Note for visitors - vehicular access

One of the sites dealt with in the early 2005 clearance work was the damp and heavily overgrown cutting immediately south of Beddgelert Station, which leads to the first short tunnel on the edge of the village. Initial clearance is seen below.

By early March 2005 the cutting was effectively clear. This work entailed removal of most of the last of the lightweight track laid during the site's brief occupation in the 1960s by the 1964 Company (subsequent builders and operators of WHR [Porthmadog]); the rails seen are Croesor Tramway-type T-bulb section rails, probably dating back to the 1860s. Some sleepers and at least one half-buried rail also remained in the cutting. The recovered rails were removed to Gelert's Farm.

This site leads to the short tunnel behind the Royal Goat Hotel. The iron structure visible below is a former small aqueduct which spanned the cutting, carrying water from a reservoir to the hotel.

The overall contract for clearance in support of surveying extended all the way south through Beddgelert and Aberglaslyn, and as far south as the first river crossing south of Hafod y Llyn; however litttle clearance was required at this stage except around Pitt's Head and in the forest, and at certain other isolated sites such as the curved cutting north of Bryn y Felin bridge.

Preliminary activity resumed in January 2006, with consultants examining the tunnel (T1 in construction parlance, 38m in length) to finalise specifications for the work required. The other three tunnels (T2-4 at Aberglaslyn) were dealt with in 2000-1. To the layman the tunnel appears to have suffered little deterioration since it was first cut, apart from one piece of rock which had fallen from the side of the north portal (visible in the first picture below).

The work required involved overhaul of the portal areas where there is some loose rock, and some concrete work in the tunnel sides and roof. This was done by the same team of Ove Arup & Partners and Colin Jones (Rock Engineering) Ltd of Porthmadog which dealt with the Aberglaslyn tunnels in 2000-1.

The contract for preparation of the trackbed from the south end of the tunnel to Bryn y Felin was let to William Hughes Civil Engineering Ltd in mid-October 2006. They made a rapid start on work in the week beginning October 23rd, from a work base at Bryn y Felin cutting, where the trackbed is adjacent to the road. The pictures below were taken on the 27th and show cleared and rolled trackbed leading into the curve north of the work base (left), and clearance on the trackbed close to the cemetery boundary (right), in the middle of the contract section.

Clearance and hardening of the trackbed throughout the length of this contract appeared practically complete by November 5th. The pictures below show the trackbed either side of the level crossing on the drive leading to Beddgelert Cemetery (LC88), with the old crossing timbers still in place.

At the start of December trackbed preparation was done but ballast was not yet laid, as the trackbed was needed first as the access route for the tunnel contractors. The latter were on site, with a cherry picker vehicle (as used in the deep cutting at Cwm Cloch) noted in the cutting at the southern end of the tunnel.

Hughes staff are seen below engaged on clearance work in the cutting north of the tunnel on December 5th; anyone who had ventured into the cutting before construction started will appreciate the waterlogged character of this site at this early stage.

The cutting and north mouth of the tunnel are seen below on December 16th 2006. One cause of the wetness in the cutting was the outflow from the former reservoir, which discharged down the cutting side in wet conditions. The aqueduct which used to carry this water across the cutting, and which had long since been lying on its floor (see above) had been removed to the station site (third picture). Still lying in the cutting were some of the light rails laid by the the 1964 Company (fourth picture). Significant shotcreting had been carried out around the mouth of the tunnel and on adjacent rock faces.

Tree surgeons are seen below at work in the cutting on December 21st 2006.

Work in the tunnel was nearing completion in mid-January 2007, following which the rock specialists turned their attention to removing or stabilising loose rock in the approach cuttings.

The views below show progress in the cutting in late January and early February 2007. On the eastern side rough vegetation had been cleared and the cutting profile had been restored, and the rock specialists had been at work near the tunnel mouth, where recent rockbolting can also be seen.

The rock engineers gained access from the Bryn y Felin end. Work was in hand in the second week of 2007 on drainage along this stretch right through to Bryn y Felin, so that the trackbed could be completed rapidly once it was no longer needed as an access route.

Work on this section included a pair of large culverts, UB171 and UB172, seen below at an advanced stage of construction on February 25th 2007.

The headwall for the double culvert was under construction when seen below on March 10th 2007.

Stone cladding of the headwall had started by May 4th 2007.

The scenes below show sites between UB171-2 and Beddgelert Cutting on March 22nd 2007. The drainage channel through the tunnel can be seen under construction.

The north end of Beddgelert Cutting is seen on the left below on March 28th 2007, and the second picture shows Cemetery Crossing looking south on the same date.

The April 7th 2007 view below shows the trough drain which was added through the cutting and tunnel, looking towards the station site.

The pictures below were taken looking the other way a week later. The point where shuttering can be seen on the drain is where a new outlet for the old reservoir overflow was under construction within the cutting side.

Work to complete the new outlet included adding a new end to the existing concrete structure of the reservoir outflow. While this work was being done, fencing was in hand along the west side of the cutting, and also around the south end above the tunnel mouth.

The fencing was completed in mid-May 2007.

At the other end of the section, Bryn y Felin Cutting is seen below on April 14th 2007, just before the contractors for the Bryn y Felin - Nantmor contract were due to move in. Work had taken place to strengthen the cutting sides on the descent towards the road bridge.

Ballasting of this section began on April 23rd 2007, when the tunnel and the southern end of the cutting were ballasted (work in the tunnel required the use of smaller dumpers than those used out in the open). The remainder of the cutting was ballasted the next day, joining up with the ballast laid within the station. Ballasting south of the tunnel was then done from the Bryn y Felin end.

