Beddgelert Station

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Beddgelert Station
Remains of the old station in July 2005.
Photo:Barrie Hughes
Previous Station Rhyd-Ddu
Previous Location Meillionen
Status Under Construction
Next Location Aberglaslyn Tunnels
Next Station Pen-Y-Mount Station
Latitude 53:00:44.24N
Longitude 04:06:31.73W
Grid Reference SH586481

Stations Locations

 Harbour Station

OSGrid:SH586481 Latt / Long :53.01224 / -4.10861



Beddgelert is the principal intermediate station on Rheilffordd Eryri / Welsh Highland Railway at the well-known tourist spot, famous for its fictitious Dead Dog, Gelert, who was invented around 1793 by David Pritchard, the landlord of the Goat (locally pronounced Go-at) Hotel. Pritchard must be accounted the greatest benefactor to the local tourist trade. The original Kelert was possibly a sixth-century Celtic saint who was buried here, but the Priory was dedicated to St. Mary. The graves of the FR Spooners are in the churchyard, together with that of their nursemaid.

Contents

[edit]Early history

Beddgelert Station is in the middle of a thoroughly awkward piece of railway construction. The first plan was for the NWNGR to end above the Goat Hotel and for the Portmadoc Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway to end on the east bank of the river in the village. Second thoughts were to join them by a quite appalling embankment across the middle of the valley next to the Dead Dog's Grave, but fortunately this plan fell through, leaving as its memorial the well-known 'Bridge to Nowhere' across the road into the village from the south and the nearby bridge abutments in a field. From the air, the alignment can still easily be followed across the valley to the bridge across Afon Glaslyn (now the nilometer). Third thoughts conceived the station c.1905 as a P.B. & S.S.R. tram station on a rising gradient of about 1 in 28, with a level space in the middle for a tram stop. Much of this work was built in 1906-8 and abandoned incomplete. The plan was modified for the construction of the W.H.R. in 1923 by :

  • changing the alignment to follow the hillside to Bryn y Felin
  • easing the gradient to 1 in 40
  • building three curves of barely more than 50m radius between Bryn y Felin and Beddgelert
  • some quite odd alterations in the levels of the Goat Tunnel below the station
  • some relevelling through the station, and
  • lowering the levels above the station. This last involved demolishing the P.B.& S.S.R. arch bridges and substituting steel beams (removed c.1942).

The modern (2005-7) reconstruction involved concrete structures at the bridges and a considerable remodelling of the station to allow for the 200m passing loop. Provision has been made for decorative stone facing to be added if funds become available.

[edit]The original station

Welsh Pony at Beddgelert with the water tower in the background.
Welsh Pony at Beddgelert with the water tower in the background.

Beddgelert station was situated above the village, behind the Royal Goat Hotel. Many tourist Guide Books of the time commented that it was a long way from the village, and this must surely not have helped attract customers. In reality it was no further from the village than any other station.

All trains stopped here to take water from the small tank, of which the concrete pillars remain, to the puzzlement of visitors today. It was also a staff (token) exchange point.

The station also handled a fair bit of goods traffic - it was here that the bulk of goods carried on the WHR (other than slate) were either loaded or unloaded. Incoming goods were primarily items for shops, hotels and farms.

The ruling gradient through the station was 1:42.6 (towards Portmadoc), and on a curve of 8 chains. There was a 4mph speed limit within station limits.

The station sported a lengthy passing loop of 320', with weighted points at the top end set for the main line, and weighted points at the bottom end set for the loop. Right-hand running was normal through the loop, though not invariable. In addition to the passing loop there were also three sidings, locked by a key on the Staff. The siding to the west was the 100' Ash Pit siding, and of the other two sidings on the eastern (village) side, an 80' siding at the top end of the station led to the Goods Shed, which had a trap worked by weighted lever. At the bottom end of the station there was a 96' coal siding (added in 1924) protected by locked scotch.[1][2] (Colonel Mount, in his inspection, recommended that this be replaced by an interlocked trap.[3], but there is no reference to this being done.)

