Why is Conwy a request stop?

[Bletchleyite]

I think we might all be grateful that Portmadoc/Porthmadog replaced the earlier Ynyscynhaiarn. Which would certainly test the announcer at Shrewsbury!

Ynys = island (e.g. Ynys Mon for the Isle of Anglesey) - it's not, really, is it? I wonder why?

 

[krus_aragon]

Ynys = island (e.g. Ynys Mon for the Isle of Anglesey) - it's not, really, is it? I wonder why?

The river there used to be tidal until Maddocks built the cob embankment. Plus, the coastline has changed significantly over the centuries: Harlech castle used to be on the coast, but it's way inland now, with so much sand deposited by the tides.

(Caernarfon, Criccieth and Conwy offer interesting comparisons with Biwmares and Harlech: all were built for coastal resupply, but the latter two are now landlocked.)

 

[BayPaul]

Nobody - literally nobody* - is going to want to walk a mile (it's about that) with luggage. A scenic walkway would be good to have but it will be used for leisure walks, not train connections.

* Well, not quite nobody, backpackers would. But certainly none of the older crowd that the area tends to appeal to - the younger crowd are often much further south in Snowdonia doing active stuff.

Another issue is that if someone wants to go to Conwy, they'll search trains to Conwy, see that there are very few available, and drive. Few people who don't know the area would think of looking at a map to see if there are any other stations in walking distance, and then check the service to that station.

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

I think we might all be grateful that Portmadoc/Porthmadog replaced the earlier Ynyscynhaiarn. Which would certainly test the announcer at Shrewsbury!

After 12 years in North Wales, I still have trouble with Welsh diphthongs vs. consecutive vowels . Penmaenmawr, Gaerwen, Moelfre. Not that Moelfre ever had a station...

If I don't think about it, I Americanize the vowels (ugh)

 

[DelW]

I am fairly sure it was "Conwy" in summer 1980, when we travelled back from Anglesey along the A55, and I recall road atlases in the early 80s spelling it "Conwy". Likewise "Dolgellau" and I think "Caernarfon", though admittedly I have the feeling the hybrid spelling "Caernarvon" may have been used for a short while ("Caer", but "v" rather than "f"). Not plain "Carnarvon" though. And definitely always two "F"s in Ffestiniog. And always "Porthmadog" not "Portmadoc", another one I have seen on old maps.

I have a copy of Johnston's "3 miles to an inch" road atlas, 5th edition of 1963, reprinted in 1966. That shows, inter alia:
Conway, Caernarvon, Flint, Portmadoc, and Towyn (the one at the end of the Tal y llyn)
but also:
Ffestiniog and Dolgellau
so apparently a bit of a hybrid situation.

(Although it's a road atlas, it has detailed coverage of pre-Beeching railways, which is why I've kept it so long.)

 

[Gathursty]

A question for those who know Welsh:
We've mentioned Towyn and Tywyn being similar but not mentioned Tygwyn which is a tiny halt near Harlech.

What do Towyn, Tywyn and Tygwyn mean in English?

 

[6Gman]

Ynys = island (e.g. Ynys Mon for the Isle of Anglesey) - it's not, really, is it? I wonder why?

The church of Saint Cynhaiarn (sometimes Cynhaearn) stood on an island nearer to Cricieth (sometimes Criccieth) and was the parish church of both Tremadog and Porthmadog, hence they were in (the parish of) Ynyscynhaiarn but - perhaps wisely - used the Maddocks-based names!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Aug 2021 ==

A question for those who know Welsh:
We've mentioned Towyn and Tywyn being similar but not mentioned Tygwyn which is a tiny halt near Harlech.

What do Towyn, Tywyn and Tygwyn mean in English?

Towyn and Tywyn are both derived from the Welsh for sea shore (see also tywod = sand). In early use the Cambrian line one was Thewyn/Tewyn, Tywyn (1254-91) while the Abergele one used Towyn (1283).

Tygwyn = white house (ty = house, gwyn = white).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Aug 2021 ==

After 12 years in North Wales, I still have trouble with Welsh diphthongs vs. consecutive vowels . Penmaenmawr, Gaerwen, Moelfre. Not that Moelfre ever had a station...

