Beddgelert - Pont Croesor
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Beddgelert - Pont
Croesor
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| Harbour Station works |
This section was built under Phase 4 of the railway's rebuilding and was opened in two stages. Beddgelert to Hafod y Llyn was opened in 2009 and thence to Pont Croesor in 2010. The construction details can be found using the link below:
Phase 4 - Rhyd Ddu to Porthmadog - 2005 to 2010
During the Rest of the Word Gang weekend of the 13th and 14th November 2010 a ballast retaining wall was built on the curve to the North of Cemetery Crossing. The pictures show the work in progress together with the end result. A last photograph shows Caernarfon Castle collecting the works train from the site.
24th November 2010
The areas at either side and in the centre will later be filled with tarmac. Photos by Steve Broomfield:
A further picture of Pont Croesor by Steve Broomfield shows the full length of the new platform on the left:
Work continued on the new barrow crossing seen in the near background of the above picture on the Tuesday Gang's visit there on the 4th January 2011. The progress made that day can be seen in the following pictures from Steve Broomfield together with the Vale of Ffestiniog trying out the new crossing as it runs round its 'training' train from Porthmadog.
The Black Hand Gang weekend of the 15th and 16th January involved attention to some dips in the track at Nantmor level crossing. On the Saturday the dip to the South of the crossing was rectified whilst the pictures below show the dip to the North receiving attention on the Sunday. This was not the most pleasant of weekend to be working outside with it being very wet and windy. This is unfortunately reflected in the quality of the photos.
The North Wales/Black Hand Gang was re-gapping the West rails on Nantmor 'bank'.
This means cut 5" from a rail end in the centre of the bank, Rotabroach one additional hole for a fishplate bolt, then re-gap both uphill and downhill, until the excess gap has been 'used up' (which involved moving approximately 20 rail lengths). The East side rails remain to be done.
12/13
February 2011
This weekend the Black Hand Gang were in action in the
Aberglaslyn pass. Wooden sleepers were replaced by metal sleepers at
Corlan next to the Glaslyn river. This will help to stop the track
slipping which has been a significant problem. Photos by Andy Forsyth
As well as the north Wales track gang, a film crew was in attendance on
the Sunday, filming and interviewing the track gang at work plus
getting Caernarfon Castle to perform various run pasts. This will be
broadcast on BBC Wales in May possibly in 2 half hour programmes.
16th March 2011
New display boards have been erected at all the stations and halts along the railway. The photograph from Steve Broomfield shows a new board at Pont Croesor.
22nd March 2011
The Tuesday Gang spent the 22nd March at Cwm Bychan where they removed vegetation from the southern portal of T4, the long tunnel into the Aberglaslyn Pass. Martin Duncan, the FR Lineside Manager, and one chainsaw coded volunteer cut the thicker growth hanging off ropes, others using hand held saws cut the smaller shrubs and others cut up the growth into small sized brash for loading into the Hudson Wagon to be taken out by works train hauled by Vale of Ffestiniog. It was a warm spring day and the 6 volunteers present had a most enjoyable day. Steve Broomfield's picture sequence below shows the removal of the vegetation and its subsequent transportation back to Minffordd.
29th March 2011
The Tuesday Gang spent this week erecting a fence between the railway and the river at "Otters Pool" Hafod y Llyn. The contractor had left this section unfenced and it is believed that fishermen are walking down the track to access the river bank. Fifteen fenceposts were driven into the fairly soft ground at ten foot spacings with the aid of what Tony Baker calls a "Donger". Stock fencing topped by two runs of single wire were then installed. The gang had a surprise visit from Linda with 4 vintage carriages, apparently empty, as far as could be seen, as well as the 2 service trains worked by 138 and 87. Contrary to the weather forecast it did not rain and ten volunteers had an enjoyable day. Two other volunteers started the installation of a manhole at gasworks siding.
TheTuesday Gang spent 5th April on fence maintenance between Bryn y Felin and T2. Holes were filled with wire mesh and wires tightened on the heritage style fencing in the pass. Dreary and dull weather with occasional showers. Eight volunteers were present, two of whom built two manholes at Gasworks Siding before joining the rest of the team.
