Page 59 - WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE DISCOVERING ENGLAND

Top: Earl of Merioneth passes Pen Cob with the 14.15 Santa Train from Porthmadog in December. Bottom: Dalmatian and friend enjoy the ride. Opposite right:
The original schematic drawing of a early model engine.

seat that Queen Elizabeth II had sat on when she rode
the line in 2010 with Prince Philip. Aboard the train
there is a buffet trolley service and a restroom.

“This railway is quite different from any other railway
in the country,” said Paul Lewin, general manager of
the parent Ffestiniog company. “We wanted to make
it a very different experience. And with the observa-
tion car with the big glass end, the idea was that you
could get as close as possible to the scenery of Snow-
donia.”
As we pulled into each station, I caught a sight not
often seen along Amtrak routes in the United States.
Squadrons of men and women were tending to im-
maculately kept platforms and shelters. Some were
sweeping, others were watering flowers. Bridges, cul-
verts, signals and platforms all appeared new. In fact,
the only thing showing any hints of age were the well-
maintained engines and cars.

There’s a secret to this army of caretakers, I found.
Many are volunteers who are members of the Welsh
Highland Railway Society, formed to support the
railway. The two railways have 8,000 such members,
Photos courtesy Ffestiniog Railways

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