Dates of operation 1877–1916 Length 12 ⁄2 miles (20.1 km) Successor Welsh Highland Railway | Track gauge 1 ft 11 ⁄2 in (597 mm) Locale Wales | |
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The North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (Moel Tryfan Undertaking) (to give it its full name) was a 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm) narrow-gauge railway running from Dinas to Bryngwyn, Wales, which was authorised by Act of Parliament 1872. The same act authorised a branch from Tryfan Junction to South Snowdon. Subsequently the railway chose to regard the line from Tryfan Junction to Bryngwyn as the branch.
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Route built
Although, as originally planned (1872), the line to Bryngwyn was the nominated main line, very early on a decision was made for the South Snowdon line to become the main line. By the time commercial operations started, it had been reclassified a branch
Main line: Dinas–Tryfan Junction–Waunfawr–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) led (via quarry owned lines) to a number of slate quarries around Moel Tryfan mountain.
Routes planned
The line from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu was built and operated, but this was just a small part of the grand scheme for a network of narrow-gauge railways spanning much of north Wales. An Act of Parliament in 1885 authorised an extension northwards to Caernarfon and a Light Railway Order of 1900 authorised an extension southwards to Beddgelert.
A further part of the scheme was the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (General Undertaking) which planned a route from Porthmadog to Beddgelert, where it would meet the Rhyd Ddu-Beddgelert extension. From there the line would travel via Capel Curig to Betws-y-Coed. A further branch would have extended the line from Betws y Coed to Cerrig-y-Drudion where the railway would meet the planned Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway.
The General Undertaking was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1872 but officially abandoned in 1876. The section from Porthmadog to Beddgelert was eventually completed by the Welsh Highland Railway as part of its construction, and utilised parts of the Croesor Tramway and the aborted Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway (PBSSR) works.
South Snowdon
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 around 1906.
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).