Let's Explore ... Barmouth Bridge

After visiting Dovey Junction, I stayed in Wales another day to tick off some request stops, and walk across and explore the magnificent Barmouth Bridge!
My Request Stop Map : geofftech.co.uk/downloads.html
The Fairbourne Railway : www.fairbournerailway.com/
Barmouth Ferry are on Facebook : Barmouthferr...

[@TeckPanda]

For anyone watching not from the UK this bridge is used SO MUCH in the news/weather shows. Literally any time the sea is even slightly stormy this bridge will appear with waves splashing against it.

[@badbob1982]

Scottish news loves the sea wall at Saltcoats. Usually the waves crashing over a 380 and probably flashing over the overhead lines.

[@TeckPanda]

@@badbob1982 yeah the Saltcoats one is always a favourite lol.

[@raymondhunt6109]

Lucky enough to live on the Cambrian Coast Line and during winter months we get free travel with our bus passes on the line from Pwhelli to Mac. Still get excited crossing the Barmouth bridge it's amazing!

[@geofftech2]

Ah! I thought this was just the Heart of Wales line, didint realise it happened here too … nice

[@TheWelshonesVideos]

@@geofftech2 It also is permitted to use your concessionary pass between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestinog

[@howardrisby9621]

​@@TheWelshonesVideosThat's a seriously steep line, which has caused visiting steam locos grief at times. Did you see the clip of a walk through the long tunnel, when the line was closed for flood repairs a few years back?

[@GuyChapman]

@@geofftech2are you going to do Machynlleth and the funicular?

[@rogink]

I'm not a Welsh speaker but I think Geoff did well with the Welsh place names. A bit spoilt by his pronunciation of Bar 'muth'!

[@fairbourne]

Thanks for the shout out for the Fairbourne Railway. Volunteers & staff very much appreciate it 😀

[@geofftech2]

No problem 👍 - i was there back in summer of 2021, and it's great! Couldn't make it this time tho!

[@patchso]

Thanks you guys for keeping it going!

[@chriscox4023]

Holidayed in Fairbourne in the 50’s and travelled there by train from Birmingham via Shrewsbury and the now missing line through Dolgellau. Used the miniature railway every day to ‘beach’ from our boarding house opposite the station. I have a ticket somewhere for 6p (2 1/2 p)

[@TSastronomy]

@@geofftech2 Hi Geoff, I'm not sure if you remember me but we met when you came to the Fairbourne railway in 2021, i Was driving your train from Barmouth ferry back to Fairbourne where we had a pleasant and if I remember correctly I gave you a small tour around the station. You said that you were going to make a video about Morfa when we were talking in Fairbourne and ever since then i have been keeping an eye out for it . I really enjoyed the video it was intriguing to see your old photos compared to how Morfa looks today, and thank you for the shout out for the Fairbourne. I wish you the best and hopefully see you back at the Fairbourne one day :)

[@LostsTVandRadio]

I like the signage outside the station in the town of Barmouth St Tion. Presumably Saint Tion was one of the lesser-known Welsh saints!

[@9cjl]

Very funny!😀

[@WesBergen]

Might be one of the very few gender-fluid saints. In a lot of other places it‘s called Sta.Tion.

[@LostsTVandRadio]

@@WesBergen Hee hee!😃

[@patchso]

I constantly fail to remember just how stunning the west coast of Wales is.

[@fluxplen9477]

As a teenager living just outside of london i've made it my mission to travel as much as i can and cross off every line and landmark on the tube and national rail, On our journey bucket list lies "Meeting Geoff During A Journey", Maybe one day i'll find myself in the tracks of a person that inspired me to begin these journeys

[@patchso]

Sounds like a plan. Good luck and enjoy!

[@marvelfan3148]

That is absolutely brilliant! Keep going and all the best on your onward and future travels ♥

[@motelghost477]

Railways and the seaside, two of my favourite things in the whole world.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

That sea looked really swimable didn’t it!

[@stevebarlow3154]

@@nigelkthomas9501 When I was a little boy my family used to come to Fairbourne for our summer holidays and I used the light railway many times. I used to go in the sea there, but I remember there always seemed to be lots of jellyfish there!

