Page 61 - WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE DISCOVERING ENGLAND

Photos courtesy Ffestiniog Railways

Opposite page: Garratt locomotives climb past Glanrafon Quarry below the snow-capped summit of Snowdon. Above: A sunny day on a Welsh Highland train. Below:
A train called Taliesin pulls out of Porthmadog Station.

If You Go

Located in North Wales, Porthmadog is on the British mainline railway
network, requiring one change of trains for travelers from London. The
full journey, coursing through scenic central Wales and along the coast of
the Irish Sea and past Harlech Castle, takes about six hours. The mainline
rail station in Porthmadog is a 15-minute walk from the Welsh Highland
Railway’s Harbour Station. Holders of BritRail passes are entitled to a dis-
count on both the Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog railways: www.britrail.
com
The Welsh Highland Railway and its older line, the Ffestiniog Railway,
operate year-round from Porthmadog’s Harbour Station, with limited ser-
vice in the winter months. In summer, it’s possible on a well-planned trip
to travel on both lines in a single day. Diesel engines occasionally replace
steam service, depending on maintenance needs. Check the schedule. A
Photos courtesy Ffestiniog Railways Andrew Thomas
gift shop and Spooner’s Cafe and Bar are located in the station: www.fes-
trail.co.uk
of whom 1,000 regularly come to work on jobs ranging from
crossing guards to on-board staff. Some stay for a week or two In Porthmadog, we stayed at Yr Hen Fecws, 16 Lombard St. This highly rat-
in a railroad-owned bunkhouse. ed guest house in a Welsh slate building offers seven en-suite bedrooms
and a small cafe-bistro. A pub is nearby. Harbour railway station is a five-
“I can’t get him to take out the garbage at home,” said one minute walk: www.henfecws.com
woman of her husband, a long-time volunteer who was duti-
fully polishing a brass plate on the side of one of the engines. For information on events, travel and lodging in Wales: www.visitwales.com
Well, he can be forgiven. After all, he’s in the enviable position For information on planning a journey to the United Kingdom: www.visitbritain.com
of keeping the past alive on a railway that has brought travel
by steam up to date.

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