When the railway first opened this goods shed was at times used to house an engine, this working the first train to Porthmadog (and on to Blaenau Ffestiniog, but finishing its day at Boston Lodge). Of an evening the last working from Dinas terminated here, and thus these two locomotives alternated their workings, and consequently their use of the shed.[4]

The station remains in 1960.
The station remains in 1960.
As losses on the railway grew, an increasing number of trains terminated at Beddgelert, necessitating a change. After the FR took control of the WHR in 1934 there was little, if any, through running, and Beddgelert quickly established itself as a frontier station, with trains terminating here from both directions, sometimes even when the timetable indicated a through train. South of here the service was run by Festiniog locos and stock, with the service north of here being run by WHR staff and stock from Dinas. Trains from Portmadoc were most commonly hauled by Russell or one of the England Engines; Double Fairlies were a relatively rare sight at Beddgelert, and only one photo is known to exist of a Fairlie (James Spooner) at Beddgelert station.[5],

The breaking of the journey at Beddgelert (often with a protracted wait for the other train) pleased tourists who could walk into the village, but frequently frustrated through passengers who wanted to get to the end of their journey. A typical wait here was of 35 - 50 minutes, but a few only stopped for 10 or 15 minutes, not enough to go into the village. The waiting times here, together with the relative busyness of watering and trains passing, has left this the most photographed station on the line during the original period of WHR operation.

Beddgelert station was the most lavish intermediate station of the WHR route. Although there was no proper platform, for passengers there was a tearoom and also a book shop, although the latter blew down in a gale in October 1927, to be later sold for £5. These buildings were mostly of corrugated-iron construction, rather than the traditional brick of the NWNG stations to the north.

There was also a Station Mistress, Miriam Jones, who dressed in traditional costume, though she never achieved the fame of Bessie Jones, the Station Mistress at Tan-y-Bwlch.

[edit]Activity in the 70's

In 1973 the WHLR (1964) Ltd. laid some temporary light rail at Beddgelert Station in order to establish a presence and to highlight their intentions to rebuild the line up to here. This rail had been lifted from the old Croesor Tramway north of Croesor Junction (i.e. from the section not dismantled).

[edit]The new station

Under construction in July 2007.
Under construction in July 2007.

The modern station (2006-7) has a 200m right-hand running loop and a short Up (i.e. downhill, west side) siding to allow reversal of short trains from Porthmadog. Although on a continuous gradient of 1 in 47 through the station, it will be possible for locomotives to run round here, such as will happen in the first operating season in 2009.

The legal terms of reconstruction have stated that the station is not permitted to open for passengers to board/alight until the WHR is completed through to Porthmadog. It has now been confirmed that from Easter 2009 trains will run to here from Caernarfon, with trains from Porthmadog reaching here from July, 2009.

There is an island platform with flower beds (alas, ravaged by sheep), two small shelters (with room for signalling equipment) and a foot crossing toward the village at the lower end. The station building foundation is in place but construction was deferred after a spat with the Snowdonia National Park Authority.

There is a standard Braithwite type water tank at the top end of the station and a water crane on the platform. The original concrete plinth for the 1923 water tank is still (perhaps unattractively) in place, but may be improved if the replacement water tank and fitting are rebuilt by the Welsh Highland Heritage Group as proposed. There are both steps and a ramp down from the station to the nearby village car park. Public footpaths pass the station on both sides and there is a viewing platform on the west side, accessible from the footpath.

Clearance had begun in this view towards the Goat Tunnel on 28th April 2006.
Clearance had begun in this view towards the Goat Tunnel on 28th April 2006.
Artists impressions of a new station building here show it to be larger than the original building, and as such, it has caused controversy amongst some of the population of Beddgelert, who complained that it was far too big, and that it intruded upon the landscape. Other concerns have been raised, such as the increased traffic in the village, and the fear of parked cars, given that the village's public car park already overflows with tourists in Summer without the railway.


[edit]References

  1. ^ Boyd, James I.C. [1950]. Narrow-gauge rails to Portmadoc. The Oakwood Press. OCLC 30180615. 
  2. ^ Boyd, James I.C. [1989]. Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire, Vol. 2, The Welsh Highland Railway. Blandford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-383-4. 
  3. ^ Johnson, Peter [2002]. An Illustrated History of the Welsh Highland Railway. Hersham: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0-860935-65-5. OCLC 59498388. 
  4. ^ Glimpses of the Narrow Gauge, JIC Boyd
  5. ^ Johnson, Peter [2002]. An Illustrated History of the Welsh Highland Railway. Hersham: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0-860935-65-5. OCLC 59498388. 

[edit]See also

Retrieved from "http://www.frheritage.org.uk/wiki/Beddgelert_Station"
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