[@nigelkthomas9501]

@@stevebarlow3154 There can be at times, but they’re not deadly.

[@jimhearsonwriter]

I was surprised to see one train terminated at Birmingham International, but my mind was blown when your final destination was Abu Dhabi! That's quite the commute!

[@TSastronomy]

Hi Geoff, I'm not sure if you remember me but we met when you came to the Fairbourne railway in 2021, i Was driving your train from Barmouth ferry back to Fairbourne where we had a pleasant and if I remember correctly I gave you a small tour around the station. You said that you were going to make a video about Morfa when we were talking in Fairbourne and ever since then i have been keeping an eye out for it . I really enjoyed the video it was intriguing to see your old photos compared to how Morfa looks today, and thank you for the shout out for the Fairbourne. I wish you the best and hopefully see you back at the Fairbourne one day :)

[@HenrysAdventures]

Great to see Barmouth Bridge and the cute little stations on the Cambrian Coast. Really enjoyed this video!

[@Anonymoususer_2023]

The Cumbrian Coast Line and Barmouth Bridge is fabulous especially when you want to get away from the busy city life and to explore the peace and tranquility that West Wales has to offer. Very nice.

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

Wales IS beautiful, damn. In every video, also by JenOnTheMove and GLovesTrains, Wales proves itself amazing. Also: In this video is a great example of how level boarding could speed up the dwell time... (8:44)

[@MrCherryJuice]

Now I want to visit these villages and see this countryside. What a wonderful world to discover.

[@jenphillips3212]

I find it very frustrating, that even though I am in the same county of Gwynedd as Barmouth, to get to Barmouth on a national rail train I'd have to go to Chester, then Shrewsbury, before going to Aberystwyth.

[@thetrainandbusfinatic4094]

Fairbourne Miniature Railway is a lovely line. Being a volunteer on the Ruislip Lido Railway I was there when our Mad Bess went visiting last weekend!

[@simonpudsey2450]

I travelled this line recently as part of a ‘no car’ break in Wales and, having grown up overlooking the station at Kirkby in Furness I was astounded at how beautiful this line is. I felt… duplicitous, but I’m looking forward to exploring it more! For the record I got the bus from Dolgellau to Barmouth, the train to Porthmadog and the Welsh highland railway to Caernarfon and then reversed it all for a full day out. It was stunning.

[@Sim0nTrains]

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! But what became a disaster at Barmouth made day more 'action packed' and honestly enjoyed the video

[@unsc95]

I live in Aberystwyth and it takes roughly the same amount of time to travel by train to Shrewsbury as it does to get to Barmouth

[@Maltloaflegrande]

On the subject of irony, you can't travel by train from West Wales to either North Wales or South Wales without leaving Wales.

[@unsc95]

@@Maltloaflegrande I am very aware of that. It can easily take over 5 hours to get from here to Swansea by train

[@Maltloaflegrande]

@@unsc95 They should never have allowed the Aber- Carmarthen route to be pulled up.

[@unsc95]

@@Maltloaflegrande There have been talks about it being redone, but there seems to be a lot of stalling. Most locals want it done though

[@norbitonflyer5625]

@@Maltloaflegrande You can get from the west coast to the north coast by train if you use the Ffestiniog railway.

[@luk3c1ary]

From a young age, your videos have made me passionate and interested in railways, especially the Tube, and now I'm proud to work there, getting paid to geek out about trains! 😅Thank you for making these videos! 🚆🖤

[@historyfred]

I have literally just arrived near Barmouth, my Truman show instinct is off the chart

[@historyfred]

Also Llwyngwril station used to be a lot bigger, at one point having a passing loop, signal box and a small goods yard with a camping coach, it's all gone now but you can still see the second platform covered in ivy. Llwyngwril has a great tradition of wool bombing with various knitted items appearing all over the village but especially at the station, I've seen a wollen TARDIS , mermaid and troll all on the platform.

[@badbob1982]

Sometimes the matrix code is lazy.

