Festiniog and Blaenau Railway
Encyclopedia
The Festiniog & Blaenau Railway was a narrow gauge railway built in 1868 to connect the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog
with the slate quarries
around Tanymanod and the smaller town of Llan Ffestiniog
. At Blaenau Ffestiniog it made a direct connection with the Ffestiniog Railway
with which it was closely associated during its brief existence. The railway was purchased by the Great Western Railway
in 1883 and converted to standard gauge to extend the Bala Ffestiniog line, a branch of the GWR's line from Ruabon to Barmouth
.
by the recently built Ffestiniog Railway and as a result were able to significantly increase their output and profitability. However the Ffestiniog was struggling to cope with the volume of traffic from the quarries and some owners were looking for other outlets for their product.
At the same time, several standard gauge
railway companies were looking to extend their lines into the region to tap the demand for slate transport. In particular the Corwen and Bala Railway reached Bala
, about 22 miles south of Blaenau in April 1868.
The quarries around Tanymanod, south of Blaenau Ffestiniog, were not rail connected and were on the proposed route of a northward extension of the Corwen and Bala Railway. In September 1866 the quarry owners issued a prospectus announcing the formation of the Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Company to construct a line from Llan Ffestiniog to Blaenau where it would connect with the Ffestiniog Railway.
Although initially promoted as a branch of the Ffestiniog Railway, the F&B was built on a formation that was designed to be easily converted
to standard gauge when the Corwen and Bala Railway approached from the south.
Construction started in 1867 and the line was ready to open in 1868. In that same year the Great Western Railway
began operating the Corwen and Bala Railway, effectively taking it over and running it as a branch line from Ruabon. The GWR also started to plan its Bala and Festiniog Railway to link Bala with Blaenau Ffestiniog and in 1873 received an Act of Parliament allowing the construction of that line.
In 1876 further capital was raised for repairs to the F&BR. The Great Western Railway took the majority of this shareholding through its Bala and Festiniog Railway interest. In 1882 the F&BR directors voluntarily wound up their company and it was taken over entirely by the Bala and Festiniog company, thus effectively passing ownership of the narrow gauge line to the GWR.
The standard gauge Bala and Festiniog Railway
opened to Llan Ffestiniog in 1 November 1882 and work began on converting the narrow gauge line to Blaenau to standard gauge. During conversion a third rail was provided to enable the narrow gauge trains to continue operation until conversion was complete. Narrow gauge operation ceased on 5 September 1883 and the third rail was either removed or switched to serve as a check rail on curves. The formal standard gauge opening was on 10 September 1883, at which time the Festiniog and Blaenau Railway ceased to exist.
There were differences in location and names of the standard gauge stations. The F&BR had stations at Festiniog
, Tyddyngwyn, Tan-y-Manod and Duffws. The GWR stations were at Llan Ffestiniog (about 30 feet above and north-east of the F&BR station), Manod
(probably on or near the Tyddyngwyn site) and Blaenau
on the F&BR Duffws site. Tan-y-Manod site was heavily developed by the GWR but as a slate transit wharf only.
of Leeds
. These were 0-4-2
ST, works numbers 258 and 259 both built in 1868. They were named Nipper and Scorcher.
They worked for the entire duration of the line's existence as a narrow gauge railway. In 1884 following conversion
to standard gauge they were sold to the Ruabon Coal and Coke Company. Their final fate is not recorded.
The two Manning Wardle locomotives were not delivered until three months after the line opened. During this period trains were hauled by locomotives on loan from the Ffestiniog Railway. Further loans of Ffestiniog Railway locomotives were made when the F&BR locos were being repaired.
of Manchester
. These were similar in size and design to the early passenger carriages of the Ffestiniog Railway. There were also 19 workmen's carriages built by J.H. Williams & Sons of Porthmadog
; these were primitive open four-wheeled vehicles.
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It has a population of 5,000, including Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the third largest town in Gwynedd, behind Caernarfon & Porthmadog. Although the population reached 12,000 at the peak of the slate industry, the population fell due to...
with the slate quarries
Slate industry
The slate industry is the industry related to the extraction and processing of slate. Slate is either quarried from a slate quarry or reached by tunneling in a slate mine. Common uses for slate include as a roofing material, a flooring material, gravestones and memorial tablets, and for electrical...
around Tanymanod and the smaller town of Llan Ffestiniog
Llan Ffestiniog
Llan Ffestiniog, also known as Ffestiniog or simply Llan is a village in Gwynedd , north Wales, lying south of Blaenau Ffestiniog....
. At Blaenau Ffestiniog it made a direct connection with the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
with which it was closely associated during its brief existence. The railway was purchased by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1883 and converted to standard gauge to extend the Bala Ffestiniog line, a branch of the GWR's line from Ruabon to Barmouth
Ruabon Barmouth Line
The Ruabon to Barmouth Line was a standard gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway across the north of Wales which connected Ruabon, in the east, with Barmouth on the west coast.-Connections:...
