Tren Bach y Llan The Little Train to Llan Ffestiniog- A History of the Festiniog & Blaenau Railway

The history of the Festiniog & Blaenau Railway has long been overshadowed by its internationally renowned neighbour, the Ffestiniog Railway, even though the two made a junction at Blaenau Ffestiniog. This new account of the Festiniog & Blaenau Railway combines original research in local and national archives, including the financial records of the Company, together with information from local newspapers, to reflect the communities it served and the personalities involved, alongside the principal industry of the area, the extraction and processing of slate. The location of the Festiniog & Blaenau made it a player in the political manoeuvrings of the standard gauge L&NWR and GWR as those companies tried to gain access to the lucrative traffic in slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog. The account concludes with the eventual conversion of the Festiniog & Blaenau to standard gauge by the GWR’s puppet, the Bala & Festiniog Railway, and the fate of its players and ambitions.