Lost in Porthmadog (Almost): A Railway Day with Graham
- Cambrian Railway Partnership
- May 8
- 3 min read
Meet Vice Chair of the Cambrian Railway Partnership, Graham. Graham has worked on the railway for many years and has a real love and passion of all things train related.
Graham and I recently travelled by train from Newtown and Caersws to Porthmadog to meet with the team from the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway and Wales on Rails.
It was a slightly overcast day but as we travelled up the coast, the sea and sky were still beautiful. When we arrived at Porthmadog there was a bit of hilarious confusion with Osian, Marketing Manager for the Ffestiniog Railway, who was in one Porthmadog railway station and we were in another, because of course there are technically three railway station in Porthmadog:
Porthmadog Station – where Transport for Wales trains arrive
Porthmadog Harbour – where trains for the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway arrive and depart
Porthmadog (WHHR) Station – just across the road from Porthmadog Station where trains for the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway arrive and depart
We soon sorted the confusion out and arrived Porthmadog Harbour, which is really quite close to the station - I never knew that. We were also met by Jo Quinney who manages Wales on Rails. All four of us met in Spooners, the Station Cafe and Bar and the cakes looked really nice, but we resisted temptation and just had coffee. Osian gave us detailed history of the railway and Jo told us about Wales on Rails and the Great Little Trains of Wales. It was really good to hear about how much there is to do and all the different events that happen at the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway.
We didn’t go on a train as they weren't running that day but it was great to see the Railway still busy, in the cafe and out on the platform.
Their Bygones Weekend, which we have attended with Wales on Rails several times, looks really good fun and well worth a visit. Osian was passionate about the trains and wanting to engage with the local communities more as well as visitors from all over the UK and in fact the World.
I had a good bag of chips on the way back to Porthmadog Harbour and Graham had a very fresh salad and ham roll. By the time we got on our train the sun had come out.
This is what Graham said about our day out by:
“On Friday I accompanied Deb on her trip up the Cambrian to meet with representatives from the Ffestiniog Railway and Great Little Trains of Wales.
"We had a good journey up on the train and I was able to point out some of the interesting (I hope) things along the line, and we also had a good discussion on the way things are moving.
"Our meeting at Porthmadog was useful and I think that all parties were pleased with the fact that we had introduced ourselves and were willing to discuss things.
"On the way back we met with one of the Guards on the line and had a discussion with him which I think could prove useful as they have a good local knowledge.”
Do you know? What 1935 crime film included Ffestiniog Railway in the opening scenes?
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