.
History
By the early 1860's Llan Ffestiniog had largely become a dormitory town supplying workers to the slate industry centred about three miles north-east at Blaenau Ffestiniog. The quarries at Blaenau were connected to the harbor at PorthmadogPorthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
by the recently built Ffestiniog Railway and as a result were able to significantly increase their output and profitability. However the Ffestiniog was struggling to cope with the volume of traffic from the quarries and some owners were looking for other outlets for their product.
At the same time, several standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway companies were looking to extend their lines into the region to tap the demand for slate transport. In particular the Corwen and Bala Railway reached Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
, about 22 miles south of Blaenau in April 1868.
The quarries around Tanymanod, south of Blaenau Ffestiniog, were not rail connected and were on the proposed route of a northward extension of the Corwen and Bala Railway. In September 1866 the quarry owners issued a prospectus announcing the formation of the Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Company to construct a line from Llan Ffestiniog to Blaenau where it would connect with the Ffestiniog Railway.
Although initially promoted as a branch of the Ffestiniog Railway, the F&B was built on a formation that was designed to be easily converted
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
to standard gauge when the Corwen and Bala Railway approached from the south.
Construction started in 1867 and the line was ready to open in 1868. In that same year the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
began operating the Corwen and Bala Railway, effectively taking it over and running it as a branch line from Ruabon. The GWR also started to plan its Bala and Festiniog Railway to link Bala with Blaenau Ffestiniog and in 1873 received an Act of Parliament allowing the construction of that line.
In 1876 further capital was raised for repairs to the F&BR. The Great Western Railway took the majority of this shareholding through its Bala and Festiniog Railway interest. In 1882 the F&BR directors voluntarily wound up their company and it was taken over entirely by the Bala and Festiniog company, thus effectively passing ownership of the narrow gauge line to the GWR.
The standard gauge Bala and Festiniog Railway
Bala Ffestiniog Line
The Bala and Ffestiniog Railway was a , standard gauge, railway backed by the Great Western Railway railway in North Wales which connected Bala with Blaenau Ffestiniog.- History :...
opened to Llan Ffestiniog in 1 November 1882 and work began on converting the narrow gauge line to Blaenau to standard gauge. During conversion a third rail was provided to enable the narrow gauge trains to continue operation until conversion was complete. Narrow gauge operation ceased on 5 September 1883 and the third rail was either removed or switched to serve as a check rail on curves. The formal standard gauge opening was on 10 September 1883, at which time the Festiniog and Blaenau Railway ceased to exist.
There were differences in location and names of the standard gauge stations. The F&BR had stations at Festiniog
Ffestiniog railway station
Llan Ffestiniog railway station was a railway station in Llan Ffestiniog, North Wales. It opened as the terminus of the narrow gauge Festiniog and Blaenau Railway on 29 May 1868. On 1 September 1882 the standard gauge Bala Ffestiniog Line reached Llan Ffestiniog from the south. The standard gauge...
, Tyddyngwyn, Tan-y-Manod and Duffws. The GWR stations were at Llan Ffestiniog (about 30 feet above and north-east of the F&BR station), Manod
Manod railway station
Manod railway station was a railway station in North Wales. It opened as part of the narrow gauge Festiniog and Blaenau Railway on 29 May 1868 and was named originally as Tyddyngwyn after a large house nearby. On 1 September 1882 the GWR standard gauge Bala Ffestiniog Line reached Llan...
(probably on or near the Tyddyngwyn site) and Blaenau
Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station
Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station serves the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, and is the passenger terminus of the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction. Arriva Trains Wales operate through services to Llandudno Junction and Llandudno...
on the F&BR Duffws site. Tan-y-Manod site was heavily developed by the GWR but as a slate transit wharf only.
Route
Locomotives
Two identical steam locomotives were supplied by Manning WardleManning Wardle
Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,...
of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. These were 0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
ST, works numbers 258 and 259 both built in 1868. They were named Nipper and Scorcher.
They worked for the entire duration of the line's existence as a narrow gauge railway. In 1884 following conversion
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
to standard gauge they were sold to the Ruabon Coal and Coke Company. Their final fate is not recorded.
The two Manning Wardle locomotives were not delivered until three months after the line opened. During this period trains were hauled by locomotives on loan from the Ffestiniog Railway. Further loans of Ffestiniog Railway locomotives were made when the F&BR locos were being repaired.
Passenger stock
Six four-wheeled passenger carriages were supplied to the railway by the Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company LtdAshbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd
The Ashbury Carriage and Iron Company Limited was a manufacturer of railway rolling stock founded by John Ashbury in 1837 at Knott Mill in Manchester, England, near the original terminus of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway...
of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. These were similar in size and design to the early passenger carriages of the Ffestiniog Railway. There were also 19 workmen's carriages built by J.H. Williams & Sons of Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
; these were primitive open four-wheeled vehicles.