Welcome to the Welsh Highland Railway in Porthmadog! Experience the 1920's atmosphere, ride on a period train, and see, touch, hear and smell the delights of heritage narrow gauge.

Rick Beton

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Works trains on BR and WHR at Porthmadog. The Simplex Diesel is Jonathan. Autumn 1992.

Andy Goodwin 1992

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Porthmadog terminus, seen from the far side of the adjacent standard gauge railway. The train waiting to depart consists, from left to right, of: the 1902 ex-Vale-of-Rheidol brake van, the historic 1891 Gladstone Carriage, the 1987 Eisteddfod Carriage, and 1980 Open Coach No. 3. The locomotive is Gelert.

The station building is of the left hand side of the photograph. The track layout consists of a simple run-around loop. The signalling system, including the twin-dolly bracket signal beyond Gelert, is semi-automatic.

The chain link fence between narrow and standard gauge railways has since been replaced with attractive wooden paling. Plans exist to recover a redundant LNWR signal box, to be installed at the eastern end of the platform, near to where the trees start. This will replicate North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways signal box style and practice.

Other station improvements are in-hand and are described in Journal 122.

Andy Goodwin 1997

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Bagnall locomotive Gelert has just returned a train full of summer passengers to Porthmadog terminus.

Notable in the photograph are the improvements described in Journal 122. The platform has newly-completed platform edging and surfacing. Attractive paling fencing now separates the station from the adjacent standard gauge railway.

Andy Goodwin 1997

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The Porthmadog station forecourt shows the sight that greets the visitor. Ahead, the steam train waits to depart. On the right, the Cambrian standard-gauge railway borders the narrow gauge. Inside on the left is one of the country's best-stocked railway bookshops.

Rick Beton 1998

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1999 was the year in which there was widespread adoption by the operating staff of period clothing. Here, Guard Dave Gibbs is dressed is he might have been had he been guarding the original Welsh Highland Railway in the 1920s.

Rick Beton 1999

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Porthmadog Station, as would be seen by an arriving train. This telescopic view compresses the perspective and shows the grey gable of the station building behind the signal gantry. Beyond it, the automatic barriers on the Cambrian can just be seen, although the standard guage station is hidden from view by the narrow gauge one.

Trains arrive and depart from platform 1, on the left. Platform 2 is not used for passengers at present, but there is space for this if it becomes needed.

The hill rising up on the left is Moel-y-Gest, which dominates this side of Porthmadog.

Andy Goodwin 2000

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A scene of activity at Porthmadog Station. The event is a special occasion: the visit of Palmerston and some coaches from the Ffestiniog Railway.

The proximity of the Station to the adjacent standard-gauge Cambrian Railway is no coincidence: this was once the junction and goods area, where the Beddgelert Siding branched off and ran north-eastward to the exchange sidings near what is now Pen-y-Mount.

The station gable is almost completely wreathed in Palmerston's exhaust. Beyond it, the roof line of the Queen's Hotel is clearly visible, with its four chimneys. Other notable features are the monument and the corner of the local secondary school on the right.

Andy Goodwin 2000

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Some of the passenger services are diesel-hauled. Here, passengers are boarding the train, whilst the driver of Glaslyn beams from the footplate.

When this photo was taken, the train was in a short configuration consisting of the Eisteddfod coach (green), the original WHR Gladstone coach, and the brake van.

John Eastwood 2000

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The WHR station itself benefits from superbly-created signage in authentic 1920's style.

David Barnwell

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In the spring of 2005, a new signal cabin has been constructed at the far end of the platform. This encloses the existing functional but unattractive signalling cabinet. Decorative finials etc have yet to be added to complete the new cabin.

The train consists of Gelert, Old Toastie (No.3), the newly-restored four-wheel Coach 6, and the Eisteddfod Coach. Out of sight, the Gladstone Car and V.o.R. Brake Van complete the train.

Andy Goodwin, March '05

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Russell, a 1906 2-6-2 Hunslet, and its train depart from Porthmadog station.

Dave Allan 1994

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