Blaenau Ffestiniog (Pantyrafon) railway station

Blaenau Ffestiniog (Pantyrafon) was the London and North Western Railway's (LNWR) first passenger station in Blaenau Ffestiniog, then in Merionethshire, now in Gwynedd, Wales. It opened on 22 July 1879 as a temporary structure for use until the company's permanent station opened on 1 April 1881, when the temporary structure closed. It was situated within yards of the southern portal of Ffestiniog Tunnel.[4]

Blaenau Ffestiniog (Pantyrafon)
LocationBlaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd
Wales
Coordinates53.0036°N 3.9433°W / 53.0036; -3.9433
Grid referenceSH 696 469
Platforms1[1][2]
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyLondon and North Western Railway
Key dates
22 July 1879Opened
1 April 1881Replaced by permanent station[3]
Conwy Valley line
 Llandudno
 Deganwy
North Wales Coast Line
to Holyhead
 Llandudno Junction
North Wales Coast Line
to Crewe
 Glan Conwy
 Tal-y-Cafn
 Dolgarrog
 North Llanrwst
 Llanrwst
 Betws-y-Coed
 Pont-y-Pant
 Dolwyddelan
 Roman Bridge
Ffestiniog Tunnel
 Blaenau Ffestiniog (Pantyrafon)
Ffestiniog Railway
to Porthmadog Harbour
 Blaenau Festiniog Junction
 Blaenau Ffestiniog North
 Blaenau Ffestiniog
Trawsfynydd nuclear power station
Bala & Festiniog Railway
to Bala Junction

Context

The evolution of Blaenau's passenger stations was complex with five different railway companies providing services to the area.

The station's name

Different sources refer to the station as "Blaenau Festiniog",[5] "Pantyrafon",[6] "Blaenau Festiniog (1)",[3] or give descriptions, such as "a temporary station at the 'town' end of the tunnel",[7] "the first temporary station",[1] or "a temporary terminus near the foot of the Llechwedd incline".[8]

Whatever it was called, the station served workers living in the Conwy Valley and working in the quarries north west of Blaenau, but was half a mile from the town itself.

The station today

No trace of the station survives.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Terminus   London and North Western Railway   Roman Bridge
  • "Tunnel mouth, Blaenau Ffestiniog North & Stesion Fain". Britain from Above.
  • "Tunnel mouth, Blaenau Ffestiniog North & Stesion Fain". Britain from Above.
  • "Blaenau Ffestiniog North & Stesion Fain". Britain from Above.

References
  1. Rear 1991, Plate 30.
  2. Linsley 2000, p. 59.
  3. Butt 1995, p. 36.
  4. Johnson 1995, p. 70.
  5. Quick 2009, p. 88.
  6. Richards 2001, p. 119.
  7. Southern 1995, p. 5.
  8. Jones & Hatherill 1977, p. 17.
  9. Mitchell & Smith 2010, Plates 67 & 68.
  10. Rear 1991, Plate 158.
  11. Richards 2001, p. 110.
  12. "Ffestiniog Tunnel mouth in 1993". Penmorfa.
  13. "Ffestiniog Tunnel mouth: no trace of Pantyrafon station". Sutherland.
  14. "Pantyrafon station site". flickr.
  15. "Ffestiniog tunnel, no trace of station remains". flickr.

Sources
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
  • Johnson, Peter (1995). North Wales (Celebration of Steam). Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-2378-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Jones, Ivor Wynne; Hatherill, Gordon (1977). Llechwedd and other Ffestiniog Railways. Blaenau Ffestiniog: Quarry Tours Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9502895-9-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Linsley, Robin (2000). Railways in camera : archive photographs of the great age of steam from the Public Record Office : 1860-1913. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84015-109-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2010). Bala to Llandudno: Featuring Blaenau Ffestiniog. Country Railway Routes. Midhurst: Middleton Press (MD). ISBN 978-1-906008-87-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway and Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
  • Rear, W.G. (1991). Conway Valley Line - Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno Junction. Scenes from the Past, Railways of North Wales. Stockport: Foxline Publishing. ISBN 978-1-870119-14-6. No. 12.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Richards, Alun John (2001). The Slate Railways of Wales. Llanrwst: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN -978-0-86381-689-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Southern, D. W. (1995). Bala Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Scenes from the Past, Railways of North Wales. Stockport: Foxline Publishing. ISBN 978-1-870119-34-4. No. 25.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Other material
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