... But on the Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR), intimacy with fellow travellers is unavoidable. I just hoped that my miserable countenance would deter too much small talk.
In the end, I was disappointed. The elderly couple from Essex with whom we were forced to rub knees for an hour were complaining ... Read review
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1-5 of 5 reviews of Snowdon Mountain Railway (Wales)
My humble rack and pinion
Advantages: Easier than walking Disadvantages: Expensive, subject to poor weather, cramped carriages
...thick-skinned passenger. But on the Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR), intimacy with fellow travellers is unavoidable. I just hoped that my miserable countenance would deter too much small talk.
In the end, I was disappointed. The elderly couple from Essex with whom we were forced to rub knees for an hour were complaining about cold draughts before we were even out of the station. They were showing us pictures of owls on their digital ... ...money. But as with most of my holiday experiences, I came away like a recently-shorn Snowdon sheep, feeling slightly fleeced.
When he wanted a railway carriage compartment to himself, the late, great Vivian Stanshall used to grin invitingly to potential occupants and beckon them in. I don't have to go to such lengths. My naturally forbidding visage puts off all but the most thick-skinned passenger. But on the Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR), intimacy with fellow travellers is unavoidable. I just hoped that my miserable countenance would deter too much small talk.
In the end, I was disappointed. The elderly couple from Essex with whom we were forced to rub knees for an hour were complaining about cold draughts before we were even out of the station. They were showing us pictures of owls on their digital camera soon afterwards. A slightly younger Belgian couple who also shared our compartment were working doggedly through an itinerary in a British Tourist Authority handbook. They received the full force of Mrs and Mrs Owl's tourist advice on the return journey.
When I say 'compartment', I mean two facing narrow bench seats, about 18 inches apart with a door at each side. There are seven of these in a single coach about half the size of a standard rail carriage. Those in service on the SMR mostly date back to the 1890s. A single locomotive pushes them the five miles to the top of Snowdon. If you're lucky, this will be one of the four steam engines of similar vintage. If you're like us, you'll get one of the rather less romantic modern diesel versions.
I suspect that the choice of engine was partly because we took the cheapskate 'early bird' option. This half-price offer is available only on the 9am train if you book a day or more in advance. Even then, the return fare for an adult is £10. Had we paid full fare, the 2.5 hour return trip would have cost us (two adults and a child) a whopping £54. The normal fares are £3 less for senior citizens, children and people with disabilities. I would imagine though, that access to the carriages might prove tricky for those with severe mobility problems.
During peak summer season, it is advisable to book ahead or arrive well in advance (you can't book by telephone on the day of travel). Even the early bird journey is very popular. The coach was full to its 54-passenger capacity and included the usual mix of stoical Far-eastern tourists, and bearded men with video cameras and resigned-looking wives. There was also, as required by the Welsh Tourist Board in any enclosed visitor attraction, a screaming toddler.
We went in mid-July. This is, however, no guarantee of good weather in Snowdonia. Although the streets were still wet with rain when we arrived at the station in Llanberis, the sky was fairly clear and the omens looked good. What was not evident, was the useful scrolling LED display I noticed on the booking office on our return, which warned of poor visibility on the mountain.
That was, it turned out, an understatement. A howling gale blew icy drizzle into your face the second you stepped onto the platform at the summit. A handful of maniacs were determined to walk the last 60 feet to the very top. For the rest of us, there was no option but to huddle in the grim café building eating quite possibly the most expensive crisps in Britain, and wait the 30 minutes for the train to make its descent.
The first half of the the journey up the mountain had been fine. Once out of the wooded outskirts of Llanberis, the train rattles its way over two viaducts, past a couple of small waterfalls and into the wide, green glacial valleys of the foothills. These are dotted with ruined houses and chapels. There's even the odd farm still inhabited by those hardy enough to try eking out a living on the slopes.
A recorded commentary gives a fairly informative account of the geology, history and mythology of Snowdon. Although this was sometimes barely audible above the roar of the engine and the whine of bored infant, it helped establish the major landmarks. But as the train ascended and the mist began to swirl around us, it grew ever more irrelevant. The narrator's enthusiastic entreaties to view far-off peaks were greeted with snorts of derision as we strained to see a few wet rocks and a bit of scree through the murk.
I could only assume that on a clear day, the views must be breathtaking. Snowdon's summit, at 1,085 metres, is the highest in England and Wales. Completed in 1896, the railway has ferried those unable or unwilling to walk to the top ever since. The railway is narrow-gauge and uses a rack-and-pinion system, with cog-wheels on carriages and locomotives ensuring a good grip. The speed, on both ascent and descent rarely exceeds 5mph. Nervous passengers will be reassured to learn that automatic brakes come on if the speed tops 7.5mph.
This does mean that the descent takes as long as the ascent. It seemed even longer. There were several stops at stations and to make way for trains going the other way, and one or two for no apparent reason. Back in Llanberis, as with any attraction worth its salt, you have to pass through the gift shop on the way out. They must think that, in sheer relief at escaping the confines of the carriage, you'll buy a novelty eraser or a CD of relaxing new-age music.
