The Industrial Revolution led to mills, factories, mines and
quarries appearing all over Britain. The railways were vital to
the success of these ventures. Trains brought in raw materials
and exported the products from each site but also transported
the mill workers, factory workers, miners and quarrymen. I’m
sure that the view at the time, was that they would never get
railways to the mines and quarries high up in the mountains of
Snowdonia. However, Victorian engineers weren’t daunted. I don’t
think they grasped the concept of impossibility. Instead they
just went ahead and built railways everywhere there was
sufficient demand . The trains also proved popular with visitors
to North Wales and as ambitions escalated, a railway was laid to
the top of Snowdon, the tallest mountain in Wales. Many of these
railways are now preserved and as “The Great Little Trains of
Wales” are now among the biggest visitor attractions in North
Wales. One such line is the Welsh Highland Line. This snakes
between Caernafon and Por