Welsh Highland Railway
Snow Scenes Page
V4.2
(updated 29/12/08)
Xmas snow video
This clip shows No.143 charging up the Coed Helen bank on 31/12/00 in a rare snow scene and is Copyright 2006 by B.W.Hughes. This 27s clip does not represent the quality of the DVD! Click image when page has finished loading!
Snow scenes!
Winter often brings snow to the mountains of Snowdonia but, since 2000, it has been rare to find it at lower levels around the railway. Snow can be found as late as March, but, by Easter, when services resume, only on the tops of the mountains. After the Xmas running during the period 26/12/07 to 1/1/08, there are two weeks of passenger services to from 9-21/2/08 (18/2/08 excepted). K1 is expected to haul the services. Any contributions of snow scenes to this website are welcome. Weather links are provided below along with a selection of previous snow images.
This website will be updated throughout the Winter with snow shots as news/images become available. If snow falls, your webmaster will be off to North Wales to record trains in the snow!
Winter 2000/1 was a good year for snow with a heavy snowfall in the Xmas holiday period and a long and difficult drive to photo WHR trains in the snow and the last diagrammed Class 37 on the North Wales Coast Line!
This clip shows No.143 going on shed at Dinas on 31/12/00 in a rare snow scene and is Copyright 2006 by B.W.Hughes. This 25s clip does not represent the quality of the DVD! Click image when page has finished loading!
This clip shows No.143 at Cae'r Moel on 31/12/00 in a rare snow scene and is Copyright 2006 by B.W.Hughes. This 28s clip does not represent the quality of the DVD! Click image when page has finished loading!
This northerly image (Xmas Holiday 2000/1) shows a rare snowfall at Caernarfon with No.143 about to depart. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Phil Wheeler, courtesy Richard Dungan. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
This westerly image (30/12/00) shows No.143 approaching Tryfan Junction on the first train of the day. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Jim Comerford, courtesy Ben Fisher. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
This southerly view (31/12/00) at Waunfawr shows No.143 paused for attention to the points while running round. Some of the problems of operating in the snow are illustrated. The point blades must be cleared of snow otherwise they will not close properly. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright B.W.Hughes. Slide scanned at 200 dpi using Olympus ES10 and iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology.
This northerly view (31/12/00) at the north end of Dinas shows No.143 arriving with the final Up train of the day. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright B.W.Hughes. Slide scanned at 200 dpi using Olympus ES10 and iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology.
This southerly view (31/12/00) at Dinas shows No.143 arriving with the final Down train of the day. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright B.W.Hughes. Slide scanned at 200 dpi using Olympus ES10 and iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology.
This northerly view (4/3/01) was taken by the volunteer track gang from LC23 as they started their weekend of work. No.143 was at the limit of Waunfawr headshunt. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Stan Owen. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
There appeared to be no snow on the WHR in Winter 2001/2 and 2002/3. At least no photos have come to hand!
In Winter 2003/4, the heavy snowfalls in Snowdonia from 25/2/04 caused widespread disruption and there was even snow on the beach at Llandudno! Traffic during the half term holiday week was sparse as a result and trains were suspended on 26/2/04 as conditions were so severe. There was a bigger turnout for the weekend though with the weather clearing and blue skies everywhere illuminating a snowbound landscape.
It is a pity the WHR was unable to turn out a steam loco as No.143 had recently been steam tested. The diagrammed loco Caernarfon Castle hauled the trains on 28/2/04 and was photographed extensively by Ben Fisher. The six coach rake included the Pullman and the Open coach, which was visited by some hardy photographers who were well wrapped up!
This northerly view (28/2/04) shows Castell Caernarfon approaching Snowdon Ranger on the second train of the day. It is rare for snow to persist for long at the railway's altitude even though the peaks are often covered. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Ben Fisher and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
This southerly view (28/2/04) shows Castell Caernarfon approaching Cae Hywel l/c on the first train of the day. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Ben Fisher and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
This southerly view (28/2/04) shows an impressive snowscape from the platform at Snowdon Ranger with the Snowdon massif to the left and the Glan-yr-afon slate tips all covered in snow. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Ben Fisher and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
Winter 2004/5 saw snow fall at Dinas on Xmas Day!
This northerly view (25/12/04) shows Dinas Station with an Xmas morning snowfall. The snow on the platforms had all melted by the afternoon. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Cliff Garnett and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
However, the Xmas Day snow on 25/12/04 had all melted by the time your webmaster got there the following day for the Boxing Day services!!
