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[Heritage] Snowdonia Mountain Railway

  • 14-01-2011 4:40pm
    #1
    steamengine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭


    The BBC 2 series, 'Great British Railway Journeys', continues tonight at 18:30 and features a trip on the Snowdonia mountain railway, according to info on Sky. More steam !!! :D


Comments

  • #2
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    steamengine wrote: »
    The BBC 2 series, 'Great British Railway Journeys', continues tonight at 18:30 and features a trip on the Snowdonia mountain railway, according to info on Sky. More steam !!! :D

    Managed a trip on it in 1998 but only got halfway up due to dense fog.


  • #3
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    ive been to the top...stunningly most of the way up, fog at the very top which was a bit unnerving as you couldnt see where the edge was... my eldest girl was ith me, about 3 yrs old and got choclatey fingers all over the woman in fronts coat and we had to get in a different carraige coming down..smokebox of loco just next to us going up, man did that little engine make a racket!..Llanberis Lake railway just near the foot of the Mountain worth a look too.. dribblers paradise.


  • #4
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,522 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    That railway :(

    Takes all the sense of achievement outa hiking to the top of it.
    :pac::pac::pac:


  • #5
    steamengine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭steamengine


    It is an interesting series. Michael Portillo was instrumental in saving the scenic Settle - Carlisle line when he was Minister for Transport in Maggie Thatcher's government. He was quoted as saying it was the biggest achievement of his political career. God - how we could do with a rail enthusiastic Minister in this country ??? :(


  • #6
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69,413 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    I posted myself a postcard from the top station of that railway. Other than that all I can remember is that it smelt of sewage... I was about 10 though!


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  • #7
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,522 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    steamengine wrote: »
    God - how we could do with an anything enthusiastic Minister in this country ??? :(

    fixed that :pac:

    Its a good series, have been watching it. It really does show the unbelievably huge impact the railways had back then


  • #8
    daithi_lacha
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭daithi_lacha


    I've been to the top :p It's a wonderful journey for anyone with the slightest (or dangerous) interest in everything steam powered! The trains are much like the alpine steam trains with the boiler set at an angle (roughly opposite to that of the hill!). It's a fantastic experience for anyone who's considering it after seeing it on the telly!

    Just bring a coat! I went on a VERY hot day in the middle of July, couldn't believe the cold at the top! :cool:


  • #9
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    I hiked up the pig track to get to the top. When we arrived there were women in high heels and kids in flip floss wearing badges that stated they had climbed snowdon!

    We decided to take the train down though, which I found terrifying. It has to be the loudest train in the world.


  • #10
    Hilly Bill
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,041 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    Try the Ffestiniog railway if you are in North Wales and a fan of steam engines.

    You could stay at the seaside in LLandudno, go up the Great Orme on a train, get the train from LLandudno to Blaenau Ffestinog then change to the Ffestiniog Railway to Porthmadog and then change there for the Highland railway . A great day out for train buffs with some stunning landscape and a very long tunnel ;).
    Apart from the ferry, you could spend most of your time on a train of sorts if you get the luas or train to the city centre and then the dart to dunleary. You could also throw in a couple of underground train tours at Llechwedd slate mines ( if its still open ) if you wanted .


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