The Snowdon Mountain Railway
The Railway Today
The Snowdon Mountain Railway carries visitors effortlessly to the summit
station, easily the highest railway station in Britain. The gradients of up to
1 in 5.5 are surmountable only because this is Britain's one Rack Railway. The
Summit Station is a modest 66' of steep but easy footpath below the Summit of
Snowdon which, at 3560 feet above sea level, is the highest point in England
and Wales. Although rack railways are used elsewhere in the world (notably
Switzerland) this railway provides a spectacular experience which is unique in
Britain.
Although, on a fine day, the summit of Snowdon is within reasonably easy reach
of the fit walker, many people would never visit it without the railway. The
views that gradually expand during the climb are staggering, both those of the
surrounding mountains and those more distant vistas that expand to encompass
Anglesey, The Isle of Man and the Wicklow Mountains of Southern Ireland. Sadly
on many days the views are masked by cloud but the weather
changes quickly here and even if it is cloudy on parts of the ascent it may well be clear on the
summit.
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| A steam hauled train high in the mountain near Clogwyn |
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| Clogwyn Station |
Quite apart from the view the railway itself offers much of interest with its
mixture of Swiss technology and Swiss built Steam engines with rugged British
Diesels. The Llanberis Terminus is always a busy scene in the tourist season
and, with limited space on the trains the traveller should be prepared to
claim his seat (through the railway's booking system) in the morning, and
travel later in the day, alternatively you can book by phone before your travel
day. Although trains run from mid March to the beginning of
October before mid May or after the
end of September the upper part of the line is likely to be snow or ice
bound with the trains terminating further down the mountain. Even in summer
high winds can often close the upper part of the line but even a shorter journy
terminating short of the summit is a spectacular experience. Travellers should
be warned that it may be very much colder near the summit than in
Llanberis, I can vouch for this personally having been transported from shirt
sleeves spring weather in Llanberis to a bitterly cold Clogwyn station amidst
howling wind and crunching hoar frost, although we enjoyed an unforgettable trip
complete with spectacular views I think all the passengers were quite happy to
return to Llanberis rather than ascend the remaining 1000 feet or so to the summit.
The railway has embraced modern technology with diesel traction rubbing
shoulders with the steam engines and a computer controlled railcar set but even
the most hardened steam enthusiast would be hard pushed to complain about diesel haulage as the
train climbs the magnificant mountain which inspired its construction. Of all
British railways, this one must be uniquely difficult and expensive to operate
with its complex permanent way under attack from the worst of the Welsh weather
every winter and every train trying to push the track down the steep gradients
as it goes.
Sadly people persist in using the railway track as a path to the summit,
official advice is not do this (even when the line is closed) as it is unsuitable and
dangerous and has been the scene of fatalities in the past. The railway has
also helped in mountain rescues, on occasion bringing injured climbers back to
civilisation, although this is more often the work of helicopters nowadays.
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| Busy scene outside the Llanberis HQ of the SMR |
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| The superb new Summit Visitor Centre |
Facilities at both termini are excellent, Llanberis station has a pleasant cafeteria and
shop, while it's location right in the town ensures that most other facilities
are to hand. Llanberis is also the home of the Padarn Lake Railway
covered elsewhere in these pages. At the summit there is a new visitor centre designed by
Ray Hole architects and completed in 2009, this centre is designed to be sympathetic to
the mountain environment and features huge windows with spectacular views across the Snowdon
range and across to Ireland.
History and Origins
The desire to tame the highest mountain in England and Wales with a railway is
perhaps characteristic of the Victorian era which spawned it. Following almost
50 years of debate on the possibility, work started in 1894 with the formation
of the Snowdon Mountain Tramroad and Hotels Company.
The railway was built on the north western slopes of the mountain from the
attractive town of Llanberis nestling between the mountains to the summit
station. Construction was rapid with the first passenger train running on April
6 1896, a day which culminated in the railway's only fatal accident (following
a locomotive derailment). Ironically the unfortunate person who died did so
when he jumped off the train, all the passengers who kept their seats were
uninjured. This accident resulted in closure while the entire line was fitted
with a modification to the rack system and since reopening in April 1987 there
have been no further serious accidents.
The single track line has passing places at Hebron, Halfway and Clogwyn
stations and on a busy day several trains can be seen at various places on the
line. The trains powerful locomotives haul themselves laboriously up the
mountain, pushing their single coach at five miles an hour, but who would feel
safe at higher speeds on such a railway? Who would want to rush such a journey
anyway?
Curiously the coach is not actually coupled to the locomotive, simply resting
against it on the slope, this is a precaution so that if the locomotive leaves
the track (it never has since that fateful first day) the coach need not follow
it. All the steam locomotives were built in Switzerland at the Swiss Locomotive
and Machine Works and all the Diesels in Britain by the Hunslet engine
company. In a departure from tradition the railway acquired a diesel railcar
set in 1995, this can be run as a one, two or three car train and certainly
brings modern technology to the railway with its computer controlled electric
transmission system!