[@malcolmknight6450]

As a 15 year old in 1958 I took the train from London to Criccieth. It was steam double headed from Shrewsbury and obviously Barmouth Bridge left a lasting memory but not just for the view. After stopping at a station just to the north of the bridge there must be a steep incline because both engines ran out of puff. We had to reverse back over the bridge and take a non-stop run through the station to get up the hill.

[@tropicalpalmtree]

I live near this bridge! Thanks for showcasing it!

[@01jvb]

The Mawddach Trail can also be cycled and is one of the best cycle rides in the UK, in my opinion. There's cycle hire places at both ends and it is very popular.

[@howardrisby9621]

When I first knew it, much ballast was still on the closed Bala line towards Dolgellau. So were all the overgrown, disused platforms.

[@MancAlB]

Geoff! Just wanted to say thank you for all the amazing videos that you create. You have such a lovely style, which is equal parts interesting, introspective and fun. Always a joy to see a new video. Long may it continue!

[@geofftech2]

thanks David, that's extremely kind of you - and i do indeed deliberately try to style up factual alongside fun, as it's a great mix to do!

[@Nooticus]

agreed!

[@class50thrasher]

Barmouth is a beautiful spot to get photos, thats why i love it so much!

[@DonningtonCastleModelRailway]

Very fond memories of school trips to Fairbourne and rock climbing in the hills above Barmouth. Great to have the memories brought back by the video, thanks Geoff!

[@howardrisby9621]

The views from Dinas Oleu across the estuary are stunning.

[@smjrn63]

How lovely it is. I must admit my time in Wales was limited to getting off the ferry from Dublin at Holyhead. After spending several sleepless hours on the ferry and in the train station, I promptly fell asleep on the train and missed the sights. Your videos are making me wish I was visiting the U. K. this year. I am looking forward to the next video.

[@ybot1]

I adore Aberdyfi, and this little pocket of the world; grew up spending all my summers on that beach a family friend used to run the donkey rides on it from 2006-2020 and even managed to win Britain's best beach donkey in 2008.

[@davidmiller6728]

Had a splendid holiday in Llwyngwril back in the 1970s. Travelled by loco hauled train from Sheffield (24s??). Visited the Talylyn and Fairbourne railways and climbed Cader Idris. Had an enjoyable day out in Barmouth shopping in Woolworths. These days might struggle to climb Barmouth high street. Old age.

[@malcolmelliott1876]

During the ear;y 80s i used to do the Grantham to Pwhelli trip, via Nottingham, Derby, Shrewsbury... often on the last service of the evening. Used to stop the 150 at every request stop, check for sluggish passengers then switch the lights out. Took forever but great trip.

[@colwichjunction3366]

A part of the world very close to my heart. My Grandparents had a caravan at Talybont & the line passed right by, most summer holidays were spent there for years☀️ Last time I crossed the bridge by cycle the metalwork was in a terrible state (2019) I had cycled the Mawddach Trail from Dolgellau, a beautiful ride if you ever fancy it. Fantastic to see that NR have finally returned the bridge back to its former glory & hopefully it will last for many more years to come👍 The whole Cambrian coast line is one of my favourite journeys by train anywhere, we spend a lot of time near Welshpool now & still take the train just for a day out along the coast. Great video Geoff, keep them coming. Cheers John B😎

[@AFCManUk]

On holiday in Snowdonia in 1992/3, we were staying in Trawsfynydd, but most evenings we'd head into Barmouth for dinner. It's no longer there, but there used to be a Fish and Chip shop that had THE tastiest chips in the Country!!

[@stephenpegum9776]

That was very naughty of you Geoff to nick the letter 'A' from the Barmouth Station sign (see 6:23) !! 😎😱

[@geofftech2]

Ha ha! I missed that. How did i miss that? WHERE IS THE A!

[@stephenpegum9776]

@@geofftech2 Probably on the wall in your living room !! 🤣

[@fumthings]

@@geofftech2 i thought you might "fix" the sign in the edit...

