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Porthmadog

Communities in GwyneddPages including recorded pronunciationsPages with Welsh IPAPopulated coastal places in WalesPorthmadog
Railway towns in WalesThe Slate Landscape of Northwest WalesTowns in GwyneddUse British English from March 2015
Porthmadog Harbour
Porthmadog Harbour

Porthmadog (Welsh: [pɔrθˈmadɔɡ] ), originally Portmadoc until 1974 and locally as "Port", is a coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, Wales, and the historic county of Caernarfonshire. It lies 5 miles (8 km) east of Criccieth, 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Blaenau Ffestiniog, 25 miles (40 km) north of Dolgellau and 20 miles (32 km) south of Caernarfon. The community population of 4,185 in the 2011 census was put at 4,134 in 2019. It grew in the 19th century as a port for local slate, but as the trade declined, it continued as a shopping and tourism centre, being close to Snowdonia National Park and the Ffestiniog Railway. The 1987 National Eisteddfod was held there. It includes nearby Borth-y-Gest, Morfa Bychan and Tremadog.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Porthmadog (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Porthmadog
High Street,

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Wikipedia: PorthmadogContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 52.927 ° E -4.132 °
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Address

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High Street 88
LL49 9NW , Porthmadog
Wales, United Kingdom
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Porthmadog Harbour
Porthmadog Harbour
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Porthmadog cross town link
Porthmadog cross town link

The Porthmadog cross town link is a section of the 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway, specifically built to link with the Ffestiniog Railway in Porthmadog, and runs along partly what was called the Junction Railway, previously existing as part of the original Welsh Highland Railway. This had been removed some time after that railway closed in 1936. It has been built using the new powers obtained by the Ffestiniog Railway and runs from Harbour station on the Ffestiniog Railway to Pen-y-Mount Junction close to Pen-y-Mount on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. The route is as follows: Junction with the Ffestiniog Railway at Harbour station. Cross Porthmadog High St and the River Glaslyn across the Britannia Bridge with road traffic stopped by lights when trains pass. Around the back of the Wilko supermarket. As such this is a deviation from the original line, that broadly speaking went in front of what is now the supermarket. Across the back streets, in front of the old mill. Across the standard gauge Cambrian Line on the level. This is the only mixed gauge flat rail crossing in the United Kingdom. Along the track bed of the Welsh Highland Railway. Junction just north Pen-y-Mount with Welsh Highland Heritage Railway to Porthmadog (WHHR).For reference, the Junction Railway was empowered to run: Junction with the Ffestiniog Railway at Harbour Station. Cross Porthmadog High St and the River Glaslyn across the Britannia Bridge with street running. a short small curve onto Madoc Street to join to the existing Croesor Tramway line which was taken over by the Welsh Highland Railway.The line reopened on 8 January 2011, linking the Ffestiniog Railway with the Croesor Tramway allowing passenger trains to run between Caernarfon and Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Pen-y-Mount Junction railway station
Pen-y-Mount Junction railway station

Pen-y-Mount Junction station is the northern terminus of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) in Porthmadog, Wales. With the opening of all three platforms, it has the most of any station in the Porthmadog area. Pen-y-Mount Junction is the only narrow gauge junction station in Britain; it is the only junction station between two Heritage Railways in Britain, and also has the largest number of platforms of any narrow gauge station in Britain along with the New Romney Station of the Romney, Hythe, and Dymchurch railway. It opened on 2 August 1980 at which time it consisted of a single platform with a run round loop and was intended to be a temporary terminus. In 1990, a siding was laid into the yard for works trains. After the Festiniog Railway Company gained the authority to rebuild the original Welsh Highland Railway (WHR), it was decided to turn Pen-y-Mount station into a representation of a typical WHR station. In 1996, a replica WHR corrugated iron station building was constructed. Its design was based upon the original Nantmor railway station. Subsequently, genuine WHR fencing, including a kissing gate, was erected along the back of the platform. In 2000, the WHHR began construction of the WHR main line, under the terms of their 1998 agreement with the Festiniog Railway Company. This included clearing, preparing the track bed, tracklaying and ballasting. The northern end of the WHHR line was also re-modelled and, in 2002, the existing headshunt was replaced with a full crossover so it could connect with the FR owned WHR main line. A new headshunt loading spur was also constructed. They also helped construct the mainline between Pen-y-Mount and the Porthmadog Cross Town Link. The WHHR finished construction work in 2007. Under the terms of the 1998 agreement, they were allowed to use the new line and retain all revenue from it until the FR had finished constructing the remainder of the WHR. During 2007 and 2008, WHHR trains terminated at Traeth Mawr Loop rather than Pen-y-Mount. In 2008, the Traeth Mawr loop was removed and WHHR trains used push-pull operation. In 2008, the Welsh Highland Construction Company (an FR Co. subsidiary) connected the two ends of the Welsh Highland Railway and took possession of the line from Traeth Mawr to Pen-y-Mount and, since 2009, WHHR trains have terminated at Pen-y-Mount. It is hoped that in future the WHHR will have running rights over the FR-owned WHR mainline and that the station will become an interchange between the two railways. The two companies, however, are still in discussion over these issues and have yet to reach an agreement. It is intended that Pen-y-Mount Junction will have three fully operational platforms, with lines to Beddgelert and both Porthmadog Termini.