This year is the centenary of the founding of the Welsh Highland Railway. To celebrate this momentous milestone in the railway's history, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways and the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway and their supporting societies have organised suitable centenary celebrations.
A three-day event will be held over the long weekend of Friday, 23rd to Sunday, 25th of June. Scenes from the original Welsh Highland Railway operation will be recreated, and the history of this iconic line will be showcased right through to the scenic tourist trains that operate today.
On Friday, 23rd June, the focus will be on the years leading up to the railway's opening in 1923, including:
- An inspection Train from Porthmadog to Pont Croesor;
- Slate wagons through Porthmadog and on to Pont Croesor Hafod y Llyn;
- A vintage train between Porthmadog and Beddgelert;
- Reconstruction of a test train to Rhyd Ddu;
- Evening vintage trains to Beddgelert for photo opportunities.
Saturday, 24th June will be devoted to demonstrating the Welsh Highland Railway “Just Like the Photos”, and its untimely closure, and will include:
Vintage trains running from Porthmadog to Rhyd Ddu and Porthmadog and Beddgelert;
A demolition train to Pont Croesor.
Sunday, 25th June will celebrate the revival of the railway to how it is known today in the 21st century and will include:
- Garratt-hauled trains between Porthmadog and Caernarfon, with double-headed Garratts on the Dinas – Porthmadog return leg of the journey;
- Garratt-hauled trains between Caernarfon and Porthmadog, with double headed Garratts on the Porthmadog to Dinas leg of the journey and a mixed goods train between Pont Croesor – Dinas;
- Lyd and Russell on a double-headed hauled service between Porthmadog and Caernarfon.
There will be many highlights across all three days, including the eagerly anticipated visit of locomotive Russell to Harbour Station, and work its first public Welsh Highland train from Harbour station since 1936.
The railway has a dedicated Welsh Highland Railway 2023 Centenary Celebrations webpage at https://www.festrail.co.uk/whr-centenary/ that provides all the details about the weekend and where tickets can be booked.
Ticket prices for the weekend are:
- Day Rover – £75
- Three-Day Rover – £150
- Child tickets (aged 3 to 15 years inclusive) are £10 for a Day Rover or £20 for a Three-Day Rover.
Last year, they had a celebration of the north end of the line, with Russell running between Dinas and Rhyd Ddu (South Snowdon). RailAdvent has produced a DVD of the event, and a trailer can be viewed by clicking here.