[@JamesFluker]

​@@geofftech2Barmouth St Tion

[@TheDaf95xf]

Hi 👋🏻 Geoff 😊 great video with lots of information as always 👍🏻 Great use of the class 158s 🤣

[@martinhonor3483]

In 1970 I attended my first ever Scout camp at Arthog, just a little way up the estuary from the bridge. Twice we walked from the site to Barmouth and back via the bridge, but I don't remember any tolls/trolls then. This summer I will returning to North Wales for holiday and hope to travel at least part of the Cambrian Coast Line.

[@Nooticus]

Yet another absolutely awesome video in every way Geoff. Love the request stop videos more than anything else you do I think!

[@davidioanhedges]

Lovely Barmouth - and Barmouth Saint Tion

[@michaelessig6376]

You win the multimodal medal for this trip. Thanks for showing the bus. Have you considered packing a brompton folding bike for the bits between the stations? May let you get more stops on the same day.

[@DingeZZ]

Very nice shot at 3:37, where you can see the point where the old bullhead rail is connected to the newer Vignoles rail.

[@acfbrown1]

Looks glorious. I have never been to Barmouth.

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

I loved driving the buses around there, yes did work for Lloyds coaches, a fantastic company to work for

[@peterbrown1012]

You should walk the old railway from Hooton to West Kirby. They kept the station at Hadlow Road, Willaston, as a museum. There is tons of history on the route, at Neston, nearby at little Neston is the birthplace of Lady Hamilton, Dove cottage, at Parkgate is the house she took holidays when she lived in London and the Port whete Handle sailed from to perform The Messiah in Dublin, at Thurstaton is the home of Thomas Ismay of Tittanic fame, and so much more on the route.

[@hdng1984]

Have you done the viaduct at Arnside yet? You may enjoy that - carry on to Grange-Over-Sands and you'll see some incredible scenery. Also, I absolutely love Barmouth. Often go for holiday. I'm having a rotten day, so feeling some whimsical nostalgia is really helping me. Thanks Geoff :)

[@travelswithjess]

Great video Geoff as always 😀

[@DualorProductions]

Great video, another intersting place and even better a cycle trail that I'm going to give a go. Thanks Geoff :)

[@Thomas_TdK]

Went on vacation to porthmadog last year. We went by train and de last part of the journey was this line. just beautiful. greetings from the Netherlands

[@Robslondon]

Lovely video Geoff, makes me want to pay a visit myself 😊

[@philh1462]

It's just so unutterably beautiful in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@DJGreedyG2009]

My late Dad's friend had a caravan in Barmouth and we'd go there for a fortnight in the summer when I was a lad in the 70s. Lovely place.

[@ColinOBear]

I have an enduring memory of being in Barmouth and seeing the last train to Pwllheli appear to float across the sky as it crossed the bridge in the dark with only the internal lights visible. ❤❤

[@ApertureWindowsandDoors-ro7gc]

I love trains

[@PeterGaunt]

What a lovely part of the world.

[@we.love.dennis.rickman]

Just settled down with a cuppa and a biscuit for this 🤩

[@petermarcham8729]

Thank you for this video Geoff. One of your most enjoyable adventures for me, as I used to visit this area around Barmouth and Llanbedr when I was a child.

[@mtrmotrio3963]

i find truly amazin that this line runs with etcs

[@user-ck3uu8rj3x]

I used to live in Llanbedr. Beautiful area. The Welsh folk there are very friendly, the English residents... less so.

[@LeoStarrenburg]

I had the pleasure of crossing the viaduct in an early DMU (construction date, not silly o'clock), giving me a beautiful view of it. If possible try to visit the line in the stormy autumn season, it's quite a different scene then !

[@GunnerOz]

What a great little area that is

[@Mach_One_Photos]

the metal spans were completely replaced during a three month closure starting September 2023 and the new bridge does not have the functionality to swing open. but all the mechanism that once allowed the swing bridge to open is still in place to comply with the Grade 2 listing of the bridge

[@MrCJSutcliffe]

Yet another story of when the trains fail you (in a way), the bus saves you in rural Wales. We cut a connection across the town of Welshpool too fine last summer, and were saved by a local bus that took us to Shrewsbury so we could connect to get home.

