2003 NEWS ARCHIVE

More detailed accounts of progress with rebuilding work from Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu (and allied developments) prior to reopening in August 2003 are laid out in context on the Phase 3 pages.

• January 2003 - Tracklaying started at Rhyd Ddu Station.

• February 2003 - The first of the rails for Phase 3 which had been re-rolled following damage in transit from South Africa were laid at Snowdon Ranger.

• March 2003 - Detail planning permission was granted for WHR (Porthmadog) to start work on the Pont Croesor extension, work on which started northwards from Pen y Mount on the 24th.
  
  
  
  
  
• The renovated and strengthened span of the Cae Hywel river bridge was craned back into place.
  
  
  

• April 2003 - The new ballast regulator (plough) built at Dinas was put to work on Phase 3 construction.
  
  
  
  
  
• Tracklaying from the Snowdon Ranger base reached Glan yr Afon to the south, and was started northwards towards Castell Cidwm.
  
• Parts for the new span of the Betws Garmon river bridge were recovered from a Network Rail depot for alteration.
• The renovated and strengthened river bridge at Plas y Nant was completed.
  
  
  

• May 2003 - The modified parts for the Betws Garmon river bridge were delivered and assembled.
  
  
  
  
  
• WHR (Caernarfon) held a Steam Adventure Week, featuring visiting locos Linda and Stanhope.
  
  
  

• June 2003 - The new span of the river bridge at Betws Garmon was craned into place, filling the last gap in the trackbed from Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu.
  
  
• Glan yr Afon Bridge was completed.
• The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways hosted guests from South Africa's Sandstone Heritage Trust & Railway from late June to early August to explore possible training links in railway engineering and commercial activities.

• August 12th 2003 - Garratts 143 and 138 double-headed the first steam test train to Rhyd Ddu to use a full modern passenger rake.
  
  
  
• August 15th 2003 - HMRI granted permission to run public services to Rhyd Ddu.
• August 18th 2003 - Public services were extended from Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu - pictures here.
  
  
  
  
• August 30th 2003 - WHRS East Anglian Group members recovered four small Hudson flat wagons for Phase 4 construction work from the Imperial War Museum at Duxford (from under the landing path of vintage planes! - with proper safety precautions), in a joint operation with the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Association. The wagons were moved to premises near Cambridge.

• September 8th 2003 - S4C broadcast Rhuthro i Rhyd Ddu, the third Welsh-language documentary directed by Helen Williams-Ellis about the WHR Project, covering Phase 3 rebuilding, 2002 special events, the Royal visit and opening to Rhyd Ddu.
• September 13-14th 2003 - Super Power Weekend proved to be the Railway's busiest special event to date - see report and more pictures.
  
  
  
  
• September 27-28th 2003 - WHR(C) hosted a special weekend for readers of Steam Railway magazine. Attractions in addition to the regular timetable included Prince on Caernarfon-Dinas shuttles (with footplate rides along the platform at Dinas) and a re-enactment of July's Royal train, a Saturday evening train with construction commentary, and visitor Velinheli giving rides at Dinas and making an 0715 "Cannonball Run" with FR carriage no. 10 from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu on Sunday.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• October 11-12th 2003 - Winteractive Weekend, held jointly with the FR, gave participating members of the public the chance to get involved in operating the Railway. Prince again proved a popular attraction.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• November 2003 - Volunteers mounted a big push to tidy the Phase 3 lineside and construction sites, with clearance trains run to remove salvage and scrap material back to Dinas, as seen in Andy Keene's pictures below.
  
  
  
  
  
• November 3rd 2003 - A landslip occurred alongside the railway on the way out of Caernarfon, when part of the retaining wall collapsed. Contractors for the local authority were quickly tasked with initial stabilisation, prior to a full-scale job which will be done under possession on winter weekdays, when trains are not running.
  
  
  
  
  
  The site is seen below on November 15th. Contractors Colin Jones (Rock Engineering) Ltd had made an access alongside the railway from the old St Helen's Road underbridge further uphill. In addition to stabilisation of the fall, attention was also being paid to a short section of wall immediately on the Caernarfon side.
  
  
  

• December 1st-19th 2003 - The WHR Project featured in a Millennium Commission exhibition, Out of Time, at London's Tate Modern. One of only 40 out of the Commission's 200 projects chosen to be featured, the exhibited picture, by WHR Project Official Photographer Peter Johnson, featured a mixed train with double-headed Garratts at Ffridd Isaf during the September 2003 Super Power Weekend. The exhibition was due to go on tour to other Millennium Commission-funded venues in 2004.