transported round the world – truly earning the title of “The town the roofed the world!” It has whetted our appetites for an early return visit.
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