The reason I was at Crewe the other day was that I was on my way back from a trip round Snowdonia with my sister.
I set off from Alton in the peak with an off peak ticket - interesting but it seems that the term off peak only applies, in this case, to the bit leaving London. Across London on the tube then on a Virgin Super Voyager to Bangor. I arrived just gone midday.
The train runs quite close to the coast.
I was met by my sister and we had some lunch then decided that we should spend the afternoon on a train. We went to Holyhead and back. Holyhead is a bit dismal but the ride was nice.
The next morning we set off on a bus to Caernarfon and caught the Welsh Highland to Portmadoc.
We were pulled by a Beyer Garrett.
The trip is pretty spectacular with tight bends and gradients.
We passed another Garrett at Beddgelert
Then on down to Portmadoc. I just love the bit where the train runs down the street across the bridge.
We went for lunch at Portmadoc and found a microbrewery serving this.
It is a chocolate and vanilla stout and is divine.
Then we caught a Ffestiniog train to Blaenau.
We passed a Lynton and Barnstaple engine on the way!
Up to Blaenau. We had a short walk across the bridge to a waiting train for the ride down the Conway valley.
We went through Llandudno Junction to Llandudno - had coffe and then set off back to the Junction where we caught a train back to Bangor.
We slept well.
The next day we drove to Portmadoc and caught a train to Barmouth were we met my other sister and her hubby. After coffee we walked across the bridge.
We admired the old mechanism to swing the bridge and noticed that there is now solid track across the join!
Than we saw a train.
On the other side we did some archaeology at Morfa Mawddach where the old camping coaches used to be 50 years ago. This was also the last time my sisters and I were there together.
We then climbed Fegla Fawr known to us kids as the hump.
Back across the bridge, lunch with more Purple Moose then on the train and car back to Bangor.
The next day it was home (via Crewe)
Cheers Graham
