Pannned Lines
The North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways obtained an Act of Parliament 1872 to build lines running from Portmadoc to Bettws-y-Coed via Beddgelert and Capel Curig[1]. They were also considering building lines from Bettws-y-Coed to Corwen and Penmachno and from Portmadoc to Porthdynlleyn via Pwllheli alongside the Cambrian Coast line[1]. They did build a line from Dinas to Rhyd-Ddu and a branch to Bryngwyn[2] (later to become part of the WHR).
The Welsh Highland Railway
The WHR originally ran from Dinas to Portmadoc. An extension to Caernarfon was planned but never built by the original company but was built by the WHR(C). There is a possibility that the WHR might get extended to Bangor at some point in the future (phase 5). In an alternative world both these extensions might have been built when the standard gauge lines over those routes closed.
The Plan
So how might these line look if they had been built? I'm thinking mostly about those parts which would be in the Snowdonia National Park. I've drawn a map rather than try further explanation. I might add further lines and stations as my ideas progress.
Passenger operations
The line now runs steam trains for the heritage railway market and diesel services for locals and tourists who just want to get from A to B. The diesel services will probably a mixture of DMU, railcar and loco hauled. There'd be lots of walkers, mountain bikers (using special bike trucks) travelling on the diesel hauled trains.
Freight
I'll assume that the government is encouraging freight off roads and onto rail in the national park and have stuff like freight to the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel. I'm also thinking about a bike hire company that hires bikes at various stations on the network and the bikes can be brought back to any station. The bikes are the re-distributed by train. Hopefully I'll be able to come up with some more reasons for freight trains too. Maybe timber?
11 comments:
Interesting indeed...I have the option of using the other side of my Rhyd Ddu layout for another scene and have been tentively playing with some FR ideas or (fitting with your post) a Nant Gwynant - 'how it might have been layout'. The plans exist and some of the earthworks wre completed by the PBSSR so you could do a convincing attempt I reckon. But for now, I'll concentrate on getting Rhyd Ddu 'finished' for 2009 (hopefully!). Colin
Thanks for commenting. I didn't realise that the plans might still be in existence. Do you know where they are?
Has everyone got the same idea at the minute? I'm planning a 009 layout based on Bethania in Nant Gwynant.
It's based around either 1910 or 1920 as if the General Undertaking to Betws Y Coed had been built. There's a bit of artistic license but if you know of more plans/info I'd be appreciative.
Hi,
Yes I do have 'plans' from the house of lords record office attached to the various bills put before parlaiment for the schemes. They are not very detailed, just showing the limits of deviation and a proposed alignment. However, they were given to me with a requirement not to pass on, so I can't let you have them. However, if you want detaisl of say the Bethania area I can probably describe them to you. Colin
The National Archives in Kew have some plans. I've no idea what they contain though:
MT 54/455 - November 1904
MT 54/480 - November 1905
This link give all the records they have which I would have though would include the bills which Colin has copies of:
National Archives Search: Portmadoc, Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway
There's also a transcription of a discussion about one of the bills:
Transcription of 2 documents from MT_6/1721
There's a 5.5mm scale layout based on Beddgelert to Betws-y-Coed, and Malcolm Savage's Gwynant Valley was set along the same line. There's also been an 009 Nant Gwynant layout in the Society magazine recently.
I'd still like to see a layout that assumes the plan to use electric traction ever got anywhere.
interesting - does anyone have any shots of those layouts???
Cheers, Colin
Nant Gwynant has been in the 009 News in a couple of installments in the last 3-4 months. The 5.5 layout has also been in the 5.5mm Association newsletter recently.
Gwynant Valley was in Railway Modeller in October 1984 - I remember the date because it was the layout that got me in to narrow gauge in the first place!
"I'd still like to see a layout that assumes the plan to use electric traction ever got anywhere."
Give me time Stephen- I'll get there eventually...
An electrified one would be interesting for sure. I've always thought a model of the line in the Aberglaslyn pass where the Betws Y Coed branch diverged from the "main" WHR would have been really interesting from looking at the details inside the cover of "An Illustrated History of the Welsh Highland Railway".
I was thinking that where the line divides might make a good model too though I've not seen the details you mention. I was thinking of assuming that there would have been wye between the Goat Tunnel and Afon Glaslyn allowing trains to run from Dinas to Betws-y-Coed or Porthmadog as well as from Porthmadog to Betws-y-Coed. The trouble with the way I'm thinking is that two stations would be needed in Beddgelert. The other trouble is that it wouldn't fit in any space I have!
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