File:Railway Magazine 1968-06 330.jpg

Summary[edit]

Quarry rails in sequence as they had been laid before, but then work had to be broken off to do some essential relaying at Portmadoc and elsewhere. During the summer period of 1967 all effort possible was put into the relaying forward from Coed-y-Bleiddiau to Dduallt, and by the autumn all the track and ballast was laid down with the exception of Dduallt Station and Garnedd Tunnel. Then ensued the slow and skilful task of packing and aligning the track. At the same time as this was going ahead, a fencing gang was pressing ahead with the mundane but important task of repairing and. in most cases, refencing the route.

About half a mile above Tan-y-Bwlch is the 60 yd.-long Garnedd Tunnel. It is bored through the solid rock of a shoulder of the hillside and is not lined apart from the portals, these latter consisting of stone and brick semi-circular arches, and of extremely tight clearance. The rock inside, while mostly sound, has several faults running through it, and expert quarrymen from the Maen Offeren Slate Mine at Blaenau Ffestiniog worked in their own time at week-ends to improve the clearances within and also fix strengthening measures to reinforce the rock.

At Dduallt the gang working on the construction of the spiral for the first stretch of the deviation to Blaenau had had to slightly amend their original schemes because of the protracted negotiations to acquire land for the route. By quarrying into the hillside against Dduallt Station, fill could be obtained for building the long embankment forming the first portion of the diverted route, and at the same time space could be made for a new run-round loop with minimum disturbance to the trees and shrubs of the station.

In November, 1967, there came a quite unexpected hold-up of work; the foot-and-mouth epidemic was raging throughout the Welsh border counties and all organisations were asked to avoid travel through the infected areas. The Festiniog, in common with the other voluntarily supported railways, suspended all organised working parties, and so not only did all work cease at Dduallt, but the p.w. staff lost their week-end assistance for loading ballast and general help.

Nevertheless, the work on the permanent way and in the tunnel by the permanent staff continued, and with the resumption of working party visits in February, the company resolved to endeavour to complete work sufficiently to enable train services to commence to date on April 6. The staff redoubled their efforts to complete the work on the tunnel roof; as soon as this was completed the track was lifted, and the rock floor of the tunnel dug into a little to give better drainage and also enable standard sleepers to be used without raising the actual rail level.

The best possible Penrhyn Quarry rails were selected, had about 2 ft. cut off their ends, and were Thermit welded into long lengths which were in turn welded together in situ to give continuously-welded rail right through the tunnel. At the same time the turnout at the bottom end of Dduallt Station was put in with a short engine spur, and enough track in the station proper for a train to stand. Colonel Robertson, of the Ministry of Transport, inspected the two miles of line on March 31 and authorised the resumption of train services on April 6, providing various works were finished off, particularly completion of ballasting in Dduallt Station.

Over the Easter holiday trains changed engines at Dduallt, and the passengers were not permitted to leave the trains, which returned immediately to Tan-y-Bwlch where time was allowed for people to get out and wander around. The work of finishing off the route for the new loop could then proceed easily, while the S. & T. fitters installed the lever frame and rodding for working the bottom points and catch point.

If trains had not recommenced on April 6 it would have been no one’s fault, but that they did, in spite of all the setbacks and problems, was largely due to the extremely hard work put in by the F.R. platelayers aided by the hard core of volunteers who came down to help in all branches of activity.