Snowdon from the lineside
Donald Brooks recalls a climb up the summit path of Welsh mountain during dramatically changing weather in 1978. Entirely steam-worked then, the railway has since seen many changes.
Back in 2010 NGW72 included a photo feature on the 800mm gauge Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR), showing the line as it was in 1957. The text stated that “the SMR is often thought of as a line that never changes” and by 1978, just over 21 years later, the same was just as true.
The liveries on the trains were different, but in general terms the 1970s railway was much the same as it had been in the 1950s and not so very much altered from the day it reopened in 1897 following the modifications necessary after the 1896 opening-day accident.
In 1978 the SMR was an all-steam railway. Four of the original 1895/1896 Swiss Locomotive & Machine Works (SLM) Abt rack tanks, numbers 2 to 5, remained in stock, number 1 having been destroyed on the original opening day. They were supplemented by the three superheated locomotives, 6 to 8, that joined them from SLM in 1922/1923. In essence the line, which has remained Britain’s only mountain rack-and-pinion railway, was still a little piece of Switzerland transplanted into North Wales.
With locomotives and a rack system that were unique in Britain, a route to the summit of the highest mountain in Wales and very limited capacity on its trains, the SMR was always an expensive line to operate and maintain. Consequently travelling on its trains has never been cheap even if its current fares are not out of line with some of its narrow gauge neighbours. In steam days, though, it was well worth the cost to experience the engine working flat out for the hour it took to reach the summit. With trains limited to one carriage, passengers were never far from the action.
Riding on the train was never, however, the only way of experiencing Snowdon and its mountain railway. The
SMR is also a fascinating route for the lineside photographer, presenting a unique set of challenges.
Photo opportunities
The main advantage for photography is that for its entire length the SMR runs parallel to the least challenging and most straightforward walking route up Snowdon, the Llanberis path. It may not be the best of routes for social distancing as it can often seem as busy as Llandudno Promenade in midsummer. All the other paths to the summit, including the one from Snowdon Ranger station on the Welsh Highland Railway, are distinctly quieter – but they provide no opportunities for railway photography.
Although the Llanberis path is both extremely popular and very clear, anyone setting out to photograph the railway by climbing the mountain should not underestimate the challenges involved. In general terms the route is relatively problem-free until just below Clogwyn, where it becomes steeper, rockier and more exposed, though in summer conditions there
should still be few difficulties. The distance involved is just under 15 kilometres (9½ miles return), while the ascent is roughly 975 metres (3,200ft) and a full day should be allowed for the expedition.
Mountain weather, particularly on such a high peak not far from the coast, can change very quickly and a bright sunny day in Llanberis can become cloudy, windy and rainy towards the summit with very little warning. It can also be significantly colder nearer the top, though one benefit Snowdon offers over almost every other mountain in the United Kingdom is that refreshments and shelter are in usual times readily available at the summit.
Another advantage for the lineside photographer is that the railway is largely unfenced and there are no intrusive wires of any description following the line. The open countryside and sweeping vistas allow plenty of scope for pictures of trains in the landscape and it is not necessary to walk very far from Llanberis before excellent views open up. At some points there is narrow gauge interest beyond the SMR as the abandoned inclines and levels of Dinorwic Quarries are clearly visible across the valley – weather permitting!
In normal times heritage steam trains still operate on Snowdon twice a day from the beginning of May to the end of September, so the photographic opportunities of 1978 are still available today.
One of the main problems for steam photographers is that the locomotive is always at the downhill end of the train making it all too easy to obtain three-quarter views of either its bunker or the front of the carriage. Fortunately the path and railway are often far enough apart for side-on views of the complete train to be possible, while on accessible land walkers can deviate slightly from the path for a better viewpoint. However this should be done with extreme caution, particularly in poor weather, as there are crags and sheer drops not far from the official right-of-way and it is always advisable to keep to the path. The temptation to walk along the railway should also be resisted as its trackbed is both
“A bright sunny day in Llanberis can become cloudy, windy and rainy towards the summit with very little warning...”
narrow and dangerous in places.
