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Fairbourne and Barmouth Railway

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 Beach Road, FAIRBOURNE, Gwynedd. LL38 2PZ

Tel: +44 (0)1341 250362   Fax: +44 (0)1341 250240

Location:
52 39N 4 07W; UK National Grid SH 616 128

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F&BR locomotives ...... Days, Times and Fares
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The Fairbourne and Barmouth Railway opened in 1895 as a 2-ft tramway by self-raising flour magnate Sir Arthur MacDougall. In 1916 it was regauged to 15-ins, and underwent another change of gauge to 12¼ inches in 1986.
Acquired by its present owners in April 1995, the railway is celebrating a Tenth Anniversary this year. Among the features of the two-and-a-half mile seafront line is a tunnel through the sand-dunes.
To outdo Llanfair PG on the North Wales Coast Line, the F&BR has strung together a number of places and phrases relevant to its location, to give one of its intermediate stations what is claimed to be the world's longest station name: Gorsafawddachachaidraigddanheddogleddollonpenrhynareudraethceridigion which is certainly accepted by the Guinness Book of Records as the longest place name in the British Isles. It translates into English as: The Mawddach station with its dragon's teeth on the northerly Penrhyn Drive on the golden beach of Cardigan Bay.
The name has now been changed to Golf Halt, which is far less of a mouthful. Loop Halt is where trains pass each other providing splendid photo opportunities. Alight here for the Embankment Footpath if you want to take the scenic walk to m Barmouth across the bridge. Beach Halt serves that golden beach, while the northern terminus of the line is Porth Penrhyn, where the line connects with the ferry to/from Barmouth. There is also the Pullman Pavilion Cafe.
Adjoining, Fairbourne is the Rowen Indoor Nature Centre

F&BR Locomotives

Steam locomotives Diesel locomotive
Curwen 0-6-2T Yeo, built 1978 Fairbourne Locomotive Works A1-1A Lilian Walter, built 1985
Milner 0-4-0ST Sherpa, built 1978
Curwen 0-6-4ST Beddgelert, built 1979

Other locomotive

Milner 2-6-4T Russell, rebuilt 1985 Fairbourne Locomotive Works 4 wheel battery electric Gwril, built 1987

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Days of operation 2010
The F&BR is open (all dates inclusive):

February 13th to 21st
March No services
April 1st 18th; then 24th and 25th
May 1st to 31st (except Fridays)
June 1st to 10th; then 12th to 30th (except Fridays)
July 1st to 8th (except Fridays); and from 10th to 31st
August 1st to 31st
September 1st to 19th (except Fridays); then 25th and 26th
October Saturdays and Sundays between 3rd and 17th; then daily October 23rd to 31st
December 18th and 19th

Times
Please note: Services can be affected by adverse weather conditions, contact the railway if in doubt.

The P&BR operates to Low Season, Intermediate Season and High Season timetables.
A special timetable applies for Special Events dates (see below) with half-hourly services. Contact the FBR for details
Santa trains in December depart Fairbourne at 1.30pm.

Low Season Intermediate Season High Season
February 13 to 21
March No trains
April 1; 7th to25
May 4 to 27 (except Fridays)
June 4; then 5 to 30 (except Fridays)
July 1 to 8
September 1 to 19 (except Fridays); 25 and 26
October Saturdays and Sundays between 2 and 17; then daily October 23 to 31		 April 2, 3 and 6
May 1, 2, 3 and 29
June 3
July 10 to 17; 23, 24, 30 and 31
August 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 and 31
 		 April 4 and 5,
May 30 and 31
June 1 and 2
July 18 to 22; and 22 to 30
August 1 to 19 (except Fridays and Saturdays;  and 22 to 30
 
Trains run at
Dep. Fairbourne 11.00am, 12.30pm, 2.00pm and 3.30pm
Dep. Barmouth Ferry 11.30am, 1.00pm,  2.30pm and  4.00pm		 Dep. Fairbourne 11.00am, 12.20pm, 2.00pm, 3.20pm and 4.30pm
Dep. Barmouth Ferry 11.40am 1.00pm, 2.40pm,  4.00pm and  5.00pm		 Dep. Fairbourne 10.40am, 11.30am, 12.10pm, 1.00pm, 2.20pm, 3.00pm, 3.40pm and 4.20pm
Dep. Barmouth Ferry 11.30am, 12.10pm 1.00pm, 2.20pm 3.00pm 3.40pm, 4.20pm and 5.00pm

The P&BR's Milner 0-4-0ST locomotive SherpaSpecial events (contact the FBR for times and fares)

April 4th and 5th The Friendly Fairbourne Engines with Lord Bart, the Stout Director.
May 30th and 31st Little to Large - Steam engines in action from our locos, miniatures and a traction engine.
July 24th Fairbourne Railway Preservation Society AGM
July 26th and 27th The Friendly Fairbourne Engines Fun Day with Lord Bart, the Stout Director.
October 30th Halloween Evening Train and Party
December 18th and 19th Santa Specials leave Fairbourne at 11.30am and 1.30pm each day.

The railway also operates extra trains by arrangement, and runs footplate experience courses out of season. Contact the railway for details.

Fares
(including admission to Nature Centre)

Day Rover Fares
Adult £7.80
Child £4.20
Senior Citizen £6.50
Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £18.95
Dog Free

Children under three travel free (except on Santa Specials).
Day Rover tickets are valid for unlimited travel on day of purchase, except for evening events.
One-way, the journey takes about 20 minutes.

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Things to do

The railway museum has a display showing a century ion the life of the Fairbourne Railway and includes a model of the line. Adjacent to the Fairbourne terminus is the Rowen Indoor Nature Centre. Take an imaginary journey through the Freshwater, lowland and mountain Zones of Wales on the Habitat Trail, or explore the wildlife of Mid-Wales by viewing individual enclosures of birds, mammals, lizards and snakes; and fish located along a busy trout stream.
Alight at Gorsafawddachachaidraigddanheddogleddollonpenrhynareudraethceridigion for the 9-hole Fairbourne golf course.

The Fairbourne and Barmouth Railway can also be used as part of an exhilarating half-day's pleasure with stunning views of sea- and mountainscape.
From Fairbourne, take the train to Porth Penrhyn, and join the ferry for the crossing to Barmouth, where, among other attractions, there is a lifeboat museum and leisure centre. From Barmouth walk the 800-yards along the toll footbridge which shares the railway crossing to Morfa Mawddach - a mostly timber structure of 113 spans plus two steel spans over the bed of the river (if you encounter a train during the crossing - don't worry: The bridge always shakes!). From Morfa Mawddach, walk, or take the Arriva Trains Wales service, back to Fairbourne. Of course, the route can be followed in the reverse direction or starting from any intermediate point, as desired.

How to get there

The F&BR is adjacent to the national network station of Fairbourne, served by Arriva Trains Wales. It is on the A493 between Dolgellau and Machynlleth, served by Arriva Cymru bus No 28 between Aberystwyth and Dolgellau.
For details of connecting services, including travel planner and timetables, visit the Traveline Cymru website.

Select here for the FBR's own web site

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Copyright © 1997/8/9/2000/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10 by Deryck Lewis. All rights reserved.
Page created March 24 1997; Redesigned March 29 1999; Updated May 27 2010
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at WalesRails