Steam trains for girls – the feminine view of North Wales with Great Rail Journeys and Rail Discoveries
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The golden age of steam moves further away
with each passing year, but for Silver Travellers, the sounds and smell of Britain’s
heritage railways will always be evocative. If you’ve ever read Thomas the Tank Engine to your children or, like me,
have fond memories of Ivor the Engine in the Postgate-Firmin cartoons from the 1960s,
then you already know the feeling.
I’m no great train buff but I still can't
resist an invitation to sample the scenery and stories of that timeless ‘top
left corner of Wales' where Ivor the Engine and Jones the Steam had their
gentle adventures alongside Dai Station and Owen the Signal. I’m being treated to highlights from two
escorted itineraries, one with Great Rail Journeys, the other with sister
company Rail Discoveries, which between them offer a mix of trains, castles,
and gardens.
So it doesn’t matter that I don’t know my
firebox from my footplate, nor have any deep engine interest beyond knowing
that this is a very old, very pretty and very shiny model. Let the men get technical. I’m here to enjoy the ride.
First thing that strikes me is the
enthusiasm of everybody involved with these heritage lines. From the people in the ticket office to the
trolley assistants who serve refreshments, the volunteer drivers to the station
officials, everyone is happy and smiling. Clearly playing with full size trains is high on the wellbeing
stakes. And that happiness is
contagious. As I take my seat on the
Welsh Highland Railways for our first trip, I feel totally relaxed.
By the afternoon, a second thing has struck
me about heritage trains. They’re all
different. The Welsh Highland this
morning climbed steadily round some extraordinarily bends and up steep
inclines, whilst we relaxed over Snowdon bottled water and local beer. We trundled past a large reservoir and
enjoyed glorious mountain views on our 18-mile narrow gauge journey from
Caernarfon to Bedgellert.
But this afternoon, we are boarding the
Ffestiniog Railway at the coastal town of Porthmadog for a totally different
narrow gauge experience. The track may
be the same – or so I’m told – but the carriages are much narrower so the train
can cling to the steep wooded hillsides. At the end of the line, Blaenau Ffestiniog is where slate from deep
mines was once loaded on board for transport to the coast.
I’ve ridden the Ffestiniog once before,
many years ago on a family holiday when our children were small and I still clearly
remember my son clapping his hands with excitement as the engine whistle blew. So I’m secretly thrilled to be allowed to
stand in the cab – if that’s the right technical term – and blow that very same
whistle. Just call me Gill the Steam!
Third thing I learn is that not all Welsh
heritage trains are narrow gauge. Next
day we enjoy a tranquil trundle on the Llangollen Steam Railway which runs for
7.5 miles from Llangollen to Corwen. The fact that it exists at all is a testimony to the enthusiasts who
banded together to restore the disused and dismantled line as a tourist
attraction. And I’m so glad they
did. Again, I feel I’m part of an Ivor
the Engine cartoon as we stop at immaculate little stations decked out with
leather suitcase and painted trolleys. There are no gradients involved this time as we chuff merrily along
beside the river Dee, the sun sparkling on the meanders and gentle hills.
The sun shines too on our final journey, an
unforgettable ride up the Snowdon Mountain Railway to the roof of Wales. Our single carriage is pushed by a steam
engine – some are diesel, but the view from the carriage doesn’t change – and I
watch captivated as mountains and lakes, ridges and gullies unfold beneath us
like something from a physical geography lesson. It’s so clear that I can even see distant sandy
beaches.
We disembark at the visitor centre before
taking the short walk up to the summit cairn for that glorious 360° view. I’m just taking it all in when I hear a phone
ringing. Good reception up here, I’m
thinking, till I suddenly realise it’s mine and am covered in
embarrassment. But it’s the lovely
people at the Dunoon Hotel in Llandudno to tell me they’ve found my missing
glasses. Everybody laughs, happiness
prevails, and we linger a little longer for those obligatory selfies. Don’t step back though – it’s a long way
down!
Heading back to gift shop level and journey’s
end, I sit on the opposite side of the carriage for a different perspective. There’s time for a browse round the station
buildings where I’m thrilled to find an episode of Ivor the Engine being
screened in the little cinema. Parp-parp!
In fact for someone who has zero knowledge
of steam trains and really no wish to learn, this trip ticked all the
boxes. It’s impossible not to enjoy a
ride through Snowdonia on those wonderfully atmospheric trains and the steam
rides are punctuated with heritage visits when you travel with Great Rail
Journeys or Rail Discoveries.
I was fascinated by Portmeirion, one of
Britain’s most unusual and eclectic resorts. Built by visionary architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1926 and
1976, it’s a mix of landscaped gardens, Italianate village, and woodland
walks. Setting for the Sixties’ cult
series The Prisoner, it has also hosted many celebrity guests in its hotels and
self-catering villas.
Depending on which escorted itinerary you
chose, you may also enjoy a visit to Caernarfon Castle or Conwy Castle, the
National Trust gardens at Bodnant or a ride by horse-drawn barge on the
Llangollen canal. There’s free time to
explore the area too, including the charming seaside resort of Llandudno where
both tours are based on a half-board basis.
I stayed at the family-run Dunoon Hotel
which has rightfully been awarded an AA Rosette for its imaginative cuisine. Strategically located just five minutes’ walk
from the broad bay lined with its smartly painted villas, it’s ideally placed
for strolling along Wales’ longest pier or taking the cable car to the top of
the Great Orme for views towards Anglesey. And if you’re feeling peckish at lunch time, I can also recommend the
informal atmosphere at Wildwood Italian restaurant in the heart of the retail
area. So whether you’re keen on sand, sea,
shopping or steam, North Wales really does have something for everyone. Parp-parp!
More information
Great
Rail Journeys, from £675pp for the 6-day Railways & Castles of Wales
Rail
Discoveries, from £465pp for the 6-day Railways of Wales
GRJ Independent for a
tailor-made holiday – price on request
Dine at Wildwood Restaurant Llandudno
Silver Travel Advisor recommends Great Rail Journeys
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