WHR
The Task Ahead
Page
Rhyd Ddu to Beddgelert
V3.1 updated 1/1/01
Click here for images on this page updated 1/1/00
Looking ahead at the work to be completed along 7 km of the trackbed from Rhyd Ddu to Beddgelert.
This page will be expanded regularly as new areas are covered.
Pitt's Head summit
The railway reaches its summit of 197.8m above sea level just south of Pitt's Head halt in a cutting between the A4085 bridge and Pont Cae'r Gors. The halt was just north of the A4085 road bridge by the rock that bears a resemblance to the former Prime Minister's profile. The railway climbs at 1 in 46 from the bridge through a peat cutting a distance of almost 200 metres to the summit. The pass between the Nant y Betws valley and the Nant Colwyn valley is perhaps disappointingly flat and quite wide at 500 metres but the lip into the Nant Colwyn is quite spectacular from Pont Cae'r Gors.
The cutting at Pitt's Head is poorly drained and retained some original WHR rail until the nascent FR recovered it in 1958! Although Cohen's recovered most of the track in 1941 for the war effort, the Pitt's Head to Hafod Ruffydd section was left intact for possible gunnery practice. This section was lifted in 1948/49 excepting the 8 lengths under nearly 1 metres of water in Pitt's Head cutting.
This view looking towards Beddgelert (20/12/99), shows the railway approaching the summit from Pitt's Head road bridge. The abutments of a former footbridge are visible and the cutting is overgrown and very wet. The summit level can be seen in the distance and the Beddgelert Forest at Pont Cae'r Gors is also visible. Pitt's Head is 16.4 km from Dinas and the site of the halt is about 100 metres behind the viewpoint. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright B.W.Hughes. Slide scan technology utilised is Olympus ES10 & iPhoto Plus4. Slide scanned at 200dpi.
Locations and walks in Beddgelert Forest
Forest Enterprise (ex Forestry Commission) has produced a map available free to residents of the campsite at Beddgelert Forest. It covers a number of way-marked paths, some of which appear to be on the WHR trackbed. These are permitted paths.
Click here for map of
Walks in Beddgelert Forest
Pont Cae'r Gors
This is the view from Pont Cae'r Gors looking north towards Rhyd Ddu. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is visible with a light covering of snow. The trackbed is rising at 1 in 64 towards the summit, which is half way along this straight section. This view was taken from the A4085. Behind the viewpoint, the line has been filled in to make a Forestry access to Pont Cae'r Gors plantation. There is a car park (follow way-marks 51, 52, 54 and 56) and numerous walks, though the toilet was recently demolished. Surprisingly, one of the way-marked walks (way-marks 53, 57, 80 and 81) is nominated along the trackbed to Hafod Ruffydd. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright B.W.Hughes. Slide scan technology utilised is Olympus ES10 & iPhoto Plus4. Slide scanned at 200dpi.
Hafod Ruffydd
This is the view south from the site of Hafod Ruffydd halt l/c, looking towards Beddgelert. Hafod Ruffydd once boasted a siding behind the viewpoint. The viewpoint is on a Forestry way-marked path (No.81). The route drops steeply at 1 in 40 through this site, the ruling gradient for the 1924 Works. Hafod Ruffydd Ganol is the farm to the right of the trackbed. A public footpath crosses the line by the farm. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright B.W.Hughes. Slide scan technology utilised is Olympus ES10 & iPhoto Plus4. Slide scanned at 200dpi.
Click here to visit Beddgelert Area of the Task Ahead
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Page Version 3.1 Dated 1/1/01