📋 Tender Overview
As Part Of The Railway200 Celebrations, WeRe Shining A Light On Ffestiniog Tunnel And The Extraordinary Engineering Behind The Conwy Valley Line Going Underground The 28 Miles Of Conwy Valley Line From Llandudno Junction To Blaenau Ffestiniog Takes You Through A Tapestry Of Incredible North Wales Scenery. From Industrial Landscapes, Through Ancient Woodland, Windswept Moors And Rugged Snowdonian Peaks, It Showcases Every Element Of The AreaS Natural Beauty. However, This LineS Engineering Marvel Lies In The Silence And Darkness, Not The Views. A 2.5 Mile, Five Minute Interval Of Almost Total Darkness Beneath The Surrounding Hills, Ffestiniog Tunnel Is The Longest Unlined Tunnel In The Uk. This Means It Was Built Initially With No Structural Additions, No Concrete Or Steel Reinforcement, Just The Prevailing Strength Of The Surrounding Rock. On The Slate The Area Around Blaenau Ffestiniog Was Already Established As A Major Slate Quarrying Area Over Half A Century Before The Tunnel Was Built, Its Quarries Echoing With The Sounds Of Chisels And Carts. The Now Heritage Ffestiniog Narrow Gauge Line Opened In 1836 To Transport Slate From The Quarries Of Blaenau Ffestiniog To The Harbour At Porthmadog. However, Visionaries At The London And North Western Railway (Lnwr) Saw A Wider Opportunity; Connecting Blaenau And Its Quarries And Mines Directly To The National Rail Network Would Improve Access For Workers And Tourists, As Well Open Up Export Routes Into EnglandS Growing Industrial Heartlands. The Major Hurdle To Making This A Reality? A Big Hill - Or Dewey In Hillwalker Speak - Named Moel Dyrnogydd. But Even Deweys WonT Stop Determined Engineers. Finding A Way Labouring In Dark, Harsh Conditions Using Only Basic Tools And Explosives To Excavate Their Way Through To A Summit Of 790 Feet Above Sea Level Was Never Going To Be Easy. In 1873, The Tunnel Was Started. Over Six Long Years, Workers Dug Deep, At Times Encountering Slate So Resistant It Snapped Tools And Wore Out Drill Bits Faster Than They Could Be Replaced. However, Determination, Perseverance And Ingenuity Won Through, And In July 1879 A Terminus Was Opened By The Tunnel Entrance. By 1881, The Line Reached Into The Heart Of Blaenau Itself. ItS Great, But... The Unlined Nature Of The Tunnel, Combined With The Effects Of Time And Nature, Meant Rockfalls And Water Ingress Became More Frequent, Affecting The Reliability And Safe Performance Of The Railway. However, In 2019, Network Rail Approved A Ps2.1M Rockfall Protection Netting System To Improve The Safety And Reliability Of The Tunnel. Over 21 Days, Contractor Griffiths Civil Engineering Installed 600 2.5M Stainless Steel Rock Bolts And 1500M2 Of High Tensile Stainless Steel Rockfall Netting, Giving This Victorian Marvel A Renewed Strength Without Stealing Its Soul. Getting Back On Track Most Of BlaenauS Mines Have Grown Quiet, But Not All Have Been Forgotten. Ffestiniog Quarry, Once Part Of The Mighty Oakeley Complex, Has Reemerged