Reviving lost Ffestiniog branch – Will it be a gas?
A ‘forgotten’ branch of the Ffestiniog Railway – which includes its original terminus – is set to be revived – and may become the first in Wales to run hydrogen trains, writes Stephen Murfitt.
A ‘forgotten’ branch of the Ffestiniog Railway – which includes its original terminus – is set to be revived – and may become the first in Wales to run hydrogen trains, writes Stephen Muritt.
The first terminus of the railway was at Dinas in Blaenau Ffestiniog, close to the now buried hamlet of Rhiwbryfdir, and connected with the inclines of several quarries located in the Dinas area.
The first quarry to use the railway was that of Samuel Holland, and the Oakeley and Welsh Slate Company quarries followed suit constructing connecting inclines. In 1854 Llechwedd quarry constructed an incline from Dinas to the original mill on floor two of the quarry. Access from the railway to the incline was gained by a tunnel under what is now the A470.
In 1865 passenger trains were introduced from Porthmadog to Dinas. On a date subject to debate by historians, a new ‘branch’ was opened to Duffws, situated just beyond the present Blaenau Ffestiniog station, which by 1870 had caused the cessation of passenger traffic to Dinas.
However, the Dinas line remained very active for slate traffic and in 1880 a new loop line was constructed adjacent to Glan-y-pwll.
In 1899 the Dinas branch was diverted onto a new alignment to allow the Oakeley Slate Company to tip slate waste over the old route.
The original railway to Dinas had given good service for 60 years (shown red on map) and the new alignment (shown green on map) left the Ffestiniog main line near Glan-y-pwll yard.
This new alignment served until slate transport ceased in 1946. The original track was lifted in 1955.
Background
Rhiwbryfdir, adjacent to the Dinas branch and close to the terminus, had several houses, a farm and commercial buildings, including the railway company blacksmith’s forge. The need for the Oakeley quarry to find additional space for the tipping of waste slate led to Rhiwbryfdir being buried under the slate tip.
Following the introduction of steam locomotives in 1863, the prosperity of the railway company led other enterprises to tap into the lucrative slate traffic. The GWR built a standard gauge railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog from the south, and in 1879 the LNWR constructed a standard gauge railway with a tunnel under the Oakeley quarry to emerge adjacent to the terminus of the Dinas branch. By the early 1900s, the standard and narrowgauge railways, together with the numerous connecting inclines resulted in a complex, fascinating transport hub.
One of the jewels of the structures remaining at Dinas is the hydro-electric power station at Pant-yr-afon, the second of two power stations constructed for the Llechwedd quarry. The first power station was built in 1899 on Floor 1 by Rooper and Tozer of Stafford and operated lights, fans, an electric rock drill and pumps, but probably not all at the same time! Rooper was an agent for Gilbert Gilkes of Kendal who supplied the turbine.
Pant-yr-afon was built in 1903 and used water from four existing reservoirs at Llyn Barlwyd Bach, Llyn Barlwyd Mawr, Llyn Newydd and Llyn Bowydd. This remarkable structure was the fruit of experiments by C Warren Roberts, who was the manager of the quarry and a skilled engineer. Warren had been educated abroad and it may have been his travels that alerted him to the possibility of the new power source.
His drawing is based on an earlier survey by Charles Spooner who played a significant role in the development of the Ffestiniog Railway. The Pant-yr-afon power station was opened on April 11, 1904 and the invoice from Gilbert Gilkes to Llechwedd dated November 1905 was for £2,235-13s-7d. The original equipment was in use until 2007 when the station was replanted with a new Gilkes turbine and Marelli alternator generating the novel alternating current. The new equipment was installed alongside the original in such a way that existing switchboards and pipework remain in place as a fantastic example of an early hydro-electric scheme with many original features.
Subject to sufficient water being available, the plant generates 350kw and operates 24 hours a day. Presently all the power is exported to the national grid.
As reported in the last issue, the North Wales slate industry is currently subject to an application for World Heritage Status. For more than 110 years the Ffestiniog Railway, via its Dinas branch and other incline connections, was a major transporter of slate to the harbour at Porthmadog. The arrival of motor transport and the standard gauge railway brought this role to an end.
To reconnect the railway from its present Blaenau Ffestiniog station to Llechedd quarry, perhaps travelling in traditional quarrymen’s coaches, would be a
significant contribution to both slate industry heritage, and an important insight for the interested tourist.
The 1½-mile Dinas branch is substantially still in place, although five bridges are no longer in existence. The branch reaches the power station at Pant-yr-afon and then enters a tunnel under the A470. An overgrown steep incline then connects the railway with Llechwedd quarry: funding is available for the clearance of the rhododendrons so that the integrity of the structure may be established.
Technology
The University of Birmingham Rail and Research Department, one of the country’s leading rail research departments, in conjunction with Porterbrook Leasing Company has designed and produced the first main line hydrogen train.
The university is working with the Ffestiniog Railway to produce a hydrogen train for running on the Dinas branch.
The power station at Pant-yr-afon, in addition to being a tourist attraction, means the branch line is an ideal site for a prototype hydrogen train. The vision is to have an entirely green carbon-free train running from Blaenau Ffestiniog station to the Llechwedd quarry. The visitor attraction offers tours of the historic slate quarry and a zip wire experience.
Volunteers have cleared the area around the power station and enthusiasm for this project is such that the first working party planned for 2020 included a volunteer who was prepared to travel from Colorado.
Two of the lost bridges on the branch have created an ‘island’ and the plan had been to gain access and ascertain the state of the formation; no doubt it is many years since anyone has found their way onto the island.
The working parties have now been postponed owing to the coronavirus epidemic but will be reinstated once Government advice allows us. Aspiring Dinas branch volunteers are very welcome to join the revivalist group, and if any readers have photographs of the branch (particularly working) or reminiscences of the branch in operational days, the author would be very grateful to receive them: email smurfitt@ffwhr.com
The clearing of vegetation on the branch is reminiscent of the Ffestiniog spirit of the 1950s when the railway was restored after nature had taken over. Indeed, several Dinas branch volunteers are taking part because they were not part of those heady, early days.
The plan is for the working parties to investigate the extent of the work needed to recover the line. This stage will be followed by grant applications made in hope of realising the vision of hydrogen and steam trains traversing the Dinas branch. A prospectus is in preparation.