Welcome to this home page which is dedicated to displaying large scale maps of

The Welsh Highland Railway

[WW1 maps] [TWA maps] [Gradient Profile] [Buy the CD-ROM] [Links] [Mail Order]

Please visit the Welsh Highland Railway Society Mail Order site.

Background

There is a railway being re-instated between Caernarfon and Porthmadog in North Wales, called the Project Rheilffordd Eryri or Welsh Highland Railway Project. It consists of several sections of previous railways :

Caernarfon - Dinas This is part of the former standard gauge line from Caernarfon to Afonwen. The 25" to the mile large scale maps reproduced here date from c.1910, and show this railway as the L.& N.W.R., Carnarvonshire branch. The maps on this section also show the Nantlle tramway where it deviated from the standard gauge route.
 
Dinas - Rhyd Ddu The trackbed of the former North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway. This became part of the Welsh Highland Railway (1923-1937), but is shown on these maps as the N.W.N.G.R. There was also a branch to Bryngwyn which it is not planned to re-instate.
 
Rhyd Ddu - Croesor Junc The trackbed of the Welsh Highland Railway (1923-1937). Since these maps date from c.1910, this railway is not actually shown, but has been drawn on by hand to show its (later) route. The earthworks and forestry sidings of an earlier attempt to build this section are shown (the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway or P.B.& S.S.R.).
 
Croesor Junc - Porthmadog The trackbed of the Croesor Tramway, which became part of the Welsh Highland Railway (1923-1937). Since these maps date from c.1910, this is shown as the Croesor Tramway and includes a short section towards the Croesor valley from Croesor Junction. Also note there is no connection with the Festiniog Railway in Portmadoc.
WW1 Maps

To view the WW1 25 inch to the mile maps, click HERE and keep clicking on the rectangles until you find what you want.

Be warned that these large scale maps take up memory (15MB) and will take a long time to download.

The OS maps were originally collated in this format by Cedric Lodge and Ernie Preston.

TWA Maps

To view the 25 inch Construction maps (from the FR's Transport & Works Act application), click HERE and keep clicking on the rectangles until you find what you want.

Be warned that these large scale maps take up memory (7.5MB) and will take a long time to download.

Gradient Profile

Click on gradient profile for the proposed new track between Caernarfon and Porthmadog. These have been reproduced with the kind permission of the Ffestiniog Railway Company and are © FRC. They were drawn by John Sreeves from surveys carried out by him and his colleagues. Please note that they are the proposed gradients and heights, and will not necessarily be the final ones when the railway is built.

The gradient profile now includes Tryfan Junction - Rhostryfan.

Buy the CD-ROM

I have compiled a CD-ROM containing the gradient profiles and both the standard size WW1 maps (as shown on this site) and much larger size WW1 maps (4 times the area). These allow quick navigation to the area of interest, and then VERY detailed views. They are in a "navigable" format using Microsoft Internet Explorer as a browser, with directional arrows to move between maps in the same way they are presented here. The cost is only UKP £12.95

You will require a computer with CD-ROM drive, and Microsoft IE3 (or better, not Netscape Navigator). I would recommend a large monitor with high resolution graphics (at least 15" and 800 x 600) and a CD-ROM drive no more than 5 years old. To order, go to the Mail Order section.

Links

It is strongly recommended that you visit two very good websites :

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Please contact with any comments or questions about this website.

Authored by Steve Harris.  Last updated February 24th, 2008.