[@MrGreatplum]

One of the first holidays I remember was a camping holiday when I was about 5 in the mid 80s. We were staying near Morfa Mawddach station and I remember walking across the bridge and taking a (very old) train back! Fun memories.

[@nimeshfernando8665]

Love your videos Geoff..amazing content, train fan myself watching all the way from Australia

[@masonlawson649]

Brilliant, a first-class broadcast. Thank you

[@chrisbaete5842]

This is a really lovely part of Wales. I have been to Barmouth a few times and stayed in Pensarn for weekend breaks. Love the dedication to keep these quieter lines and stations open

[@Ashthetrain]

I remember going on holiday to Pwllheli back in arriva train years and we took the train to Morfa mawddach and I remember my dad saying to the guard that we where getting off here and then we walked on barmoth bridge.

[@badbob1982]

The juxtaposition of the old and new on that line is worth a mention. Not only do you have quaint antiquities like the Barmouth Viaduct and the late 80s BR rolling stock, but also state of the art signalling. Much of the Cambrian Coast is signalled with European Train Control System, which is the lineside control part of the European Rail Traffic Management System. Cambrian Coast was chosen as it operates relatively self contained, isn’t particularly complex and has very little mixed traffic (like freight). Its existing signalling was also life expired and Network Rail needed a test bed for implementation. Tell tale signs are the fixed block markers (the yellow on blue arrows) that replace signals and the metric speed signs (white on black, instead of the usual black on white or black on yellow - for enhanced permissable speed - seen elsewhere). Eventually ETCS will be everywhere, and all new signalling installs have passive capability to support it. There is now a couple of other testbeds for ETCS, but the Cambrian Coast was at the cutting edge.

[@bubblebus1]

A great location with much railway history. The train journey gives wonderful views of the sea and hills; far better than by car.

[@derekp2674]

Thanks Geoff, great to see you out and about here. I use Penhelig fairly often, if I have time to walk the beach from Tywyn and then through all of Aberdovey or if I have been enjoying the food and drink at the Penhelig Arms Hotel.

[@WordNerd1971]

Lovely to see you exploring an area I used to know well, the Mawddach Estuary area is beautiful, with lots to interesting railway fans to boot. Your pronunciation of Pwllheli puts a smile on my face every time.

[@john07973]

Good stuff 👍🏻

[@michaelwhiles5282]

Geoff - missed you by just a week - fab little route, the walk takes you down to the George Hotel and a toll bridge for cars, back to Barmouth the rail/ foot/cycle bridge is simply outstanding ....catch ya next time.

[@domc8247]

I always go to Barmouth on holiday and I’m planning to walk the bridge this year. This video is really useful. Really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work.

[@angelsone-five7912]

Barmouth swing bridge is the one featured in the Arthur Askey film "The ghost train".

[@chrisneale7453]

Based on the play written by Arnold Ridley ?

[@angelsone-five7912]

@@chrisneale7453 That`s the one.

[@MrKpsuk84]

This reminds me a lot of the Cumbrian coast and all the villages around Morecambe Bay

[@badbob1982]

I decided to travel round that last year for the first time, and was blown away by how beautiful it is. Normally we whip through Cumbria on the eastern edge of the Lakes at 100mph, but the western side is spectacular. Easily rivals lines like the Cambrian and the West Highland and totally neglected north of Barrow.

[@RatelHBadger]

That is an absolutely spectacular beachside station at Llanaber. I would compare it to the station at Mana (on the Wellington to Kapiti line here in New Zealand). Or what was Muri station just a little north, and on a hilltop.

[@philiptaylor7902]

One of my earliest memories is of crossing the Barmouth ferry. It was a tiny boat and a huge river, I was not a happy child. On the other side a train pulled up out of nowhere (the Fairbourne Railway) and my father and brothers got off - this simply blew my toddler's brain.

[@ianiansymes]

Amazing that you can get a direct train from rural Wales to Abu Dhabi.