Apart from the necessarily cramped and spartan carriages, and the truckstop ambience of the summit café, I can't really fault the SMR. It is very professionally run, and staff are friendly and helpful. There is ample car parking at the station (£3 for a day's stay) which is easy to find and only 15 minutes' drive from Caernarfon or Bangor. On a clear day, it is probably worth the money. But as with most of my holiday experiences, I came away like a recently-shorn Snowdon sheep, feeling slightly fleeced.
...for a trip on the Snowdon Mountain Railway (Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa in Welsh) owned and operated by Heritage Great Britain PLC to the Snowdon summit. How wrong we were!!
We arrived at Llanberis station, the starting point for the railway trip, only to find the car park crowded. We paid our £4 which entitled us to stay there for the day and walked across the road to the station complex which was equally as crowded.
We headed straight to the ticket ... ...are friendly, informative and helpful. I will return next year when hopefully the summit café and visitor centre will be open but will book in advance!
Contact details are
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Llanberis
Gwynedd
LL55 4TY
Telephone: 0870 458 0033 Or visit their impressive website - www.snowdonrailway.co.uk. ...
MAFARRIMOND 09.09.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Snowdon Mountain Railway (Wales)
Advantages: Spectacular scenery, good fun Disadvantages: Can be scary if you don't like heights!
...to the top of Mount Snowdon was one of them.
As you may well know I have just been to Anglesey for a week’s holiday and as we toured around North Wales we found the mountain railway at Llanberis. We decided to return later in the week and take a ride up Mount Snowdon.
The railway station is on the main road through Llanberis, which is the A4086 from Caernarfon to Capel Curig. It is also easily accessible by bus from either Bangor or Caernarfon.
... ...with the words ‘Summit of Snowdon – Cop’r Wyddfa’
Providing you return on the same train that you went up on you are guaranteed a seat for the return journey. You can however, choose to return on a later train but you have to take potluck as to whether there will be any seats available. It would obviously depend on whether anyone from that particular trip had chosen to walk back down.
I am scared of heights but, apart from ...
SusanLesley 31.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Snowdon Mountain Railway (Wales)
Advantages: Views Attmosphere, Adventure! Disadvantages: Must pre-book
...June 2006 I took the Snowdon Mountain Railway to the Summit of Snowdon - and what an adventure for my family it was! Since going as a child I wanted to take my family back to experience the stunning views. On the day we travelled it was cloudy but this only added to the excitement. Sure the carriages are a bit tight but it is a narrow gauge railway so I was told by the friendly guard on the train. We sat on the one side of the carriage on the way ... ...cold appreciate the views. There is a mixture of steam and diesel locomotives at the railway. We travelled on number 12 George that was a diesel but the way you get up there doesn't matter. All other 50 or so passengers seemed to share the same excitement as us. The carriage commentary telling us about the journey and scenery was great. I would recommend this unmissable journey to anybody in the area. The only disappointment was having to book so ...
tyler436 08.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Snowdon Mountain Railway (Wales)
Advantages: A quick, way to the top Disadvantages: You must book in advance most of the year
I have never been on the Railway, so I can't comment on the journey. I love snowdonia and went holiday again last November, but I had never been on the Scenic Railway and got in the car quite excited. When we got to the station there were huge crowds and we waited in line to buy tickets. We were told there were no more tickets for that day and only a few left for the next day. As we had driven for over two hours to get there we ate lunch at the cafe, ...
toppooky 20.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Snowdon Mountain Railway (Wales)
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Advantages: The views are amazing, you er on top of a mountain Disadvantages: It is either expensive or very tiring to get there
day. There were also days lost when the train could not reach the summit due to high winds ? the train cannot proceed past the halfway station if the wind speed is more than 42mph at Clogwyn and on many days the men actually walked to the top to compete their days work.
The new building had to be built to withstand some very extreme weather conditions including winds of over 150mph which is twice hurricane force, over 5 metres of rain per year and temperatures of -20 degrees centigrade excluding wind chill.
The eventual cost was £8.3 million and funding included £3m from the Welsh Assembly Government, £300,000 from the Wales Tourist Board, £270,000 from the Snowdonia National Park Authority, £217,000 from the SnowdonMountainRailway and £96,500 from a Public Appeal together with money from Objective 1 European Funding.
Anyway that ...
The Snowdonia National Park has some of the most beautiful and breath-taking scenery in England and Wales.
You can walk on the moors, sail on a mountain lake, explore the numerous copper mines and even cycle for miles on safe cycle routes. What's more you can enjoy the wildlife and beauty when doing it.
The Snowdonia National Park Authority works with local landowners, to look after the area, but at the same time, they allow visitors to visit and enjoy this area of out-standing natural beauty, without spoiling the area.
The National Park stretches 840 square miles, which includes sandy beaches, forests and mountains.
The main attraction though has to be the mountain it's self. Snowdon stands 1,085 metres above sea level making it the highest peak in England and Wales.
If you do visit Snowdonia don't forget to ride ...
