The Llandudno Branch - Part 2: Deganwy

It's a couple of weeks now since I posted part 1 of this look at the Llandudno branch and this time, we take a look at the intermediate, and smallest station of the three, Deganwy and its stunning backdrop of the beautiful Conwy estuary.

Looking out across the platform to the Conwy estuary. (My Photo)

History

As I mentioned before, the branch to Llandudno was opened in 1858 but it wasn't until 1866 that the first 'halt was opened at Deganwy on what was still a single-track line and it would be another 10 years before a 'proper' station was built to coincide with the widening of the branch to double-track working along its full length.

The event that really changed the railway landscape at Deganwy though was the opening of the narrow gauge (1 foot, 11 and 5/8ths inches) extension of the Conwy valley railway down to Blaenau Ffestiniog. This is where the famous Welsh slate quarries were and the plan was to transport the slate up the narrow gauge branch to Betws-y-Coed, and then transverse the slate trucks onto standard gauge trucks and onto Deganwy, where a dock was being built in the Conwy Estuary before being loaded onto ships to supply both the home and international markets.

Why was the Conwy valley branch extension built in Narrow Gauge?

Simply because the quarries own internal rail systems ran on this gauge of rails and on which the slate trucks would be pulled around by Welsh Mountain Ponies!

The plans for the dock were finalised in 1882 with work commencing in 1883. The dock finally opened in 1885 and slate began being shipped around the UK to Manchester, Portsmouth and Great Yarmouth as well as to more exotic locations such as Hamburg in Germany and Copenhagen in Denmark.

Unfortunately though, with the mining industry already just past its peak and the need for mechanical efficiency and the building of larger ships that weren't able to navigate into the Conwy estuary and the Deganwy dock, by 1913, only 9 ships used the dock and by 1930 it was all over. It had been built 10 years too late. No one wanted Welsh slate anymore. It was too expensive and builders preferred the much less expensive French imported slate or English clay roofing tiles.

The lines on the dock, however, remained until 1970. During the '60s, they were used as carriage sidings where old coaches would be stored until they were sent for cutting up at the breakers yards.

The only image of a railway on the dock I could find on the net, and showing carriages being stored in the sidings awaiting the 'torch' sometime in the '60s. (Photo courtesy of Eric Wilson)

Today....

..... there is but a double track running through the station which is a 'request stop' only station. I kid you not, you need to stick out your arm to get a train to stop there and pick you up.

As I said, stick out your thumb! (My photo)

The coal merchants have gone, the station buildings demolished and the huge variety of motive power that would have passed through, especially during summer months, to Llandudno has been replaced by an hourly class 150 and a twice a day service to Manchester Piccadilly hauled by an efficiently boring but very modern class 175.

One dreadfully boring Class 175 on its way to Manchester. (Photograph courtesy of @theroute19)

What's interesting about this picture is that a new sea wall was built behind the platform but originally, ahead shunt ran at the back of here where there is now a footpath and the original sea wall is to the extreme left.

I pity the modern train enthusiasts for the lack of variety of motive power....in probably the same way my Dad and Grandad pitied me in the '70s and '80s not being able to see Steam trains which I thought were old and boring!

Enough waffle, enjoy the pictures!

Let's go back to 1962 and this picture postcard showing a dirty old steam train coming into Deganwy from Llandudno Junction. Note the headshunt and spur off to the dock I mentioned on a previous photo on the right of this photo and the coal merchant's sidings to the left.

Almost an identical angle as the previous shot but taken in the '80s. (Photographer unknown.)

A view in the opposite direction taken in the '70s and with a very rare shot of what was the station building. The footbridge in the original structure from the late 19th century. (Photo courtesy of M.Henney)

Same footbridge, same location but now with a lick of paint and looking just as smart as the day it was constructed. (Photograph by me)

Looking towards Llandudno at the old signal box and semaphore 'home starter' which signals to the train about to leave that it's safe to proceed across the crossing.

Finally. A picture of the station pub! There's always a station pub even though no doubt it's currently closed due to the Covid crisis! (My photo)

And that's it! The final post will be about Llandudno Junction itself. Coming soon.

@nathen007

Thanks to this excellent article by Eric Wilson for the history lesson and to M.Henney and @theroute19 for the loan of their excellent pictures.

As always, I have pinned this to the wonderful @pinmapple.