The Ffestiniog Railway opened in 1836 — making it the world's oldest narrow-gauge passenger railway — and has operated continuously on the same line since. The 21km journey from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog climbs through the Vale of Ffestiniog on a route engineered to carry slate down from the quarries; taking the full round trip gives two complete traversals of one of the finest railway journeys in Britain. This is Experience #48 of the Snowdonia 100.
The Journey
| Route | Porthmadog → Tan-y-Bwlch → Blaenau Ffestiniog |
| Distance | 21km each way |
| Duration | Approximately 1 hour each way |
| Gauge | 597mm (1 ft 11.5 in) — narrowest of the Great Little Trains |
| Traction | Steam and diesel — steam recommended for the full experience |
The Railway's History
The Ffestiniog Railway was built to carry slate from the quarries around Blaenau Ffestiniog down to the harbour at Porthmadog — the slate being carried downhill in gravity wagons, horses pulling the empty wagons back up. Steam locomotives were introduced in 1863. The railway closed in 1946 and was reopened by volunteers in stages between 1955 and 1982 — the first railway to be saved and restored by volunteers in Britain, and the model for most subsequent preservation projects.
The Vale of Ffestiniog
The railway's middle section passes through the Vale of Ffestiniog — a deep, wooded valley of extraordinary beauty, the river Dwyryd below, the mountains above, the vegetation lush from the western maritime climate. The Tan-y-Bwlch station, in the heart of the vale, is a request stop surrounded by woodland — a Victorian idyll preserved by the railway's continued operation.
Experience #48 of 100 — Heritage category. See the full Ffestiniog Railway guide.
Independently written — Snowdon.com