Clare Britton, events co-ordinator at Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways, is busy planning what promises to be one of the stand-out events in the Heritage Railway calendar for 2025 – the ‘Railway 200 – FR Platinum Jubilee Weekend’.
This exciting event, from June 19 to 22, will celebrate two momentous landmarks. 2025 marks both the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway – part of the national ‘Railway 200’ celebrations – and the 70th anniversary of the resumption of passenger trains on the Ffestiniog Railway under the new regime.
Spanning the summer solstice, it promises an action-packed long weekend, celebrating 70 years of running trains in the new era with a mix of nostalgia and looking forward to the future.
Spread over four days, there are trains recreating different eras of the Ffestiniog, opportunities to ride on the Welsh Highland, the chance to spend some time at Boston Lodge Works, the lynch pin of the railway and to be there for the grand cavalcade!
This ‘200 Wheels on the Cob’ cavalcade will undoubtedly be the highlight of the weekend, taking place on Sunday, June 22. This will be a cavalcade of Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways’ engines throughout the years, lining up in formation across the iconic Cob embankment.
Clare first came to Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways as a child and has fond memories of visiting with her parents, then later, as a volunteer.
Thursday, June 19 will be a normal busy day on both railways but visitors are advised to arrive early. There will be extra services from Blaenau at 5.35pm and 8.50pm that connect with the Conwy Valley TfW service.
The event begins with Simplex, ‘Mary Ann’ crossing the Cob, recreating the exciting day back in 1955 and there is a chance to go for a ride to Boston Lodge and savour this historic moment.
Next day, Friday, the early bird trains for the late 1970s/early ’80s make a return so visitors can join the 7am service hauled by diesel ‘Upnor Castle’. There will be lots of memories from the 60s with trains to Minffordd and Tan y Bwlch.
Whilst the Ffestiniog is back in the 60s, Hunslets ‘Linda’ & ‘Blanche’ will take a ‘Ladies Day Out to Caernarfon. Some special event opportunities will also take place so that visitors can experience a trip on an infrastructure train or take a ‘Moelwyn’ hauled inspection train to Dduallt.
There will also be an early evening train, hauled by Merddin Emrys and Prince, running non-stop from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog, in both directions.
Those who missed the ‘Early Bird’ on Friday will have another chance on Saturday, this time steam hauled. This service should give a good view of a spectacular ‘200 wheel’ goods train which you cross at Tanygrisiau.
More trains from the 60s and then, in the afternoon, on to the 70s with some careful recreations of crossing trains at Dduallt, recreating those ‘over and under’ photographs snapped on Kodak Instamatics back in the day!
Linda will be running one trip up to Minffordd and one trip to Tan y Bwlch with a 1950s style flying flea, made up of four-wheel carriages and bogies just like the relief trains of days gone by.
There are two evening services to Blaenau or for those who would rather have a pint and a chat, Spooners will be open along with ‘The Top Yard Arms’ bar at Boston Lodge.
Sunday, the last day of the event, promises to be extra special as the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland join the country to celebrate 200 years of railways, with the ‘200 Steam Wheels on the Cob’ spectacle, a Grand Cavalcade from Boston Lodge to Porthmadog.
The locos will be in order of preservation-era milestone and there will be a few opportunities to have a once in a lifetime part in this epic spectacular. People can take part in a special event auction on Sunday, May 4, where a selection of cavalcade footplate passes will be going under the hammer.
Aside from the cavalcade, there will be a wide variety of services to entertain, including a special ‘Snowdonia Star’ from Caernarfon to join and watch the cavalcade.
Boston Lodge will be open throughout the weekend to ticket holders with exhibits and stalls, locos under restoration, footplate rides and a chance to look at some of the changes that have taken place, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Refreshments and the ‘Top Yard Bar’ will be on hand to provide food and drink! Spooner’s Café and Bar and Tan y Bwlch tearooms will also be open to keep visitors fed and watered.
Tickets and full details regarding the weekend will be available on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway’s website – www.festrail.co.uk .