14th April 2011
The Tuesday Gang spent the day working on fence maintenance in the pass. Several large holes in the fence were filled with wire netting. These occur mainly where streams go under the line.
Also the fencing at Cwm Bychan was beefed up where, believe it or not, crazy people have cut the fence right by the tunnel portals so that they can cross the line by way of an old path established when the railway was moribund. Old maps show a footpath here so common sense goes out of the window.
The pictures show repair of a large hole and some shots of trains only obtainable if working lineside, tracksafe of course.
Pictures by Tony Baker
17/18th June 2011
This weekend's North Wales / Black Hand Gang task is replacing the points at the South end of Hafod y Llyn loop where ex-South African set is being replaced by a set of new S30 points. At the time of the first two pictures the old points had been taken out and half the new points placed in position. By the end of the first day the new ones had been inserted and the rails cut as the new points are longer. The points were rough shovel packed so that the 'main line' could be restored to running order ready for the next day's trains, albeit with a 5 mph temporary speed restriction while work continued. The gang finally withdrew in heavy rain. By the end of Saturday 18th June the loop line had been re-connected and re-aligned, and Kango tamping had started on the new point. Work will continue on 19th June. Pictures by Steve Broomfield and David Firth
21st June 2011
The Tuesday Gang returned to the site on the 21st June to repair fencing that had to be removed to allow machinery access for the renewal of the points. Steve Broomfield's pictures below show the completed point installation there.
The Black Hand Gang were in action at Hafod y Llyn on Saturday 16th July (mostly in the rain), jacking and packing the 'loop' line, which is still connected to the running line but the new points are locked with no lever attached. The first picture shows Castell Caernarfon heading south past the work site, the second picture is an 'end of the day' shot of the completed task.
Work continued on the Sunday taking out dips in the track at various locations in the vicinity of Hafod y Llyn crossing (LC 50.79), which entailed jacking and packing the track in-between the service trains. It was a somewhat damp day with constant rain throughout the day, resulting in a very wet gang of volunteers by the end of the day. Report and pictures by Dafydd Thomas/Steve Broomfield
Rest of the World Gang has been working at Cemetery Crossing, Beddgelert. Earlier in the working week ballast retaining walls were completed (filling in some gaps).
The curves through the woods have had cant corrected. On Tuesday the ballast around sleepers was being Kango-packed.
Garrats 87 and 138 + 143 (doubling-heading) passed us. The afternoon concluded with a track walk through the pass. Report and picture by Simon Melhuish
During the working week the Rest of the World Gang installed timber to take a point lever at Hafod-y-Llyn loop (south) and corrected cant at Beddgelert (down platform line). Picture by Simon Melhuish
Today, the Tuesday Gang South (aka Steve Broomfield), primed (where necessary) and top-coated (in white) the four window frames at Nantmor Station. In-between the two coats, some white gloss was also applied to the Speed Restriction signs, either side of the road crossing, which were noted to be looking a bit 'tired' and in need of attention. Unfortunately, they ran out of time to do the running-in sign, which needs a bit of refurbishment (lower frame especially), as previously identified. Dafydd Thomas adds that the running-in boards can be tackled over the winter when it might be easier to take them down and deal with them under cover as others will need attention as well. Pictures by Steve Broomfield
The North Wales/ Black Hand Gang were at Hafod y Llyn, replacing the point lever at the Caernarfon end of the loop and repositioning sleepers under the point of contact of the lever mechanism. Picture by Steve Broomfield
The Tuesday Gang was working on fencing maintenance beginning at Nantmor road bridge down as far as the NT farm.
About 20 additional posts were knocked in between 51.22 and 51.40 where the fencing was not up to the Welsh Black cattle in the field.
Several holes were patched and additional fencing was built to the side of Nantmor Road Bridge. This work is ongoing along with fencing repairs between the "Teletubbie bridges", as they have become known.
