CAERNARFON STATION READY TO HOST FIRST TRAINS
permanent building replaces Welsh Highland’s temporary facilities.
The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways’ new terminus at Caernarfon is poised to accept its first passengers, as the contractors building the new station were due to hand it over to the railway on August 31.
Although the café and some other internal fitting-out remained incomplete, the F&WHR was expecting to use the building during the WHR’s ‘Super Power’ event on September 15/16, when the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway’s replica Baldwin 2-4-2T No. 762 Lyn was due to star in its first visit away from Woody Bay.
Santa train passengers in December will be the first to use the station when it’s fully fitted out and an official opening ceremony will take place next year. Largely funded by Welsh Government grants as part of a larger scheme to redevelop Caernarfon waterfront and boost tourism in the area, the £2.3 million building includes an exhibition area as well as the usual station facilities. Removal of the portable buildings previously used has enabled the station loop to be extended to accommodate 12-coach trains. There is also space to extend the headshunt to accommodate double-headed Garratts running round together. The building used to provide temporary WHR passenger facilities at Caernarfon was broken into again on August 9. Apparently, finding no cash on the site, the person or persons responsible went on a destructive rampage, damaging the building and contents.
After repairs were carried out, the building was reopened to the public the following day. £1,000 was stolen when the building was burgled in May 2017. No suspects have been apprehended for either incident. ●● A new feature of the WHR timetable this year was the operation of heritage trains from
Dinas to Rhyd Ddu on Sundays in August. The train, hauled by Prince, and comprising stock from the FR’s heritage collection, stopped at Tryfan Junction to enable participants to view the restored station building and several run-pasts.
In 1923 Prince hauled the first WHR train from Dinas to Porthmadog.
More WHR heritage trains are promised in 2019.