Ffestiniog Ffogg

Day Seventeen – Nantmor Wales

Another "nostalgia" day for me today with a second ride on the narrow guage Ffestiniog Railway, 30 years after my first one. The day (as usual for us and Wales) started grey and windy. Supposedly this was going to be one of the better days but I'm wasn't so sure.

We drove down into Porthmadog once again and parked up right outside the station which made a nice change. No driving in circles looking for, and often not finding, a parking spot. Tickets were sorted in short order and we found good seats, two and two, facing one another across a table. Jenni disappeared to take some photos of the loco that was to take us up to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the top station. She (the train not Jenni) was a lovely dark red, Fairlie double boilered number, obviously a favourite with the crews as we'd seen her the day before as we drove through town. Jenni is also dark and lovely but the day I refer to her as "boilered" will likely be my last.

We set of at 10:15 across thr causeway, looking out towards the sea. Low tide meant there was little water on the sea-side of the causeway. At the end of the causeway we passed the workshops where the rolling stock are restored and maintained. There was a green loco being prepared for the next train but we didn't get much of a look.

For the next hour or so we had a lovely ride up the hill, looking at all the various sights including some great views back down the valley. Along the way we talked to one of the crew who had been to Australia about 3 or 4 years back and ridden the Lithgow Zig Zag. He was quite amused by the size of "bottom station" (which if you;ve never seen in is a ladder and platform big enough for one person).

Towards the top we started to encounter what we are rapidly learning to call "proper Welsh weather" i.e. raining nearly horizontally. For the second week of Autumn it was quite cold and we were all well rugged up. Activity at Blaenau Ffestiniog was limited to a couple of quick shots of the loco running round to join the front of the train and finding new seats as our previous ones were booked for the return by someone else.

The return journey was much the same with a quick stop halfway down to let another upward bound train pass. Despite the fact it was raining and blowing hard, one dedicated bloke was walking the length of the platform selling incream to passengers on the other train. We were surprised at how many he managed to sell!

It was still raining as well pulled into Porthmadog and well past lunchtime. As we'd not seen Beddgelert yet (mainly due to the weather!) we drove past Nantmor and up the valley for lunch. Beddgelert seems to be 90% pubs and houses, plus the odd camping store. This is probably largely due to the clientele being mostly mad climbers but it meant our choices for lunch were limited to an expensive, if quite servicable cafe. At least it was warmish and the food was hot.

Back home in mid afternoon we called it quits for the day. The weather is really hampering us as this is one of the most "outdoorsy" parts of our trip. Jen had a nanna-nap while I read and the kids played games. Jenni walked up to the phone box before dinner to try and book seats for Friday on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. For some reason every time I try to call them on my mobile it hangs up. No luck for Jenni either so we'll have to drive past tomorrow if we can. Dinner was homemade hamburgers and there was an early bed for the kids who were nodding off on the train.

PS. Even Anna commented on how much I enjoyed the train. You've got real problems when your ten year old daughter laughs at you for being such a massive anorak.

Cheers,

Millsy