On Track To 150 Years Of Welsh History

By David Ellis

In 1863 a partnership of Welsh businessmen thought it would be a good idea to cart slate from the Welsh inland mountains to the loading wharves on the coast for export using steam trains. There were those from England who had a good laugh over this idea. One of those was Robert Stephenson, who emulated his father, the pioneering George Stephenson, as a railway engineer and locomotive builder, and the engineer and builder of the Great Western Railway in England, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

England Dandy Railway Wagon. National Railway Museum

The reason these eminent engineers were skeptical was because they were building train tracks in England a comfortable 4-feet-8½-inches wide (1,435mm) allowing powerful locomotives to haul passengers and freight in comfort and speed whereas the proposed Welsh railway would comprise weak unstable tracks only two-feet (597mm) wide.

The criticism was because it was believed and engines running on such narrow gauge track would not have sufficient power to pull wagons loaded with heavy slate. They believed it to be unsafe and a folly. But the demand for slate was booming so the Welsh businessmen purchased four tiny steam engines for their Ffestiniog Railway Company (Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog Ac Eryrl in Welsh). Prior to this their trains were powered simply by draught horses and gravity.

Wales Ffestiniog Railway Fairlie at Porthmadog

And now, because of that investment in the narrow gauge railway and the introduction of those Lilliputian-size steam engines, Ffestiniog is the world's longest surviving railway company. It is a member of The Great Little Trains of Wales. In March 2013 they celebrate their sesquicentennial (150 year) anniversary. It is a major tourist attraction and, together the Welsh Highland Railway, they are expected to carry around 300,000 passengers a year.

One of those first steam engines that went into operation in 1863 and called Princess is currently undergoing a make-over to play a role in the celebrations. Interestingly since 1981 the Princess has been an attraction in a bar at an Welsh pub.

Wales Princess in Spooners Bar

The trains were originally introduced to speed up productivity. Slate laden wagon used gravity on their downhill journey to the Porthmadog wharves where they were unloaded and hauled back uphill to the mine by horse, a distance of around 21 kilometres. This process took an exceeding long time and as the demand for slate increased so did the need to complete the round journey quicker, and hence complete more trips in the same time.

Wales Narrow Gauge: The Princess c1871

The steam trains proved an instant success not only in the haulage of slate but also in the transporting of passengers on the return trip when the wagons were empty. The company soon saw the opportunity to increase their income so began charging passengers for the trip. This lead to the introduction of tiny passenger carriages that were added to the slate wagons.

Over time though, slate as a building material, loss of overseas markets following the two world wars, the growth in the use of motor cars and the introduction of charabancs (open-air, long wheel based sightseeing vehicles), the tiny trains of the Ffestiniog Railway became out-dated and run-down leading to the closure of the railway in 1946.

But dedicated rail affectionados are a hardy lot and refused to let it sink and between 1954 and 1982 worked tirelessly and with no monetary reward to refurbish the line and it's nine stations to attract tourists. Their work was not without its challenges as part of the track had to be diverted four kilometres around a newly built dam which required the blasting of a new 280 metre tunnel through granite.

Wales Ffestiniog Railway

As part of the restoration works three of the original steam engines were restored and put back on track together with other original rolling stock, including a "one of its kind" double-ended Fairlie. The service runs between Ffestiniog to Porthmadog and traverses the breathtaking Snowdonia National Park.

Unfortunately the Princess was not up to the task of hauling carriages along the route but was recently moved to London to be spruced up to take part in the 150th anniversary celebrations of the world's premier narrow gauge steam railway line.

You'll find further details at www.festrail.co.uk.

Wales Ffestiniog Railway Dwarfed by the Mountains