Trawsfynydd and Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway

you only have to look across the Irish Sea for Velorail. A section of the so-called Western Rail Corridor has been leased to a group who promoted it, as far as I can see, as a blocking move of a Greenway. Unfortunately they didn't appreciate it would also block their rail intentions...... I'll report when there is some actual progress on the ground.

http://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/ro...26124-mayo-velorail-project-first-in-ireland/

 

There was never any plans to build another powerstation at traws as using lakes for cooling causes problems. The branch is kept incase it is required for removing waste.

Tim

 

Velorail is, IMO, an expensive novelty and not something I can see ever taking off in this country. RalphW has hit the nail on the head. Bring your own bike is far more practical.

 

I keep wondering if he using the word Cont as an abbreviation, as a mistake, or as they use it in Caernarfon!

 

Colin Dale comes across as barely literate and totally unable to present a 'grown-up' case in defence of his actions, give all the evidence out there in the public domain. The Donald Trump of preservation?

 

I'm sure there must have been other early preservation projects "back in the day" which crashed and burned like this, but without the social media coverage and publicity. At least Facebook etc make it more difficult to set up a project where one person or a small group try to run it for their own benefit. Also, the "characters" involved can easily be flagged and avoided by the other preservation projects.

 

After reading about the whole sorry saga on Facebook, perhaps this Trawsfynydd & Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway topic can be more suitably merged with the "Thefts and Vandalism" thread...!!!

 

It's not for train enthusiasts though so I'm not surprised you're not into it. At the end of the day, it is a novelty...that's kind of the point

 

Agreed when my daughter was a teenager she was actively hostile to railway visits but enjoyed a Velorail in France so much she asked to go again.

As North Wales has tried to bring visitors with new attractions such as the zip wire then there is probably potential for other well thought out and unusual attractions to entice visitors to visit and stay. One comment I've heard in the area is that the A55 expressway has actually increased day trippers and day deliveries in the area thus reducing B&B demand and closing some local warehousing and distribution businesses so well designed attractions retaining people for longer might boost the economy by attracting additional visitors which a traditional heritage railway would not.

Of course being British we are bound to want to gold plate safety arrangements with a need for fences on embankments which are seldom provided on cycle ways. There are of course various ways of avoiding the need to off rail velos for passing some French operations being single direction operation for set times others having dedicated passing spots as seen on minor roads with people "backing up" if necessary - all part of the fun!

 

Spectacular amounts of playing the victim card going on there. 'Coup attempt', PMSL. Heee-haaawww!!

 

The Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd Railway.


I`ve always had an interest in the line, ever since I first saw class 25`s working the branch out to Trawsfynydd, indeed my interest stemmed beyond this as far as Bala Junction, sadly that section closed before I had chance to visit.

Various projects have been mooted about reopening the line, particularly the section from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd, and I was more that please to read about the work being done by the group last year and quite amazed to see the work that had been done with the massive amount of vegetation clearance. This was the first active group to really tackle this project and I have been amazing reading up on the great work being done.

Early last year I had the privilege of meeting the a few members of the group and also main driving force behind the project, Colin Dale, an experienced and successful business man with a real passion for the railway. I was taken round the various sites to see the work that had been done and was also given a tour of the remains of the infrastructure beyond Trawsfynydd and all the way down to Bala Junction, it really opened my eyes and Colin`s enthusiasm was contagious.

Colin has had his share of tragedies in life; probably the main one was losing his wife in a car accident, which affected him profusely at the time and indeed also had a significant effect on his local business, as Colin once ran the café on the dam at Trawsfynydd.

I would however like to congratulate the great efforts the group have made on the line, yes they ran into problems, which resulted in the loss of a licence, but it must be remembered these are not professional railway men, but enthusiastic volunteers who are prepared to get out there in all weathers and roll their sleeves up and get on with the job, which is exactly what they have done, they`ve made a tremendous start and should be congratulated for their great efforts.