6th December 2011
Tuesday Gang continued with fence maintenance. Taking a works train they made their first stop at the foot of Nantmor Incline and attempted to make the sides of LC 50.27 sheep proof. They then proceeded to Portreuddyn to the "Teletubbie Bridges" where the right hand fence was suffering the attentions of Welsh Black Cattle. As usual when faced with this problem they added sturdier posts in between each pair of existing posts put in by the contractor in 2007. Fifty eight new posts were added in all.
13th December 2011
Tuesday Gang applied the first coat of black paint to the legs of the Nantmor Halt running-in board. The notice board has been revarnished and refitted together with the leaflet holders.Pictures by Steve Broomfield
Tuesday Gang were at work at Pont Ynysferlas.
During routine inspections it had been noticed that, if the water level of the Afon Nanmor dropped during dry spells, then there was no barrier to sheep walking along the river bank and up onto the line. So on 3rd Jan the Tuesday gang installed a wing fence between the end of the river bridge and the boundary fence below. Later they moved to Hafod y Llyn to inspect a damaged fence. They identified that stronger posts were required and that they would have to be set in concrete with the holes dug out through the compacted slate waste using a Kango fitted with a chisel bit. This job will commence next week.
Report and two pictures by Tony Baker showing work in progress and the finished fence.
Tuesday Gang were at Hafod y Llyn strengthening the fencing due to the arrival on the scene of Welsh Black cattle. They needed a Kango to dig the fence post holes in the compacted slate waste. They put in 15 new stout posts with concrete and dug out and concreted in 7 existing posts which had only stayed put because they were stapled to the fence wire. One of the bullocks came to have a look and sank up to its hocks in the mud. Report and pictures by Tony Baker
On Saturday the furthest inside length of rail at the Caernarfon end of the section being worked on was unclipped and cut in half. One half was then moved to the furthest or Blaenau end of the section. Gwâl y Dwrgi foot crossing was then lifted to facilitate moving the rails. All the inside rails were freed then moved up the half rail length; joint gaps were adjusted and the other half rail cut to fit as a closure rail. All the rails were then clipped down.
On Sunday, the first job was the reinstatement of the foot crossing. This was followed by the necessary but tiresome job of repositioniong sleepers and the installation of an additional sleeper per half length of rail close to each new rail joint to give the necessary support for the rail. The hardest part of this operation is getting the very well packed sleepers to move; it involves a lot of digging out ballast, pushing with bars and presuading with sledge hammers. By the end of the day there remained only the sleepers around one new rail joint to be repositioned. Once this is completed the railway's Permanent Way staff can move in and do their bit with the tamper thus hopefully allowing the temporary speed restriction to be removed.
The pictures by Steve Broomfield and David Firth show the rail halved and one half removed to the 'other end', slewing the track, the completed formation and re-aligned with extra sleepers added at the new rail joint positions
Rest of the World Gang were re-gapping the left-hand rail from Gwâl y Dwrgi up the Nantmor incline, and onwards to Nantmor crossing on both rails. Pictures by Simon Melhuish
The North Wales / Black Hand Gang's working party over the weekend of 25/26 February was engaged in levelling the track at Pont Croesor station ready for it to be tamped. With a small turnout they achieved the task for the whole of the loop line (up platform), ballast having been dropped in advance to aid the job.
20th March 2012
The booking office at Pont Croesor has been removed to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The move was recorded on video by John Wooden
16th April 2012
On April 14/15 the Rest of the World Gang were at Hafod-y-Llyn working to correct dips on the main line either side of the points at the Caernarfon end of the loop. They were passed by 143 and 87, and on Saturday also by Merddin Emrys with Earl of Merioneth hauling "The Snowdonian" special. Report and pictures by Simon Melhuish
The Tuesday Gang South completed the following tasks at Pont Croesor...
1) 63 new trees were planted, mainly along the car park's Western boundary fence.
2) An anti-trespass sign was fitted to the new fence at the North end of the down platform.
3) The posts supporting the fencing installed the previous week (where the booking office formerly stood) were trimmed in height.
Pictures by Steve Broomfield
