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ROUTE BUILT Main line: Dinas - Tryfan Junction - Waenfawr - Bettws Garmon - Snowdon Ranger - South Snowdon/Rhyd Ddu (approx. 9 miles). Branch line: Tryfan Junction - Rhostryfan - Bryngwyn (approx. 2 miles). From Bryngwyn, an incline (owned by the railway company) lead (via quarry owned lines) to a number of slate quarries around Moel Tryfan mountain. ROUTES PLANNED Dinas - Rhyd Ddu, as built. Much later an Act of Parliament 1885 authorised an extension northwards to Caernarfon and a Light Railway Order 1900 authorised an extension southwards to Beddgelert but these were not, in the event, built by that company but much later by the Welsh Highland Railway . The North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (General Undertaking) from Porthmadog to Beddgelert and Betws Y Coed was authorised by Act of Parliament 1872 but officially abandoned 1876 - The line from Porthmadog to Beddgelert eventually completed by the Welsh Highland Railway was the later Portmadoc, Beddgelert And South Snowdon Railway . There are two locations which have been called South Snowdon. One is Rhyd Ddu and the other is the South Snowdon Quarry in the Nant Gwynant Pass and this was the original intended destination of the Portmadoc Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway. That company later applied for and received a light railway order to build from Beddgelert to Rhyd Ddu and commenced construction on that section. HISTORY Opened from Dinas to Tryfan Junction and Bryngwyn 1877 to Snowdon Ranger in 1878 and to South Snowdon (Rhyd Ddu) in 1881 . Closed to passenger traffic in 1916 . Goods service continued running on an 'as required' basis until about 1922 when the railway became part of the Welsh Highland Railway (additional Welsh Highland trackage from Rhyd Ddu to Porthmadog opened in 1923 ). LOCOMOTIVES
(1) Russell was on loan from the Portmadoc, Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway, which became part of the Welsh Highland Railway. REFERENCE #J.I.C.Boyd; Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarfonshire, 1972, revised edition in two volumes 1988/1999. SEE ALSO |
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