2009 - A difficult year for the WHHR?

Last time I was in Pwllheli, the only reasonable sized shop was Woolworth s - and that will be gone within the week.

What others are in the militant Chamber of Trade?

 

Not my words.... but I quite agree though, Pwllheli has something special to offer.

 

They didn't use the word 'center' did they????!!!!!

Pwllheli in the good ol' USofA!

 

Yes they did.... English their second language I guess.... but then again, they didn't feel the need for four question marks and five exclamation marks following a single word!

 

Is this the same Pwllheli in North Wales i visited last year ?, doesn't sound like it!, it has nothing on Port and im not just saying that because of the latters rail bias.

 

Yep the very same.... I would think that it depends on what you are looking for David, we all have different expectations.

 

The Mitre is a good pub to spend a couple of hours in while waiting for the train to go back, they do good food and beer.

Mark

 

Couldn't agree more David,
No doubt will most of the travellers who venture to Pwllheli on the Cambrian will also agree once they have sampled it.

 

Take the railway interests out of Portmadoc and what have you left though? A huge choice in tacky gift shops, a few dodgy looking fried chicken outlets and Tescos.
Pwllheli at least has a beach and a sea front. \/

 

The point I was attempting to make is about the creeping 'Americanism' that has entered our language. First or second language. It really hacks me off to see it. Almost as bad as using 'are' for 'our'. Look, no spurious punctuation. 8-[

 

I think that a decent summer may be the best boost to trade for the WHHR, the WHR and the FR ? Especially if the pound is weak against the Euro this coming summer. At the end of the day who really wants to visit Wales on a wet summers day, unless you happen to be having a mooch round the slate caverns or suchlike? You only have to read this last summer's Cambrian thread to see that it seemed to rain for the duration of July and August, the reason we didn't get to travel on it as a family this year.
Lets hope it is a warm, dry summer this time and trade picks up for all, [-o<
(not too dry that NR impose a steam ban!)
Neil.

 

Indeed Neil.... options and plemty of them..... North Wales has so much to offer.

 

Can't see why people find problems or excuses for not going to Wales or anywhere else. I have visited Wales at least 3 or 4 times a year for over 50 years.
I am now an OAP living on the East Coast with a car that cost me £95 and an umbrella that cost my wife about a fiver, the combined use of the two purchases has meant this year we have visited Wales 5 times, with many visits to Portmadoc and Pwllheli.
Come snow, rain,ice or sunshine,we have the lot most years, we have always enjoyed our visits and see no reason why the weather should make any difference to us going again.
As for comparing the two towns, why, both have their very good points, both are well worth visiting.
Cheers Bernard

 

A couple of thoughts/observations re the WHR...
With hindsight would the WHR(C) been better off over the last 5 years or so using a rebuilt Bryngwyn branch and running waste trains to Cilgwyn land fill site whilst continuing the rebuild to Portmadoc? Thereby they would have a year round revenue stream without the uncertainty of the tourist industry and the Welsh weather, plus all the hassle of selling tickets, souveiners, cleaning coaches etc. Dinas would have made an excellent waste transfer station and reduced many lorry miles for for CGC dustcarts.
On another point I was passing through Portmadoc yesterday. About 50 yards short of the cross town link I hit traffic. I wasn`t timing it but I think it took me close on 5 minutes to cross the area that would need to be clear for a train to pass over the bridge. Thinking the area would need to be cleared a couple of minutes before the train was due, plus at least two minutes for the train to cross and clear the road it looks like the road might have to be shut for around ten minutes each time a train crosses the bridge. This isn`t half going to cause bedlam in the High Street. Bearing in mind this was in the middle of winter and the gas board weren`t busy digging up the High Street just to add to the chaos...

 

That's an interesting lateral idea, but it would have been short-term thinking though - the Cilgwyn landfill closed permanently yesterday...!

 

The folks at the WHHR are amongst the friendliest and most welcoming anywhere in the heritage railway world. The teashop is excellent and the bookshop is dangerously good as well!

Ian King
WHR(C) volunteer

 

Thanks Ian! :smt058

Mark

 

What, with a rope worked incline crossing a road? The safety case for that would be interesting.

Anyway, Cilgwyn's now closed and is going to be capped, so there is no more traffic to be had. Whether the couple of years traffic they would have got (it would have taken time and money to build the Bryngwyn branch, its rather more than a spur!) would have paid for the cost of reinstating it is surely doubtful. And I think, despite the fact there are grand views to be had from up there, it would then have become a liability, no matter how interesting us lot would have found it.

Portmadoc is having a bypass built, no doubt that contributed to the decision to allow the WHR to cross the main street. Although I fear the bypass won't benefit the town in terms of trade - they always seem to start a decline, in the short term at least. (Maybe because passing motorists never see that there might be something worth stopping for?)

Agree about the WHHR bookshop and caff!

 

Cilgwyn isn't the only hole in the ground in that area.... :-k
If in doubt, buy slate quarry.... lateral thinking.... or is it? lol

 

Anyone know if there are any plans to complete the Bryngwyn branch as a footway? There was a bit reopened with some useful information boards but I think its still overgrown at Tryfan junction and fenced off below the incline. Now the WHR is unwalkable, it would be nice to carve out a walk.

Any plans for the flattened top of Cilgwyn tip? Nice view but some fencing needed to stop tip scrambling.