[@robertsamuels2141]

Great video, Geoff, many thanks. My mother-in-law lives in Borth, and this is definitely a trip we shall make next time we visit this wonderful and beautiful part of Wales. I also appreciate the way you know pronounce Dyfi correctly after meeting the locals.

[@peterhunt2723]

First went over on the Cambrian Coast Express in 1961….awesome!

[@jeffwiseman3840]

Delightful video. Have you ever considered doing a world tour, stopping in the places that are deeply into the use of trains, e.g. Japan?

[@markh5481]

Some superb photography there and very impressive doing it all within the time constraints of catching the various trains. It's a lovely trip along the coast down to Barmouth, I did the "Round Robin" ticket last year and the run back to Shrewsbury was the final leg of the trip. An excellent video.

[@marthaanderson2656]

what a lovely day out Great bird song at Penhelig

[@phwbooth]

I first travelled to Barmouth, on the through train from Birkenhead Woodside, on a family holiday in 1955.

[@howardrisby9621]

Was that via Afon Wen or Ruabon?

[@phwbooth]

@@howardrisby9621 Ruabon. All stations except Bonwm Halt.

[@phwbooth]

Fast to Ruabon, slow to Barmouth.

[@emilycollison8129]

You gotta pay the toll troll, its always sunny in Barmouth!

[@king_artur]

Fun to see Machynlleth in one of your videos, used to spend Christmas there with my family

[@MrKmunro]

Has Geoff considered visiting the recently reopened Troon Station ticket office, which was destroyed by fire a few years ago? It will have a grand opening just in time for the British Open Golf Championship being held at Royal Troon. It's a beautiful station on the Ayrshire Coast mainline between Ayr and Glasgow Central.

[@lapiswake6583]

I did Tywyn to Barmouth, walked to Morfa Mawddach (crossing the bridge just after sunset, it got lovely and dark under the full moon), and then rode back to Tywyn a couple of months ago, after riding behind Sir Haydn on the Talyllyn railway all day. We stayed in Machynlleth that night, and did the Talyllyn behind Dolgoch the following day too.

[@HenrysAviation]

Great video Geoff - very entertaining! Such a beautiful part of the world, would love to visit one day.

[@truckmaniacyt]

Went here a few weeks ago, a great place to go if in North Wales!

[@MsLancer99]

That part of Wales is a fantastic and beautiful place to go and see on a nice sunny day. But on a heavy cloudy or rainy day it's not so nice. I enjoyed you blog

[@borthcymro1265]

Back in the eighties, I used to travel to school in Barmouth from Porthmadog daily by train. One lasting memory I have is how the sea used to batter the wall running parallel to Llanaber during rough weather resulting in huge waves crashing against the old DMU windows (and in many cases soaking those inside) Happy memories!

[@maryapatterson]

😂

[@TheLauraaaaaaaaaa]

was at Aberdovey and Penhelig last year, really nice area to be in, and 158s seem to be staying too

[@TheLauraaaaaaaaaa]

tho weirdly, when i was there in the summer it was absolutely packed with people, more than at Aberdovey

[@MrsPetuniaC]

Geoff, thanks so much for all the videos you make, it's a highlight of my day to see a new one pop up on my notifications! I'm looking forward to Wixams station opening this year (hopefully) and your coverage of it!

[@geofftech2]

ah, thank you! very kind. Yeah i don't think Wixams will open this year, it'll be 2025 at the earliest ....

[@royedwards8713]

nice video 👌

[@neilbain8736]

I never knew you could walk across. It's something I'd really like to do. It's a bridge I really like. I saw it on a hanging card as a kid in a friend's shop window, and it looked amazing with all these stilts sticking out of a huge expanse of sand. Also there's the comedy festival.

[@joewarren2602]

Looks beautiful

[@owenmair3751]

Nice one Geoff your videos are amazing

[@RichardWells1]

Charming...! More please!

[@Royal_Mykovskoy]

This is one of my favourite lines and I loved watching it and also going on fairbournrs railway

[@elainemulberryrat5300]

Lovely scenery. Nice video.❤