Uploaded July 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
On July 18, 2022, the hottest day ever recorded in Wales at 37C (98.6F) I was trying to escape the heat by heading into the mountains of Snowdonia. In the little village of Llanberis, nestled between the Llyn (Lake) Padarn and the foot of Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), are two steam railways that were continuing to run their normal schedules in spite of the rising temperature. First is the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a 2ft 7.5in gauge cog railway that climbs all the way to the summit of its namesake mountain, the highest peak in Wales and England. Just across the street from their base station is the terminus of the Llanberis Lake Railway, a 2ft gauge line running past the remains of the Dinorwic and Vivian slate quarries and the National Slate Museum before traveling out along the shore of the Llyn Padarn. Both railways were running steam on this day. The Snowdon Mountain was running with their no. 3 "Wyddfa," an 1895 Swiss 0-4-2RT named after the mountain it has been climbing for almost 130 years. The Llanberis Lake was running their no. 3 "Dolbadarn," a 1922 Hunslet 0-4-0T that once worked the nearby Dinorwic Quarry and was named for the castle ruin that watches over Llanberis.
On July 18, 2022, the hottest day ever recorded in Wales at 37C (98.6F) I was trying to escape the heat by heading into the mountains of Snowdonia. In the little village of Llanberis, nestled between the Llyn (Lake) Padarn and the foot of Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), are two steam railways that were continuing to run their normal schedules in spite of the rising temperature. First is the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a 2ft 7.5in gauge cog railway that climbs all the way to the summit of its namesake mountain, the highest peak in Wales and England. Just across the street from their base station is the terminus of the Llanberis Lake Railway, a 2ft gauge line running past the remains of the Dinorwic and Vivian slate quarries and the National Slate Museum before traveling out along the shore of the Llyn Padarn. Both railways were running steam on this day. The Snowdon Mountain was running with their no. 3 "Wyddfa," an 1895 Swiss 0-4-2RT named after the mountain it has been climbing for almost 130 years. The Llanberis Lake was running their no. 3 "Dolbadarn," a 1922 Hunslet 0-4-0T that once worked the nearby Dinorwic Quarry and was named for the castle ruin that watches over Llanberis.