Bad weather on the mountain need not always be bad news for the photographer as mist can provide the opportunity for dramatic images, including pictures of trains above the clouds or silhouetted against them. And the weather can occasionally improve as quickly as it deteriorated, with the afternoon clouds parting to produce a bright and clear evening.
Change at last
In 1978 the SMR was a delight for the narrow gauge steam enthusiast, but the railway that never seemed to change could not remain the same for ever. Between 1986 and 1992 it invested in four Hunslet dieselhydraulic locomotives, which proved highly reliable and successful in operation, taking over many of the workings from steam.
The Rolls-Royce engines of the diesels had no protective panelling and were left exposed so that visitors could see how they worked. A canopy over the bonnet to support the silencer added to the distinctive appearance of the locos, which was not to everyone’s taste.
In 1995 the SMR dieselised further with the acquisition of three bogie diesel-electric railcars, built in Wales by HPE of Tredegar. They could operate only as a two or three-car train and unlike the diesel locos they were never a success. All three were out of service after less than a decade and they finally left Llanberis for scrap in 2010.
The latest motive power development has been the 2020 delivery of two bogie battery-diesel hybrid locomotives built by Clayton Equipment of Burton Upon Trent, which also incorporate a pod to accommodate 12 passengers. They are intended to replace two of the Hunslet diesels, thereby reducing the railway’s carbon footprint, an important consideration within the Snowdonia National Park.
With the exception of the steam heritage trains, all services are now worked by the two Claytons and two of the Hunslets. They operate with four 74-seat carriages built in 2013 on Hunslet bogies by Garmendale Engineering of Ilkeston, a firm that is more usually associated with theme-park rides.
The passenger carriages replaced were the original stock of the line, six built by Lancaster Carriage and Wagon to a Swiss design in 1895 and three from SIG of Neuhausen in the 1920s. Almost all were originally semi-opens but seven of them were rebuilt as completely enclosed carriages in the 1950s to provide better protection from the Welsh elements. Two have now been completely rebodied by Garmendale in ‘heritage’ style for use on today’s steam services while the rest have been withdrawn.
The final major change since the 1970s has been the replacement of the buildings at Summit station. The previous structure was designed by the celebrated Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis and built in the 1930s. Although the building had a certain degree of functional simplicity it was quite austere and never seems to have inspired much public affection. By the 1980s it was becoming very tired after 50 years of exposure to the weather at a height of more than 1,000 metres (3,250ft).
The replacement visitor centre, known as Hafod Eryri, opened in 2009 and has a much lighter and more spacious feel. It should be added however that at the time of writing the summit complex is intended to remain closed during the 2021 season, with trains terminating at Clogwyn, the third passing loop, three-quarters of the way up the mountain. Heritage steam services have also been suspended for 2021.
Sometimes you don’t quite realise what you have lost until it is too late. Over the last 30 or 40 years the feel of a typically Swiss mountain railway has gradually vanished as the SMR has inevitably modernised to cater for the needs of today’s visitors.
Perhaps because it is a purely commercial operation with no supporting society or volunteer involvement, the line also seems to have a relatively low profile among narrow gauge enthusiasts, particularly when compared with its Welsh neighbours. But even though there are no steam trains this year, twice-daily operation should resume in 2022, when even the most modern of the operational steam locomotives, 6 ‘Padarn’, celebrates its centenary. It is well worth riding the steam train, a unique experience in Britain. But for those who are fit enough to do so, climbing the mountain on foot to observe and photograph the three different locomotive types in operation provides an extremely rewarding way of spending a day in the hills.
■ As mentioned at present Covid precautions are retricting normal SMR operation – latest news can be found at www.snowdonrailway.co.uk. Note also that the line is not offering single journeys – if you walk up the mountain to photograph it you will not be able to ride the train down.