The last few trips on the Ffestiniog Railway have been with the family and we’ve always travelled in the third class carriages. Today I was by myself and decided to splash out on a first class ticket in the newly built “pullman car,”:http://www.festrail.co.uk/carriages.htm affectionately referred to as the Obs or observation car.
This is luxury travel in very comfortable seats and with massive windows giving virtually 360˚ views.
I’d booked the trip Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog when the Obs is at the back of the train and there are wonderful views back down the line. On the return journey, there are excellent views of the loco just a few inches in front, but not of the scenery.
This really is the way to enjoy just how spectacular the railway is and the massive construction exercise it was to build. The line climbs 700’ from sea level to contours from sea level at Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and there are many tight curves. In places the line is carved out of a ledge on the side of the hillside. In others it is on stone built embankments or through cuttings with minimal clearance between the train and the walls. This really does bring home to you the importance of obeying the instructions not to lean out of the windows!
There is an additional charge of £8. If travelling then, it is best book a few days in advance to make sure of a seat.
These pictures were taken on a trip to the Ffestiniog Railway in October 2019. They are part of a series of reviews and pictures from that trip.
This is a journey that should be done at least once in the lifetime!