If I don't think about it, I Americanize the vowels (ugh)

The most evil one - and useful for those who claim Welsh has no vowels - is the Welsh word for "eggs", which is comprised of four (Welsh) vowels. But try saying wyau !

 

[Leeds1970]

when conwy reopened the platform length was based on a two car 150 / 101 which at the time was deemed sufficient, the up line was re-signalled between conwy and Llandudno junction to allow a shuttle service between the two stations, because of resources (as the service required an additional unit) the service was recast the following year. The new service was Holyhead - Llandudno all stops then Llandudno -conwy - Llandudno then all stops back to holyhead. as coast services increased the shuttle was dropped entirely as a signalling 'block back' with Penmaenmawr was required to use the up line and also there were constant T4 possessions required for the A55 construction programme.

 

[nw1]

when conwy reopened the platform length was based on a two car 150 / 101 which at the time was deemed sufficient, the up line was re-signalled between conwy and Llandudno junction to allow a shuttle service between the two stations, because of resources (as the service required an additional unit) the service was recast the following year. The new service was Holyhead - Llandudno all stops then Llandudno -conwy - Llandudno then all stops back to holyhead. as coast services increased the shuttle was dropped entirely as a signalling 'block back' with Penmaenmawr was required to use the up line and also there were constant T4 possessions required for the A55 construction programme.

I do remember another pattern for a time, perhaps 1997 (?), when the service through Conwy interworked with the Blaenau Ffestiniog line. I forget the exact details, but I seem to remember it involving three 101 diagrams and Llandudno. Perhaps Llandudno-Blaenau Ffestiniog and v.v, folowed by Llandudno-Llandudno Junction, Llandudno Junction-Holyhead and v.v, and finally Llandudno Junction-Llandudno. (cycle then repeats).

I definitely travelled to Betws-y-coed on a 101 in 1997 on a trip to Snowdon (using the bus for the remainder) so that was quite possibly when this pattern operated.

 

[krus_aragon]

I do remember another pattern for a time, perhaps 1997 (?), when the service through Conwy interworked with the Blaenau Ffestiniog line.

The nearest timetable I have is Winter 1993/1994; this has one Conwy shuttle from Llandudno only:

Start Llandudno 10:22
10:30 Junction 10:37
10:40 Conwy 10:44
10:47 Junction 10:51
10:59 Llandudno, then shuttling to Junction and back

The Blaenau service is a simple shuttle to the Junction from 9am onward. The Conwy shuttle above does however connect with the mid-morning Blaenau service (arr. LLJ 10:46, dep LLJ 10:50).

It may be the case that the '97(?) timetable had these two units swap diagrams, with the ex-Blaenau running to Llandudno, while the ex-Conwy took it's place on the Conwy Valley.

 

[30907]

I have a copy of Johnston's "3 miles to an inch" road atlas, 5th edition of 1963, reprinted in 1966. That shows, inter alia:
Conway, Caernarvon, Flint, Portmadoc, and Towyn (the one at the end of the Tal y llyn)
but also:
Ffestiniog and Dolgellau
so apparently a bit of a hybrid situation.

The last two are in Merioneth/Meirionydd (though so is Towyn) - Barmouth Junction was renamed Morfa Mawddach in the early 60s, so I wonder if there was more local pressure to adopt the Welsh name?

 

[johnnychips]

….

The most evil one - and useful for those who claim Welsh has no vowels - is the Welsh word for "eggs", which is comprised of four (Welsh) vowels. But try saying wyau !

Easy … it’s what my late cat used to say when she wanted feeding . Though, to be fair I gave her Kattomeat rather than eggs.

Edit: this has got me thinking a lot. She was asking for eggs, when all she got was boiled-up lungs, hearts and whatever Kattomeat was made of. No wonder she scratched me frequently.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

After 12 years in North Wales, I still have trouble with Welsh diphthongs vs. consecutive vowels . Penmaenmawr, Gaerwen, Moelfre. Not that Moelfre ever had a station...

If I don't think about it, I Americanize the vowels (ugh)

An innocent question. If after 12 years in North Wales, you still have trouble with Welsh diphthongs vs. consecutive vowels why haven't you leraned Welsh?