Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

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Welsh Highland Heritage Railway is the new name adopted by the group at Gelert's Farm for operations from 2009 onwards. In Welsh it is Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru

Over the past 5 decades, the group has changed names twice before. Originally known as the 64 company, from the year it was first registered (but active before then), until 1998 when by agreement it became known as the Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog), as part of the promotion of the restoration of the line from Caernarfon to Porthmadog.

Over the next few weeks, references on this wiki will be changing from WHR(P) to WHHR

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru)
Lyd2 No. 60 awaits work in Gelerts Farm Works yard
Location
Place {{{locale}}}
Terminus Porthmadog and Pen y Mount
Commercial Operations
Name Welsh Highland Heritage Railway
Built by Welsh Highland Railway Ltd
Gauge 1ft 11.25 ins (nominal 600 mm)
Preserved Operations
Operated by Welsh Highland Heritage Railway
Stations 3
Length <1 mile
Gauge {{{preservedgauge}}}
Commercial History
Opened 1980
Preservation History
1961 Welsh Highland Railway Society formed
1964 WHR Society reformed as Welsh Highland Light Railway (1964) Limited
1980 WHR (Porthmadog) opened for passenger service
1987 Original locomotive Russell restored
2005 WHR (Porthmadog) celebrates 25 years of passenger train service
2007-8 WHR (Porthmadog) extended to Traeth Mawr
2009 Name changed to Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (formerly Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog)) is the operating name (from February 2009) for the railway and registered charity that operates from a base on the northern outskirts of Porthmadog, in north west Wales. The parent company name is Welsh Highland Railway Limited.

Contents

[edit]History

The origins of the WHRL lie in a small group of railway enthusiasts forming the Welsh Highland Railway Society in 1961 to preserve and rebuild the original WHR which operated from 1922 to 1936. Construction of the line started in the 1970s following the acquisition of land from British Railways running alongside the Cambrian Coast line at a location known as Beddgelert Sidings. A substantial works and engineering facility has been constructed on the site of the former farm that was situated in the triangle of land between the Beddgelert Siding and the Cambrian Coast Railway. The works have been expanded with newly constructed shed accommodation in addition to the utilisation of some of the original farm buildings, which include one of the oldest buildings in Porthmadog. There has been, for some time, a museum part to the works tour, and from 2009, with construction of a new building, this will be more than doubled in size, and its nature.

The original Welsh Highland Railway is currently (as of 2009) being reconstructed by the Festiniog Railway Company and the Welsh Highland Railway Limited. Both companies will have running rights over the WHR main line from Caernarfon to [[Harbour Station}} and the WHRL branch from the junction at Pen y Mount to the existing Porthmadog (WHR) station at Remadog Road.

[edit]Operations

The railway currently operates a frequent service from March to November from the main station opposite the Network Rail station in Porthmadog, to Pen y Mount. For 2007 and 2008, there was an additional short section of the new line which was in use.

[edit]Stations

[edit]Rolling Stock

[edit]References

  • Various, (1961- 2008). The Journal. Welsh Highland Railway Ltd. 
  • Boyd, James I.C. [1988]. Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire, Vol. 1. Blandford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN ISBN 0-85361-365-6. 
  • Hopkins, John [1999] (2003). Rheilffordd Eryri/The Welsh Highland Railway: 1991 to 2003. Porthmadog: private print. OCLC 42445841. 


[edit]Videos

[edit]External links

[edit]See also

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