Glan-y-Pwll

From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group

OSGrid:SH693460 Latt / Long :52.99592 / -3.94828

Looking south from Gloddfa Ganol tip on a very hot August Bank Holiday Sunday 2001. The Colonel hauls a rake of MoD flat waggons out from Glanypwll carriage shed. Moel Hebog waits on "6 road", the 1899 Dinas deviaton, relaid to the abutments of the Afon Barlwyd bridge (missing!), with the Afon Barlwyd deviation alongside. On the left the LNWR Blaenau branch curves to Stesion Fein. The Duffws "main line" passes behind the re-roofed and enlarged engine shed. There is now a run-round loop at the end of 6-road. Previous methods of running around used The Colonel to shunt release, or even traditional chain shunting
*Date: August 2001 *Photo: Martin Wiseman, from the FR Volunteer site.

A genteel suburb of Blaenau Ffestiniog, "shore of the pool" in Welsh, where the 1899 deviation to Dinas and Rhiwbryfdir branched from the route to Duffws.

An engine shed, complete with turntable, was sited here. England engines were turned for the down journey here. The railway crosses the old road from Rhiwbryfdir to Tanygrisiau here at an ungated crossing with warning lights. The formation is double track from here to Blaenau bottom points, though only one track has been relaid.

A wagon is pushed over the newly completed siding into a new compound at Glan-y-pwll. The person in the light brown sweater with a hole in it is Ron Lester
*Date: 1st June 1975 *Photo: Jim Hewett

Glan-y-pwll was used as a base for the rebuilding of the line north of Tanygrisiau. This started as early as August 1973 with clearing the Old Loco Shed and almost all the early work was done by volunteers from the London Area Group. Once the shed was made secure the loco Diana was shedded there and a start was made on putting the track into a good enough state for PW trains.

Track entrance to Glan-y-pwll yard showing the restored Dinas branch as the first junction
*Date: Unknown *Photo: Keith C. Bradbury

A Civil Engineers depot is sited here alongside the diverted Afon Barlwyd. The engine shed was extended and forms the alternative craft workshops of Noreng. The depot was used as a base for construction work on the Tanygrisiau to Blaenau Ffestiniog reconstruction, with the old Crossing House "barracks" used as a hostel. The crossing house and engine shed are the only FR owned pre-1946 buildings in Blaenau.

[edit]See also

• FR Locations