Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd line

[fv43576]

I was read the article of news http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/i/51725/
I have remember that I have been walk on that line not far from Blaenau Ffestiniog in about 2002 I didn't continue walk all to end of the line because of bad storm. I went read in history and look picture past railway service, they said it was the last freight use on 27 January 1961, but those picture looks like recently about in mid 1970-1990's. When was the last freight use all line to Trawsfynydd and was it any charter visit that line? if do when was the last time.
The reason for disused because of close nuclear power station to stop send waste nuclear flask?

 

[Ash Bridge]

There was apparently a charter operated by Hertfordshire Railtours on 17th October 1998 that went up to Trawsfynydd using class 47/56s that may have been the last one, but I'm not absolutely certain, the last freight trains to work there were probably connected with the decommissioning of the Nuclear Power Station and I'm guessing if I say it would be around the same period give or take a year or two.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

This website, with some photos of the branch, gives the date as 28 October 1998. Follow the Blaenau link and then the Trawsfynydd link.

http://www.2d53.co.uk

Hertfordshire Railtours' 'Trawsfynydd Lament' on the 28th October 1998 became the last before the branch closed

Whist this website, reproducing an article of the time, gives 17 October 1998

http://www.nwrail.org.uk/lament

 

[krus_aragon]

I was read the article of news http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/i/51725/
I have remember that I have been walk on that line not far from Blaenau Ffestiniog in about 2002 I didn't continue walk all to end of the line because of bad storm. I went read in history and look picture past railway service, they said it was the last freight use on 27 January 1961, but those picture looks like recently about in mid 1970-1990's. When was the last freight use all line to Trawsfynydd and was it any charter visit that line? if do when was the last time.
The reason for disused because of close nuclear power station to stop send waste nuclear flask?

The line from Blaenau Ffestiniog Central (GWR) to Bala closed to freight in 1961, having already closed to passengers the previous year. The line was due to be cut off at Capel Celyn by the building of the Llyn Celyn Reservoir in the early 1960s.

In the mean time, Trawsfynydd (north of Capel Celyn) had already been chosen as a site for a Magnox nuclear power station, and construction was under way. The LNWR's branch was extended from Blaenau Ffestiniog North to BFf Central, in order to provide a rail connection via Llandudno Junction. This connection was completed around 1964, so freight services did cease completely for three years, before resuming (but only as far as Trawsfynydd Lake).

Freight services continued during the initial decommissioning of Trawsfynydd, as the spent fuel rods (and possibly some other contaminated materials, I don't recall) were transported away by rail. This was completed by 1991.

 

[Dr_Paul]

When I last had a look at the line in Blaenau Ffestiniog, a couple of years back, there was a buffer stop just to the south of the station, and a couple of feet of track had been removed just beyond it. Looking over a bridge parapet at the south end of the town, the line was extremely rusty, overgrown and seemingly used as an unofficial rubbish tip.

There have been ideas expressed within the Ffestiniog Railway milieu about its taking over some of the line, perhaps down to Llan Ffestiniog. I have also heard vague suggestions about the line being reopened as a standard-gauge preservation project down to Trawsfynydd.

The line does go through some really nice countryside, and there's an impressive viaduct south of Llan Ffestiniog, but I suspect that either preservation plan is a bit too ambitious. Mind you, that was said about the Welsh Highland.

 

[Welshman]

Wasn't there a proposal a little while for a company to hire-out velocipides over that part of the line, or am I imagining it?

If my memory is still serving me well, what happened to that plan?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Wasn't there a proposal a little while for a company to hire-out velocipides over that part of the line, or am I imagining it?

If my memory is still serving me well, what happened to that plan?

Surely a better proposition would be to hire out those 'pump action' rail trolleys, now that would be a unique tourist attraction!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

.....

The line does go through some really nice countryside, and there's an impressive viaduct south of Llan Ffestiniog, but I suspect that either preservation plan is a bit too ambitious. Mind you, that was said about the Welsh Highland.

Some might say that the Welsh Highland rebuild itself WAS too ambitious.


Update.

OK, I'll correct myself, I subsequently looked up 'velocipede' on Wikipedia and it includes the 'hand operated railcar' to which I refer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocipede

 

[Welshman]

Update.

OK, I'll correct myself, I subsequently looked up 'velocipede' on Wikipedia and it includes the 'hand operated railcar' to which I refer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocipede

Yes - that is what I had in mind.
The kind of trolleys the Keystone Cops always ended-up on, chasing the villains in the train!

 

[Elecman]

Yes - that is what I had in mind.
The kind of trolleys the Keystone Cops always ended-up on, chasing the villains in the train!

And the St Trinian girls in the Great St Trinians Train Robbery film

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Going back to the Councillor's statement: "It could be used as a cycle track, a walking path, a safe route to school. That’s what the local community wants." Well, if that's what the community wants, why doesn't the council buy the trackbed and do that? It's hardly Network Rail's fault, is it?
As for the line being "festooned with debris and litter from fly-tippers” - perhaps her comments should be directed to the inhabitants of Blaenau rather than Network Rail?

 

[krus_aragon]

As for the line being "festooned with debris and litter from fly-tippers” - perhaps her comments should be directed to the inhabitants of Blaenau rather than Network Rail?

I dread to think that the nuclear waste trains would be responsible for the fly tipping! :P