Bala (New) railway station explained

Bala
Status:	Disused
Borough:	Bala, Gwynedd
Country:	Wales
Coordinates:	52.9126°N -3.5942°W
Grid Name:	Grid reference
Platforms:	2
Original:	Bala and Festiniog Railway
Pregroup:	Great Western Railway
Years:	1 November 1882
Events:	Opened
Years1:	18 January 1965
Events1:	Closed

Bala railway station was on the Great Western Railway's Bala Ffestiniog Line in Wales. It replaced the first Bala station which was further away from the town, on the Ruabon–Barmouth line.

The route to Blaenau was single track throughout. The stations at Bala, Arenig, Trawsfynydd and Festiniog had two platforms, each with its own track. This both allowed for potential traffic and provided passing loops. A fifth loop was provided between 1908 and 1950 immediately north of Cwm Prysor, when intermittent heavy military traffic to and from was likely.

Decline

The line northwards to Blaenau Ffestiniog closed to passengers on 2 January 1960 and to freight on 27 January 1961, following a "Last Train" special a week earlier.^[1] The short section to Bala Junction closed on 18 January 1965.

The goods shed was an unusual feature. Local landowner Mr. Price of Rhiwlas objected to the construction of the line, and to appease him the goods shed was built to resemble a castle, with mock battlements and turrets.*

There was a small engine shed - a sub-shed of Croes Newydd - to the south east of the station. It opened and closed with the line and was subsequently demolished.

History

The station was opened by the Bala and Festiniog Railway, which was bought by the Great Western Railway in 1910. The station passed to the Western Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. It was closed by the British Transport Commission.

The site today

The station was demolished and a fire station built on the site. The goods yard is now in light industrial use.

Sources

• Book: Bannister, Geoffrey F. . Branch Line Byways Volume 2 Central Wales . 1987 . Atlantic Transport Publishers . . 978-0-906899-26-7 .
• Book: Bannister, Geoffrey F. . Great Western Steam off the Beaten Track . 1975 . D. Bradford Barton . . 978-0-85153-161-8 .
• Boyd . James I.C. . James I.C. Boyd . K.G. . Mansell . October 1959 . Bala & Festiniog Section - W.R. . Railway World . 20 . 233 . Railway World Limited . .
  • • Book: Christiansen . Rex . Forgotten Railways: North and Mid Wales . 1976 . . . 978-0-7153-7059-9 . registration .
• Clemens . Jim . North Wales Steam Lines (DVD) . 2003 . 1959 . B&R Video Productions . . The Jim Clemens Collection No.6 . Vol 79 .
  • Book: Johnson . Peter . North Wales (Celebration of Steam) . 1995 . . . 978-0-7110-2378-9 .
  • Book: Mitchell . Vic . Smith . Keith . Bala to Llandudno: Featuring Blaenau Ffestiniog . 2010 . Middleton Press (MD) . . 978-1-906008-87-1 .
  • Book: Southern . D. W. . Bala Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog . Scenes from the Past, Railways of North Wales, No. 25 . 1995 . Foxline Publishing . . 978-1-870119-34-4 .
• Book: Turner, Alun . Gwynedd's Lost Railways . 2003 . Stenlake Publishing . . 978-1-84033-259-9 .

Further material

• Coleford . I. C. . Martin . Smith . October 2010 . By GWR to Blaenau Ffestiniog (Part One) . Railway Bylines . 15 . 11 . Irwell Press Limited . .
• Coleford . I. C. . Martin . Smith . November 2010 . By GWR to Blaenau Ffestiniog (Part Two) . Railway Bylines . 15 . 12 . Irwell Press Limited . .
• Cowlishaw . Brian . North Wales Branches (DVD) . 2001 . 1961 . B&R Video Productions . . Ultimate Archive Steam . Vol 38 .
• Ferris . Tom . British Railways Volume 4 - Bewdley To Blaenau (DVD) . 2004 . 1961 . demanddvd . DEMDVD084.

External links

• The station site on a navigable OS Map, via National Library of Scotland
• The station on a navigable 1953 OS map, via npe Maps
• The station and line, via Rail Map Online
• The line LJT2 with mileages, via Railway Codes
• Remisinscences by a local railwayman, via Forgotten Relics
• Images of the station, via Yahoo
• Festiniog and Blaenau Railway, via Festipedia
• Driver's view north of Bala to Blaenau, via YouTube
• Train leaving the station, via alamy
• Several photos of the line, via Penmorfa
• Several photos of the line, via Penmorfa
• The line in 2009, via The Railway Muddler
• The station, via RailScot
• A special through the station site, via 2D53
• 1960 Working timetable, via 2D53
• Details of Summer 1989 excursions through the station, via Six Bells Junction
• Deatails and photos of 22 Jan 1961 railtour, via Six Bells Junction
• The 1961 last train special, via YouTube
• An inspection saloon ride on the line, Part 1, via YouTube
• An inspection saloon ride on the line, Part 2, via YouTube
• Mothballed tracks at the station site in 2015, via RailScot
• Signal box diagram, via Signalling Record Society

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1961 last train at Bala, Arenig and Cwm Prysor Viaduct . NW Rail .