This westerly view (26/12/04) at Ffridd Isaf curve shows No.138 with Castell Caernarfon inside leaving Rhyd Ddu with the snow covered summit of Y Garn (633m) visible behind. This was the best your webmaster got during the Winter of 2004/5 as snow rarely made it down to the railway! Maybe global warming? This image is used on the Phase 3 DVDs produced by your webmaster with all monies going to the WHRS. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright B.W.Hughes and was taken on a Concord 3340z (3.1 Mega pixel) digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 image correction technology and displayed at 96dpi.
Winter 2005/6 saw snow at Rhyd Ddu but no train images have come to hand.
This northerly view (4/3/06) shows the Summit Cutting level with the snowclad mountains north of Snowdon visible behind. This will be a good spot for images of trains in the snow now track has been laid. The Imperial College Railway society had a trackbed walk as tracklaying was suspended. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is courtesy Kim Winter and was taken on an Olympus Camedia C-1400XL 1.4 million Pixels Progressive CCD 3 x Progressive. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.
Winter 2006/7 saw snow cover at a premium again! Andrew Goodwin (WHR(P)) was lucky to be around Phase 4 on 9/2/07 when a blizzard occurred and snow was briefly lying on Phase 4. He has kindly provided this sequence of photos of the rail train returning to Rhyd Ddu.
This southerly view (9/2/07) shows a rare snow shot of Phase 4 with Conway Castle reversing the rail train through Pont Cae'r Gors Cutting to Rhyd Ddu after delivering rail to Phase 4 for the weekend's tracklaying programme. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is courtesy/copyright Andrew Goodwin and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.
This northerly view (9/2/07) shows a rare snow shot of Phase 4 with Conway Castle reversing the rail bolster wagon and mess coach through Pont Cae'r Gors Cutting to Rhyd Ddu after delivering rail to Phase 4 for the weekend's tracklaying programme. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is courtesy/copyright Andrew Goodwin and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.
This easterly view (21/3/07) shows a rare view of the secret working of a test train for the 2007 Supporters' Special that a few days later ventured onto Phase 4. The train is pictured against a snow-clad summit of Snowdon, just south of Snowdon Ranger station. No.138 and Upnor Castle double head 3 older coaches. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is courtesy/copyright John Ewing and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.
Snow came late in 2007-8...in fact record high temperatures for a while and even Snowdon was bare of snow in most of January/February. Has global warming forever spoilt the snow shot? However, snow eventually came in March and April and K1 operated with its new lamp on 6/4/08 and was seen in the light smattering of snow at Rhyd Ddu before the snow rapidly melted away in the afternoon.
This easterly view (6/4/08) shows K1 approaching Ffridd Isaf Curve with Snowdon summit behind in a snowy dusted landscape. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Steve Sedgewick and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.
This easterly view (6/4/08) shows the K1 approaching Rhyd Ddu in a snowy dusted landscape. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.
In Winter 2008-9 snow came early in October and almost reached down to Rhyd Ddu. The Xmas Service operated in dry but cold conditions.
With trains operating during the Winter school holidays (only until 1/1/09 and from 28/3/09) , here are some useful resources to check if there is snow at the WHR(C). First Hydro has four webcams in the Llanberis valley. If the one pointed at Llanberis shows snow, this would give a good indication of snow in the Gwyrfai valley as they are around the same height. However, it should be noted that snow cover generally decreases from east to west.
Other useful resources include the A55 webcams. The Bangor webcam can be helpful though it is nearer sea level than the WHR(C).
You will need to create an account and log in. These views refresh every five minutes rather than every minute as in previous years, giving time for them to be shut off if an incident occurs.
The WHR(P) webcams would show the rare sea level snow cover at Porthmadog.
http://www.webcam.whr.co.uk/gelertsfarm/
The Meteorological Office provides a useful animated radar weather map covering the last 6 hours that shows the rain/snow coming into Britain and can be watched as an animation updated every 30 minutes.
The main Meteorological Office website also has a Wales page that shows the predicted weather for the Porthmadog area for the next five days.
http://www.met-office.gov.uk/weather/europe/uk/wales.html
This page is kindly hosted by Peter Bowyer of Narrow Gauge Heaven and Maple Design.
Please support them!
Version 4.2 updated 29/12/08