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Good Morning! Well, today is day 1 of our excursion through the beautiful Welsh Snowdonia country. I hope you enjoyed your hearty Welsh brekfast, consisting of bacon & eggs, fried black pudding, sausages, mushrooms, buttered toast and, of course, tea. So let´s get going and take the short walk to thé train station, where we will board the morning train to Caernarfon. Motive power today is a 2-6-2 + 2-6-2 Beyer-Garratt, built in 1937 by Cockerill for the South African Railway. <img src="http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv185/SirMadig/Wales08_2006_079_zps9ea2b770.jpg" alt=" " /> Quite a hefty brute for a 2 ft. narrow gauge loco, just strong enough to haul these long passenger trains over the steep grades and sharp curves of the 25 mile line! Leaving Porthmadog station, the train moves along Porthmadog Highstreet, which is blocked for traffic while the train passes it. Shortly after passing the bridge over the river Glaslyn, the track takes a sharp turn to the right and begins to climb into the hills, following the river. Listen to engine working hard, climbing up the steep grade! Until we reach Rhyd Ddu, located halfway to Caernafon, the  train will constantly be climbing, go through a number of tunnels, even a series of loops. After 2 hrs. and 20 min., we finally reach Caernafon. Time to explore the town and vist the site, where Charles Philip Arthur George of Windsor was crowned as Prince of Wales in 1969. <img src="http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv185/SirMadig/Wales08_2006_075_zpsb05ecd3d.jpg" alt=" " /> Before we indulge into sightseeing in this beautiful medieval town, we should go for lunch! I know a place where they serve the best fish n´ chips! That´ll be 7 Pounds, each, thank you! On our return ride to Porthmadog, you are in for a special treat. We will ride in the brake van of a freight train, pulled by the K1, the first Beyer-Garratt ever built (in 1909)! Enjoy this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bibz3yl2-SU" target="_blank">video</a> of a spectacular train ride! And now some facts: The history of the Welsh Highland Railways reads like a modern fairy tale! Built in the 1920´s, it proved to be an economic failure rright from the beginning, following the decline of the slate quarrying business. The railway went into receivership in its first year of operation, but services continued until 1933, when the WHR was taken over by the Ffestiniog Railway. The line struggled along for a few more yearss, but was finally closed and dismantled in 1937. Much of the material was salvaged as a part of Britain´s war effort, leaving nothing but fond memories to those few passengers who had traveled the line in its early years. After more than 50 years as a sleeping beauty, plans were made to reopen the line and the right of way was secretly purchased. When this became known to the public, a series of court trials were initiated to prevent the reopening, but the Ffestiniog Rlwy. finally won all of the cases. Work commenced in 1997, much of it carried out as volunteer work by enthusiasts, known as the "Black Hand Gang". The line was opened in stages, starting at Caernafon. For years, Rhyd Ddu was the end of the line. In 2011, the track reached Porthmadog, uniting the Welsh Highland Railway with her sister, the Ffestiniog Railway. Right now, Porthmadog station is undergoing a major rework job to accomodate the two lines. Tomorrow, we shall be visiting the Ffestiniog Railway! Prayers for Jeff, Johnboy, Flip and all others in need for our thoughts and wishes! Have a great day!
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