The ground work has now been done and the line needs to move forward, be it with a new committee, new visionaries, new leadership, whatever it takes, the work must continue and those that achieved so much in so short a time must be credited for this.

I`m so saddened to see some of the comments on the various sites relating to Colin and the people who get stuck in and achieved so much, some of which is actually libellous, what a sad state of affairs this has turned into because unfortunate mistakes have been made. From what I have observed the best intentions and passion for the railway have always been the driving force behind the people who started this venture, surely it’s better to move forward now and work to the benefit of the railway and stop this petty squabbling, it will achieve nothing and neither will character assassination.

I really do hope the project is given a second chance, a warning from Network Rail yes, but not an outright ban, although I can understand Network Rails concerned, to leave the line as it is now will help no one and nothing.

 

The license has been rescinded , I believe , hardly likely that NR will issue a new one here and they surely will look very closely at anyone wanting a license anywhere else.

 

I think you should read all 3(!) of the Facebook sites relating to this group. Mr Dale does not come out smelling of roses (neither do a few others to be fair).
I believe he was evicted from the cafe for breaching his lease (sound familiar?).
The following links make interesting reading:
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/businessman-slams-landlords-seek-evict-2673095
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/businessman-colin-dale-reacts-claims-2681695
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/businessman-who-planned-revive-railway-2680952
It is also of note that Mr Dale claimed never to have heard from NR regarding the suspension and then termination of the license and when evidence appeared that he had been present at a meeting and had been subsequently sent a letter to confirm termination, commenting on the Facebook site was turned off and he ignored requests to answer any questions regarding it. When the lease was terminated, an appeal was launched to extend(!) the railway by another 5 miles or so (even though all land for this is in multiple different private ownership), it is believed that this was done to disguise the fact that no-one could work on the initial section. There's a £2,500 HLF grant that seems to have disappeared and numerous other badly managed areas.

All in all, it's one of those projects that makes you want to run as fast as you can from it!


Keith

 

There's either one born every minute, or shredder1 is acting as a stooge for a certain person

 

I get what shredder means, some of it has certainly gone too far as almost always happens when drama is laid out bare on the internet, as someone that followed the official facebook page on a purely fly on the wall basis (and posted links to their website updates on here such as the big track clearance that they did to traws lake halt), it was odd but not surprising to me the difference in numbers of people that commented regularly and actually had some involvement in the project when the group was getting on with clearing the track work etc and the sheer numbers of random people that turned up on their facebook page after the licence withdrawal debacle came out to harass and character assassinate anyone to do with the project. The numbers of people commenting went from the 10's to the 100's. It was sad to see and the obvious product of people being attracted to drama and wanting to get involved purely on a personal enjoyment basis and the internet not having any consequences to what people say. I have a personal philosophy that if you aren't there for the good then you shouldn't be there for the bad and vice versa.

That is in no way a defence of Mr Dale, I appreciate that you shredder1 have actually met him and have added some personification back into the conversation with your words, as many who have decided to involve themselves in this have forgotten that he is a person, or don't care to remember that he's a person, with good and bad traits, like all of us. But i would say that you are being a little too kind, by the fact that you have met him I think you are not being objective enough to see that the project cannot continue with his involvement, and that he is the wrong person for the job, and that his past history with business dealings means he cannot lead a railway group. unfortunately throughout this drama borne out on the official facebook page, he 'got in the mud' so to speak and failed to be a leader and make the facts plain to people or admit what had gone on, network rail will certainly not consider renewing a licence with the same person at the helm of the group as when they withdrew the licence. So new blood will have to be found, I am unsure if things have sorted themselves out yet.

I agree with you that the project needs a second chance, but not with him, and not with some of the others who disgraced themselves during this facebook mud slinging match.

 

Well said. There may be a viable project here, but too much has happened in too poor a way for it to be viable under previous leadership.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

There really is no viable project, I'm afraid.

 

Actually, there is a plan for a new type of Nuclear power station at Traws - but I will be very surprised if it ever happens.

 

Indeed the viability of the project under any kind of leadership has always been quite dubious.

Tim