Work along the section southwards from Glanrafon proceeded in two directions. Initially, trackbed preparation pushed south from the Glanrafon base, whereas tracklaying was done in the opposite direction from Rhyd Ddu North, and thus only reached this area at quite a late stage of Contract 3E-2.

Environmentalists are seen below on August 2nd 2001 (pictures: WHLR Ltd) checking the trackbed south of Glanrafon for newts - one of the many such checks carried out in consultation with the appropriate agencies. This particular check was to ensure that the great crested newt (a protected species) was not present. The clothing was dictated by agreements reached with MAFF/DEFRA about precautions related to the 2001 UK Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak; following the first relaxations of restrictions on all access to the countryside, work on the railway was subject to stringent bio-safety precautions for some months, including disposable barrier clothing.

The view below shows mud on the trackbed near farm crossing LC58 in late August 2001; although there were boggy sections on Phase 3, fortunately they did not prove as daunting as those encountered on Phase 2. However it was found that the Glanrafon - Rhyd Ddu section, built when the NWNGR was at its poorest in 1878-81, had been built with no real drainage. This is one "Heritage" feature which has not been retained, and WHLR Ltd's work has ensured that the drainage should now be perfectly adequate.

Preparation of other sections posed fewer problems. The views below are close to the start of the reverse curves leading to Rhyd Ddu. In the left-hand one (taken from the trackbed on the curves) the trackbed heading towards Glanrafon can be seen in the middle right distance. The second one shows construction machinery on prepared trackbed (with slate fines laid) by the rocky bluff near Clogwyn-y-Gwin. The right-hand picture, taken some four weeks later, shows the view back from near this area towards Glanrafon Quarry.

Volunteers Sue and Tom Baxter from Okehampton are seen at culvert UB98 (left-hand picture), and clearning out sheep creep UB100 (centre and right); these structures are typical of the kind of "UB" (underbridge) found on this section, which is remote from roads..

In mid-August 2001, contractors poured the new concrete deck for UB98, as seen in the four photos below (WHLR Ltd).

In late August, the headwalls of UB97 were being rebuilt by a stonemason; it will be appreciated that the final appearance faithfully reproduces the original form.

Work that requires access along the trackbed by road vehicles had to be completed before track was laid. Concrete is seen below being delivered for the floor of sheep creep UB100 on April 10th 2002.

Tracklaying south from Rhyd Ddu reached this section north of UB114 between Christmas 2001 and New Year 2002., track was laid across the new bridge, plus six lengths beyond it, heading towards Glanrafon. Steady progress was made by working parties in 2002, with track laid over halfway back to Glanrafon by early April. The pictures below (Jan Woods, WHLR Ltd) show various sites between UB114 and the Head of Steel approaching Clogwyn-y-Gwin on April 10th 2002.

By this point the tracklaying was approaching the end of the ballast previously laid, so further work was in progress to extend the ballast bed towards Glanrafon, working from the access at the Glanrafon end.

The ballasting reached its target destination of the Glanrafon Sidings site on April 25th. This left a limited number of culvert head walls and some farm crossing gates to be installed to complete the work on this section, in addition to completion of tracklaying. The track gang are seen below on June 3rd 2002, working towards the Glanrafon end of the section, and returning to the Rhyd Ddu North base at the end of the day (pictures: Jan Woods, WHLR Ltd).

On the same day, sleepers are seen below laid out on the ballast on the approach to the Glanrafon site.

A little over a year later this section was part of a much longer completed stretch of Phase 3. The pictures below show the ballast train being propelled by Conway Castle back towards its stabling point north of Rhyd Ddu on June 27th 2003, followed in short order by Upnor Castle with the ballast plough, and then the Matisa tamper; all had been working north of Glan yr Afon Bridge. The scenery along this stretch is in no danger of being dwarfed by the Railway!