The avalanche shelter on coast of Wales that was built after two tragic events

Friog avalanche shelter, near Fairbourne
-Credit: (Image: Dominic Vacher)


The Cambrian Coast Railway is one of the most beautiful routes in the UK. It winds along the coastline of Gwynedd and Ceredigion and offers passengers some of Wales's finest views.

But its location also presented challenges for engineers back in the 1860s in parts of the line where the mountains and cliffs of Wales come right up to the sea. One of those points is Gallt Ffynnon yr Hydd - between Fairbourne and Llangwril.

It saw a ledge cut into the hillside for the railway to pass through. But the rail line suffered from sea erosion and underground streams that disturbed the hillside.

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The ledge was shored up but a proposal for a railway tunnel to divert the track was turned down due to the cost.

Sadly over the decades this stretch saw two tragedies with lives lost in both. The first was on New Year's Day in 1883 when a passenger train travelling up the coast from Machynlleth ran into fallen debris on the tracks.

The locomotive, named Pegasus, was deflected and fell to the shore 30 metres below - killing its driver and fireman (stoker). Thankfully the carriages behind stayed on the track.

Historypoints.org named both of the deceased as William Davies from Porthmadog. More than £122 was collected for their families.

Just over 50 years later another locomotive crew died at the same place on 6 March 1933 as they took a mail and passenger train northwards.

Fallen debris, including a retaining wall from the road above, diverted their engine over the parapet alongside the track. All three carriages and the milk van at the rear stayed on the ledge. The driver was named as John Humphreys, aged 58, the fireman John Price Kenny, 30, both of Machynlleth.

This finally led to action being taken by Great Western Railway. They built the 56 metres long Friog avalanche shelter in the 1930s.

Friog avalanche shelter, near Fairbourne -Credit:Dominic Vacher
Friog avalanche shelter, near Fairbourne -Credit:Dominic Vacher

It is made from reinforced concrete and its sloping top deflects falling debris downwards. The shelter remains in place today - continuing to protect the line and those who travel along it.

The structure was captured this month by photographer Dominic Vacher as a train approached it from the Fairbourne direction.

He shared information online about the shelter's history.

One person responded: "Having travelled to Barmouth by train a few times we have often wondered what that open sided concrete structure was and now we know, thanks you for this information."

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