Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway

The Portmadoc, Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway was incorporated in 1901 but never opened to traffic.

The proposal was for a 1 ft 11¹⁄₂ in (597 mm) gauge electric railway using three phase alternating current - a system devised by Ganz of Budapest.

Ten electric locomotives were ordered from Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. of Edinburgh (who held a licence from Ganz) and at least six were actually built, although none were delivered. All six were scrapped during the first world war. The electrification project was abandoned about 1906 and a steam locomotive "Russell" was ordered from the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds.

All work was abandoned in 1908, the P.B.S.S.R. never opened to traffic and "Russell" was loaned to the nearby North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways.

The P.B.S.S.R. and N.W.N.G.R. were later amalgamated and became the Welsh Highland Railway. Some work undertaken for the P.B.S.S.R. was used for the Welsh Highland. The unused bridge ("Bridge to nowhere") by the Goat Hotel at Beddgelert and nearby bridge abutments in a field are some of the remains of the 1906 construction works.

References

Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Group Wiki

See also

• British narrow gauge railways