Waunfawr

Waunfawr
Previous Station	Tryfan Junction
Previous Location	Gwredog Isaf Bridge
Status	Station Open
Next Location	Bettws Garmon
Next Station	Plas-y-Nant
Latitude	53:06:22.52N
Longitude	04:12:05.33W
Grid Reference	SH527588
Stations Locations	Harbour Station

NGR:SH527588 Lat / Long :53.10634 / -4.20167

Customer Facilities
Access	Public Tansport
Parking

Waunfawr lies at a height of 125.38m (411.24 ft), and a route distance of approx 29.29km (18.2 miles) from Porthmadog.

History

Originally there was a short passing loop where the island platform now stands; it was the principal passing point on the old North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway. The train working in those days was not of a standard to meet with the approval of the Railway Inspectors - trains would be despatched to Snowdon (now Rhyd Ddu) in succession without waiting for 'train out of section' from the far end. In July 1906, a wagon broke loose from the first train and ran back down the line, hitting the second near Nant Mill. The locomotive buffer and coupling were broken, the cylinder covers and steam chest covers were cracked and the rear engine bogie left the rails.

During the closure, the station building suffered

The present loop is 200 metres long and thus extends beyond the southern (Up) end of the island platform. There is a water tank for Up trains, a rather elegant footbridge, flower beds maintained by the local Antur Waunfawr and the concrete foundation for the intended station building. In the traditional FR style, the trains keep to the right on double tracks.

In NWNGR days the station name was spelt Waenfawr, but since the reopening the correct Welsh spelling has been used.

Again, some 30 years later, April 1st 1990, and more of the station building had disappeared

When it came to rebuilding the line, the building was taken apart stone by stone, and a large platform was constructed in its place. The station stone was set aside for a reconstruction but unhappily, the contractors' workmen, not realising this, took the stone and built it into the substantial wall by the pub playground, just south of the road bridge. It is intended to rebuild at some future date.

Merddin Emrys and Taliesin on the Halloween train, at Waunfawr

Meanwhile, in 2010, to provide some customer protection for inclement weather, 2 wooden huts were erected.

Car Park

There is no station car park. The adjacent public house allows use by intending passengers. It has a deep gravel surface, making it slightly difficult for people with restricted mobility or to manoeuvre a wheelchair over.

Company Access Statement

For general details see here
The station is at the south end of the village on the A4085 adjacent to the Snowdonia Parc Brewpub. Access to the platform is normally by a footbridge but there is a rough, gently sloping path through the pub’s campsite. There are no facilities on the platform.

The pub itself is wheelchair friendly and when open, has accessible toilets.

See also

• WHR Stations
• WHR Locations

The Official construction site has 2 pages covering this location,
one for an area description >> or this,
and
one for the rebuilding in the area or this