Tracklaying (1)

Track entered this section during the April 2007 tracklaying week, and at its conclusion on Sunday 29th had passed through T1, and was on the sharp curve adjacent to the PB&SSR road bridge, where the WHR formation turns right towards the Cemetery crossing.

The Tunnel Problem & Solution

An attempt to bring the "big" works train through the tunnel at the end of the tracklaying week had to be abandoned when it was found that a minor clearance issue near the north portal meant the SAR van (just about the railway's highest vehicle at the roof eaves) fouled a spot in the tunnel. Please note that the account of this incident published as a news story in the Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald (more than two months later, on July 5th 2007) is far from accurate!

A number of options were considered for easing the clearance at the tight spot, including removal of some of the shotcreting and rock, or likelier, one of several options for lowering the track level. The tunnel floor was in fact raised by McAlpines in 1922-3 as part of their regrading of the gradients through Beddgelert, and the effect of this is more pronounced at the Beddgelert end of the tunnel.

One of the railway's structure gauges was photographed in the tunnel on May 25th 2007; the other was deployed in the Aberglaslyn Pass for checks during the work on T2-4.

The chosen solution was to lower the track level, as consultants advised against removing more rock at the shoulder of the tunnel bore. The initial ballast bed was removed together with some of the loose rock underneath it, and replaced with a smaller quantity of ballast. The track was then relaid on steel sleepers, which have a lower profile than the wooden ones. On June 16-17th 2007 the wooden sleepered track was lifted from the curves south of the tunnel to one length short of Beddgelert south points, with rails numbered to facilitate their relaying, and a pair of RRMs left south of the break for flexibility. As the track level was lowered, checks were made to see if the edge of the drainage channel (right-hand picture) needed to be lowered as well. Following the removal of the track further checks were made using the structure gauge, then there were still more checks once the track was replaced, followed by a series of controlled tests with rolling stock.

The ballast bed was being removed mechanically when seen below on June 19th 2007.

On June 28th 2007 Ray Cooper was seen making preparations before setting out the revised track alignment through the tunnel.

Over the weekend of June 30th - July 1st 2007 the track in the cutting was relaid on steel sleepers, reaching the tunnel portal.

It was found that with the track lowered, the lip of the drainage channel was foul of the structure gauge.

When seen on July 18th 2007 the height reduction process was in progress, with about 10cm in height being cut from the lip nearest the track; from observation in very wet conditions this does not risk water flowing on to the track. The Goat reservoir water collection chamber (middle and right-hand pictures) was also modified immediately afterwards.

The track through the tunnel and out of the southern end was relaid by the July 7-8th 2007 working party. South African screw clip sleepers were used on the approaches at both ends, as they allow the gauge widening necessary on the sharp curves.

Further checking of clearances has been done since the track was relaid, in preparation for taking Garratts and carriages beyond Beddgelert. A small amount of additional rock trimming was done in the cutting north of T1 on November 9th 2007.

The Rest of the World Gang were about to complete relaying to join up again with the track leading south below when pictured below on July 14th 2007. The realignment meant that one rail was about 18" short of its target, which meant that three rails had to be trimmed to cover the gap, while keeping the rails within the minimum allowed length and also avoiding a joint within the transition between different types of sleeper. This was completed on the afternoon of the 15th, allowing Dolgarrog to run down to the Head of Steel to collect the RRMs that had been left there.

A test train comprising Upnor Castle, the rail bolsters, the SAR van and carriage no. 1000 was taken through from Beddgelert to Bryn y Felin cutting on August 3rd 2007, with careful and successful checks on clearances in the tunnel, in the upwards direction for the SAR van, and at the bottom, for Upnor clearing the cut-down drainage channe. Upnor's full works train (SAR van and no. 1000) was thus able to run to Bryn y Felin for the following weekend's working party. The second row of pictures show the southern end of the height reduction of the drainage channel, and the cut-down reservoir overflow collection chamber.

Tracklaying (2)

Tracklaying proceeded over the first weekend of May 2007 towards the level crossing (LC88) across the drive to the cemetery, but did not quite reach it. Preparation of the crossing included new timbers, as well as a drainage conduit on the western side; a set of timbers had been provided when the drive was built in 1963 (it and the cemetery post-date the original WHR). Ballast remained to be laid south of the crossing, but sleeper bundles had been delivered. An inspection train for directors ran to the Head of Steel on May 7th 2007, comprising Upnor Castle and no. 1000.

Ballasting southwards from LC88 was done in the following week, reaching just short of the end of the section. Work was also well advanced on this section with the cladding of the headwall of UB171-2.

Ballast was completed to the section end shortly afterwards. After a weekend off for the Rail Ale Festival, tracklaying resumed over the weekend of May 19-20th 2007, with LC88 laid on the 20th, together with track down the straight to UB171, now using the clipped steel sleepers again after the curves south of the tunnel.

The May 26-27th 2007 working party saw about half the remaining length to the end of the section laid.

Over the weekend of June 2nd-3rd 2007 the Rest of the World Gang reached the curve leading to the point where the contractor's possession at Bryn y Felin started.

Contractors were at work on July 19th 2007 on farm crossing LC89, immediately south of UB171-2.

Tracklaying at the southern extremity of the section restarted on July 28th 2007, and reached the roadside the next day.

Top ballasting and associated work was taking place in late August 2007; Upnor Castle was at work with the ballast plough between Cemetery Crossing and Bryn y Felin cutting.

The KMX tamper was at work on the same section on October 18th 2007.