Three Towns Forum
The Local => Times Past => Topic started by: DaveR on September 20, 2010, 06:53:17 pm
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I'm just about old enough to remember the Welsh Ffargo (a pun on Wells Fargo) Land Train in Colwyn Bay, that ran from the Eirias Park Arches (seen in first photo) up into Eirias Park by the Boating Lake. Tourists were encouraged to ride the Miniature Steam Railway along from the Pier to the Eirias Park Arches, then take the Welsh Ffargo up into Eirias Park, where it would travel around the Boating Lake and then stop outside the Pavilion (which had cafe/amusements/exhibitions etc).
Here's some 1970s postcards of it in action:
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[smg id=559]
Maybe you're thinking that it all looks good and you'd like to visit?? Sadly, the Welsh Ffargo disappeared many years ago, as did the Miniature Steam Railway, the Pier is currently closed and semi-derelict, the Boating Lake is now an overgrown mess, the Pavilion in Eirias Park was destroyed by fire (vandals) in the 1980s and never replaced...
No idea what year the Welsh Ffargo stopped running though, anyone know?
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*&( I'm sure I rode on that and I definately used to ride on the miniature railway (and the miniature railway in Rhyl too which is still running :))
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Some pics of the miniature railway that used to run along the Prom here:
http://miniaturerailwayphotos.fotopic.net/c1294904.html (http://miniaturerailwayphotos.fotopic.net/c1294904.html)
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Some pics of the miniature railway that used to run along the Prom here:
http://miniaturerailwayphotos.fotopic.net/c1294904.html (http://miniaturerailwayphotos.fotopic.net/c1294904.html)
*&( I remember the railway, but that has to be the oddest looking locomotive that I've ever seen :o I notice that the date on the pics says 1985, my memories are from the sixties, now I can't remember what the engine looked like back then but surely it was better looking than that :)
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The railway was closed down in 1988. Just as our kids were old enough to ride it....
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I have some postcards of the Railway in the 1960s, which I will put if later if I remember. There was also a Miniature Railway running around Eirias park in the 1990s.
"During the early 1990s the 10 1/4" gauge portable Narrower Gauge Railway finally found a permanent home in Eirias Park in Colwyn Bay. A scenic 400 yard loop of track was laid and the line operated a daily summer schedule for the next 4 or 5 years. It finally closed in the late 1990s."
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/2942365959_e5cec41abd_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/2942365959/)
Eirias Park Railway, Colwyn Bay (mid 1990s) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/2942365959/#) by trainsandstuff (http://www.flickr.com/people/trainsandstuff/), on Flickr
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4875913442_38e9e16e03_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/4875913442/)Narrower Gauge Railway, Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay - Leaflet from 1994 (inside) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/4875913442/#) by trainsandstuff (http://www.flickr.com/people/trainsandstuff/), on Flickr
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4875310113_7805c73497_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/4875310113/)
Narrower Gauge Railway, Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay - Leaflet from 1994 (outside) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/4875310113/#) by trainsandstuff (http://www.flickr.com/people/trainsandstuff/), on Flickr
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Never knew about that.
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Nor me!! How I missed it I dont know. Ive taken my children and grandchildren to Eirias over many,many years. Ive never even seen or heard anything in any papers
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Nor me!! How I missed it I dont know. Ive taken my children and grandchildren to Eirias over many,many years. Ive never even seen or heard anything in any papers
That probably explains why it is no longer there. No-one knew about it!
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I'd have loved a ride on that, never knew it was there!
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I'd have loved a ride on that, never knew it was there!
It was probably at some other location when you went there:
Britain's largest portable railway
Our portable track, complete with loco and rolling stock, is available for hire at special events.
Further details are available from Narrower Gauge Railways, Blaenau Ffestiniog Tel 0766-831500
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That railway also appeared for two years in the Extravaganza.
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I remember the locomotive that ran along the prom and actually rode on it a couple of times as a kid, (financed by my Gran).
Unfortunately I never rode on the Welsh Fargo train, though I still do remember it.
As for the mysterious Eirias Park railway, the first I knew of it was here, lol.
:-X
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My Grandfather drove the Welsh Ffargo back in the 1970s and 1980s I used to spend my school holidays jumping on and off this little train and I appeared in a post card if I can find the card will post backhere, At Christmas time there would be another driver as my grandfather would play father Christmas around Colwyn Bay sat in one of the carriages I had the pleasure at the end of my Grandfathers working day to drive the train to its parking compound soon after I ended up working on the boating lake not been back for many years will have to pay another visit sometime
I'm just about old enough to remember the Welsh Ffargo (a pun on Wells Fargo) Land Train in Colwyn Bay, that ran from the Eirias Park Arches (seen in first photo) up into Eirias Park by the Boating Lake. Tourists were encouraged to ride the Miniature Steam Railway along from the Pier to the Eirias Park Arches, then take the Welsh Ffargo up into Eirias Park, where it would travel around the Boating Lake and then stop outside the Pavilion (which had cafe/amusements/exhibitions etc).
Here's some 1970s postcards of it in action:
[smg id=558]
[smg id=557]
[smg id=559]
Maybe you're thinking that it all looks good and you'd like to visit?? Sadly, the Welsh Ffargo disappeared many years ago, as did the Miniature Steam Railway, the Pier is currently closed and semi-derelict, the Boating Lake is now an overgrown mess, the Pavilion in Eirias Park was destroyed by fire (vandals) in the 1980s and never replaced...
No idea what year the Welsh Ffargo stopped running though, anyone know?