Blaenau branch

Congratulations, you win today's most unhelpful reply competition.

 

I've watched numerous youtube videos about the French velorail lines, and on all of the videos they never meet anyone coming the other way - so maybe, as garth manor suggests, it's all about group fun rather than individual families turning up and expecting to set off immediately. On no videos did I see a vehicle being lifted off the track.

A couple of the videos did answer my issue about turning at the end - fairly simple turntables fitted between the rails, that lift the vehicle and allow it to be turned.

 

Of course you are entitled to your thoughts. So am I.

 

Having been on a couple of vilorails, I can assure you you do meet people coming the other way. But I've never met people who weren't co-operative.

they are great fun, but its amazing how even a slight gradient can slow you down

 

Isn't most of the Blaneau line at 1 in 50? That'll slow you down. I can't help feeling our elf'n'safety will wet themselves over this, regardless of what is acceptable in France.

 

I'll believe it when i see it - they certainly arent missing any opportunities to get in the news, but as NR made quite clear they still havent agreed a lease.

Chris

 

Unsurprisingly... Velorail plan hits the buffers

 

for that sort of money why not extend the Festiniog to the actual place it's named after? Blaneua is a hole.

 

It seems like a pretty pointless idea to me, but what do I know

 

And what's wrong with conventional bikes? you know, with tyres? The Tissington Trail does awfully well on an ex-railway line with those.

 

30 years or so it was considered by FR managment!
About the same time some of LLangollen rly members considered an extension to Bala..
passed away pipedreams! really?
regards
Noel

 

There isn't much there either. Would the FR gain much by going en extra couple of miles?

 

That extra couple of miles away from a decent transport interchange, and towards the middle of nowhere.

I do agree that Blaenau is a hole, but with the main line interchange and reasonable sized town, it seams a natural place to stop.

 

The railway is named after the Vale of Ffestiniog through which it runs rather than the towns of Llan Ffestiniog or Blaenau Ffestiniog. There is no town just called just Ffestiniog.

 

well I'm not saying it's a particularly good idea but it surely is better than the madcap schemes to use it as a velorail or standard gauge preserved lline.

 

I see that it's been 4 years since the last post on the Trawsfynydd line - it appears that something embryonic is starting. It appears that there is group talking to NR about clearing the trackbed from Blaenau Ffestinog toward Trawsfynydd

 

The last thing that North Wales needs is another heritage railway. This is too close to existing railways & goes from one depressing place to the middle of nowhere.
What has happened to the other scheme to reopen the Amlwch branch ? - answer-very little. These sort of schemes are too late & ill thought-out.

Bob.

 

I think this is doomed. The days of an austerity plus a coach are gone and the surviving railways come with proper infrastructure, volunteers etc. I would have thought a far better opportunity is to cyclepath this. Even if that means, o heresy, ripping up existing track. The welsh mountains lack an easily graded cyclepath and with the WHR restoration the opportunity was lost. Obviously the interesting bits are beyond Trawsfynydd but a cyclepath is easier to extend than a railway.

Blaneau has failed to make it for Restaurants and hotels but has now got mountain bike trails, zipwires and slate caverns. It is becoming an activity centre and a cyclepath would be a good addition. The problem is the gradient is downhill from Blaenau and it is always best to cycle uphill to a destination and then cruise down.

 

Facebook - The Trawsfynydd & Blaenau Ffestiniog Community Railway Company

Website: http://www.traws-railway.co.uk/

They've apparently reached an agreement to start clearance work, according to the unofficial WHR site Colin Dale from the previous scheme is involved in this too.