Sunday 9 June - Dinas

The train to Dinas left at 1130 which gave us time for a leisurely breakfast and a stroll into the hills behind the hotel. Once again we had a perfect cloudless sky. With such a late spring the flowers are about a month behind which is good for us. There were carpets of white, yellow, blue and pink. Several sheep with a lamb in tow wandered out of our way.

We don't know why there would be a set of steps adjacent to a gate weighted closed with some stone on a rope.

The bluebells were in good form.

Looking towards Rhyd Ddu.

Rhododendrons covered the hillside. Beddgelert is hidden behind the trees in the foreground.

 

The train from Porthmadog arrived on time and took water while the train from Caernarfon came in and passed us.

Portmadoc bound train arriving at Beddgelert.

There were good views of Snowdon summit - near Rhyd Ddu..

Coaling at Dinas

I got off at Dinas for a tour of the works while Mary went on to Caernarfon.

From Mary: Sitting on a bench drinking a latte and looking at Caernarfon Castle at the moment.

The original narrow gauge station building at Dinas is still in use.

The narrow gauge now uses the former standard gauge platform lines. I traveled over the standard gauge from Afon Wen to Caernarfon in 1964. Dinas contained the third operating Garratt, the last one built, as well as K1, the first one built. K1 has many issues and causes serious track damage.

K1

Garratt 143

There is a lot of work being done on the SAR ng15 which will be a powerful engine when completed. The large carriage shed contained the Harrowgate Gas Works engine "Harrowgate" which is now owned by the Statfield Barn Railway.

87 arriving at Dinas to take us back to Beddgelert

This picture of the group at Beddgelert was taken by Mike Lawton before the group returned to the Royal Goad Hotel for an excellent Farewell Dinner

Departing for Portmadoc from Beddgelert

 This was the end of our tour. It was very well thought out and truly behind the scenes. Dinner was up to the usual, standard of the hotel and we enjoyed a pleasant meal.
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