From Retirement. Its Slate - Fine, Light And Blue-Grey - Now Finds Pride Of Place Atop St Pancras Station, The Rijksmuseum In Amsterdam, And BelgiumS Westerloo Town Hall. While ItS A Far Cry From Its Heyday When Blaenau Ffestiniog Employed Over 2,500 People And Produced Millions Of Slates Annually, The Revival Signals A Renewed Appreciation For The AreaS Geological Heritage And Craftsmanship. And, As It Has For 150 Years, The Tunnel Will Be Waiting To Get People In And Slate Out, Navigating Through Adversity - Geological, Financial, And Social - And Emerging With Its Legacy Intact. *** Mynd Nol I Flaenau Ffestiniog Mae Rheilffordd Dyffryn Conwy, SyN Rhedeg O Gyffordd Llandudno I Flaenau Ffestiniog, Yn Teithio Trwy 28 O Filltiroedd O Olygfeydd Syfrdanol Gogledd Cymru. O Dirweddau Diwydiannol, Trwy Goetir Hynafol, Rhosydd Gwyntog A Mynyddoedd Geirwon Eryri - Gallwch Weld Holl Elfennau Harddwch Naturiol Yr Ardal O Deithio Ar Ei Hyd. Fodd Bynnag, Mae Rhyfeddod Peirianyddol Y Llinell Yn Llechu Mewn Tawelwch A Thywyllwch, Nid Yn Y Golygfeydd. Twnnel Blaenau Ffestiniog, SyN 2.5 Milltir A Bron Pum Munud O Dywyllwch Pur Dan Y Bryniau Cyfagos, YwR Twnnel Hiraf Heb Leinin Yn Y Du. Mae Hyn Yn Golygu Nad Oes Gan Y Twnnel Unrhyw Ychwanegiadau Strwythurol A Dim Atgyfnerthiadau Concrid Neu Ddur - Dim Ond Cryfder Cyffredin Y Graig Gyfagos. Tirwedd Llechi Sefydlwyd Yr Ardal O Amgylch Blaenau Yn Brif Ardal Llechi Mwy Na Hanner Canrif Cyn AdeiladuR Twnnel, GydaI ChwareliN Atsain O Synau Moelion A Cherti. Yn 1836, Agorwyd Rheilffordd Gul Ffestiniog, Sydd Bellach Yn Rheilffordd Dreftadaeth, I Gludo Llechi O Chwareli Blaenau Ffestiniog IR Porthladd Ym Mhorthmadog. Fodd Bynnag, Gwelodd Arloeswyr Cwmni Rheilffordd Llundain AR Gogledd Orllewin (Lnwr) Gyfle Ehangach: Byddai Cysylltu Blaenau AI ChwareliN Uniongyrchol AR Rhwydwaith Rheilffyrdd Cenedlaethol Yn Gwella Mynediad I Weithwyr A Thwristiaid, Ac Yn Agor Llwybrau Allforio I Gadarnleoedd Diwydiannol Lloegr A Oedd Yn Tyfu. Y Prif Rwystr I WiredduR Freuddwyd? Bryn Mawr - Neu Dewey I Rai SyN Cerdded Mynyddoedd - OR Enw Moel Dyrnogydd. Ond Nid Oedd HynnyN Ddigon I Atal Peirianwyr Penderfynol. Dod O Hyd IR Ffordd Nid Peth Hawdd Oedd Llafurio Mewn Amgylchiadau Tywyll A Chaled, Yn Defnyddio Offer Sylfaenol A Ffrwydron I GloddioR Ffordd Trwy Gopa SyN 790 O Droedfeddi Uwchlaw Lefel Y Mor. Dechreuodd Y Gwaith O GloddioR Twnnel Yn 1873, A BuR Gweithwyr Yn Ymlwybro Ynddo Am Chwe Blynedd. Ar Adegau, Byddent Yn Dod Ar Draws Llechen Mor Galed ByddaiN TorriR Cyfarpar Ac Yn Treulio Darnau DriliauN Gynt Nag Yr Oedd Modd Eu Hadnewyddu. Fodd Bynnag, Enillodd Penderfyniad, Dyfalbarhad A Dyfeisgarwch Y Dydd, Ac Agorwyd Terminws Yn Ymyl Ceg Y Twnnel Ym Mis Gorffennaf 1879. Erbyn 1881, Roedd Y Llinell Wedi Cyrraedd Canol Blaenau. Y Broblem Yw... Roedd Y Ffaith Nad Oedd Gan Y Twnnel Leinin, WediI Chyfuno Ag Effeithiau Amser A Natur, Yn Golygu Bod Cerrig Yn Cwympo A Dwr Yn Treiddio IR Twnnel Yn Fwyfwy Aml, Gan Effeithio Ar Ddibynadwyedd A Pherfformiad
