The Snowdonian

Just a quick post tonight, actually from Wales.  A bit of a multi-purpose visit this, part family holiday, part photography jaunt, and part needing somewhere to get some articles written.  Anyway, the start of the week saw me (Ben) and Elder Child chasing "The Snowdonian" railtour on the Welsh Highland Railway...

This is an absolutely mammoth railtour, which does return trips over both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways on the same day, with a variety of motive power.  For the WHR leg this year saw the use of two new-build replica engines, both Lynton and Barnstaple Railway machines, "Lyd" and "Lyn".

The weather was crisp and clear, the train was interesting and worth chasing, it was all terribly nice- which is why it was sods law that on the way to Wales the car was hit by debris kicked up by a speeding Audi on the M6 and the windscreen was chipped for the second time in two months.  Luckily we found the one local garage open at 8.30am to get it fixed, and the train-chasing could start.

Having got the train at Porthmadog, we decided the best spot for the evening where the light would be in the right place would be Pont Croeser, just outside Porthmadog.

We briefly investigated the station itself...

...and then the riverside, which is normally a reasonable spot, but the sun was in the wrong place (and the river too rough for a good reflection).

Decent view up towards Cnicht.

We'd arrived an hour before the train, to have a nice relaxed-setup, which was good as ten minutes before the train came quite a few other photographers rocked up.  One seemed a bit miffed we were in the spot he wanted, but then you snooze you loose I suppose...

"Lyn"

The train stopped for a few minutes in Pont Croeser station, and we popped over for a few pics, even though it was shooting into the light.  We were happy with the main pic though (the shot at the top of the page), and it allowed me to tick off one of the photography tasks of the holiday.