View source for Minffordd railway station

{{Short description|Railway station in Gwynedd, Wales}}{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name                = Minffordd
| symbol_location     = gb
| symbol              = rail
| image               = Minffordd Stn.jpg
| caption             = The upper ([[Ffestiniog Railway]]) level of Minffordd station
| borough             = [[Minffordd]], [[Gwynedd]]
| country             = Wales
| coordinates         = {{coord|52.926|-4.084|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name           = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
| grid_position       = {{gbmapscaled|SH599385|25|SH599385}}
| manager             = [[Ffestiniog Railway]] (upper level)<br />[[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]] (lower level)
| platforms           = 2 ([[narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]])<br />1 ([[standard gauge]])
| code                = MFF
| classification      = [[United Kingdom railway station categories|DfT category]] F2
| original            = [[Ffestiniog Railway]] (upper)<br />[[Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway]] (lower)
| pregroup            = [[Cambrian Railways]] (lower)
| years               = March 1871
| events              = Festiniog station opened<ref name=butt161>Butt (1995), page 161</ref>
| years1              = 1 August 1872
| events1             = [[Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway]] platform opened<ref name=butt161/>
| years2              = 1887
| events2             = Present station buildings constructed
| years3              = 15 September 1939
| events3             = Festiniog Railway services withdrawn
| years4              = 19 May 1956
| events4             = Festiniog Railway services resume<ref name=butt161/>
| years5              = 1964
| events5             = Mainline station became unstaffed
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 14,562}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 8,314}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 13,658}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 14,932}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 15,982}}
| footnotes           = Passenger statistics from the [[Office of Rail and Road]]
}}
'''Minffordd railway station''' (translation ''Roadside'', literally ''Lip of the Road'') is a pair of adjacent stations on separate lines in Gwynedd, Wales. The mainline station opened as Minfford Junction on 1&nbsp;August 1872 at the point where the then recently built [[Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway]] line from [[Dovey Junction]] to [[Pwllheli]] (latterly to become part of the [[Cambrian Railways]]) passes under the earlier narrow gauge [[Ffestiniog Railway]]. The latter was built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from [[Blaenau Ffestiniog]] to [[Porthmadog]] for export by sea, and had carried passengers from 1865 onwards. The station was renamed Minffordd in 1890.

A short walk, advertised near the station, leads to [[Portmeirion]].

== Standard gauge facilities ==
[[File:Minffordd railway station (geograph 7578572).jpg|thumb|left|Looking south along the National Rail platform. The southern end, beyond the bridge is disused. To the left, behind the shelter, is the ramp to the subway under the [[Ffestiniog Railway]].]]
The [[standard gauge]] station consists of a single platform with a simple shelter linked to the narrow gauge station by way of an underbridge and a pedestrian ramp. Access to the [[Cambrian Line]] is thus by way of the Ffestiniog Railway "Up" platform. Passenger service on the Ffestiniog Railway was withdrawn on 15 September 1939, and reopened to Minffordd 19 May 1956, but easy pedestrian access to the Cambrian Line was maintained throughout the closed period. Mr Parry, [[Great Western Railway|GWR]] and [[British Railways|BR]] stationmaster at Minffordd for 40 years, retired in 1964 and the BR station then became an unstaffed halt. At some point the facilities were replaced by the standard small halt "bus stop" shelter.

== Narrow gauge facilities ==
[[File:'David Lloyd George' Arriving at Minffordd - geograph.org.uk - 6224304.jpg|thumb|right|[[List of Festiniog Railway rolling stock|'David Lloyd George']] Arriving at Minffordd]]
[[File:Minffordd6293207.JPG|thumb|right|The Ffestiniog Railway down platform]]
The present substantial stone built Ffestiniog Railway station buildings, at a height of {{convert|85|m}} above sea level and a distance of just over {{convert|2|mi|km}} from {{Stnlnk|Porthmadog Harbour}}, are on the "Up" platform and date from 1887, but there is as yet little evidence of earlier buildings. There was a small wooden building on the "Down" platform and this building (possibly dating from the 1870s) was in a derelict condition when it was demolished in 1956. A replica was completed in spring 2002 and was later shortlisted in the National Railway Heritage Awards (2002).

At the beginning of 2011 the line was temporarily severed at the north east end of the station between the end of the loop at Cae Ednyfed Cottage and Bron Turner crossing for the construction of the [[A487 road|Porthmadog bypass]]. The new bridge is wide enough for the passing loop to be extended.

== Passenger interchange ==
[[File:Transport Interchange at Minffordd.jpg|thumb|left|Transport Interchange at Minffordd – bus stop on far left of picture; left of picture ramp/subway to National Rail platform; and centre/right Ffestiniog Railway tracks, ends of platforms and foot crossing, and in the middle, the slope down to the [[Cambrian Coast Line]] platform.]]
[[File:Minffordd Station Boards.jpg|thumb|right|Minffordd [[Running in board|Station Boards]]]]
Passenger interchange between standard gauge and narrow gauge railways in the UK has never been common. The facility at Minffordd with the close proximity of lines is the earliest, 1872, and is still in regular use. There is no evidence of joint timetabling between the gauges here.

During the late 1950s and the 1960s the interchange saw much use by chartered trains bringing visitors to the Ffestiniog Railway. Following the reopening of the joint [[Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station]] in 1982, most chartered trains now operate by that route.

There have been several notable visitors using Minffordd station. The first was on 27 August 1889 when [[Prince Henry of Battenberg|Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg]] arrived from [[Barmouth]] by Cambrian Railways [[Royal train]]. They were received at Minffordd Junction by Mr & Mrs Williams of [[Castell Deudraeth]]. A guard of honour was mounted by the 2nd Volunteer Battalion [[Royal Welsh Fusiliers]] and the royal party were conducted by Mr Williams to the Ffestiniog railway station where they joined a special train to {{Stnlnk|Tan-y-Bwlch}}. They took tea at [[Plas Tan-y-Bwlch]] with Mr & Mrs Oakeley while the Oakeley Silver Band played on the terrace. Mr Oakeley afterwards drove the prince and princess to Maentwrog Road station, for their return by the [[Great Western Railway]] Royal Train to [[Llandderfel]].<ref>John Harrison; Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.126, Autumn 1989, (Visit of Prince Henry of Battenberg page 252)</ref>

Dr [[Hastings Banda]], President of [[Malawi]], accompanied by [[Lord Snowdon]] and the [[Secretary of State for Wales]] visited the railway on 23 May 1968.<ref>P.R. Pennington; Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.43, Winter 1968 p16 (also No41 p4), (State Visit)</ref> Seven years later, on 25 July 1975, [[Princess Margaret]], [[David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon|Viscount Linley]] and [[Lady Sarah Chatto|Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones]] travelled from Minffordd in a special train to view the Festiniog Railway Deviation. Lord Linley travelled on the footplate for part of the journey.<ref>News; Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.70, Autumn 75 pp3-5, (Royal Visit)</ref>
[[File:Minfford railway station geograph-3277115-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|right|Two Ffestiniog locomotives at Minfford, 1964]]
After first inspecting [[Barmouth Bridge]], the chairman of the British Railways Board, [[Peter Parker (British businessman)|Sir Peter Parker]], arrived at Minffordd on 17 June 1980 in an inspection saloon hauled by a motor parcels van, as locomotives were not at that time allowed over the [[Barmouth Bridge]]. On the Festiniog Railway, Sir Peter travelled on the footplate from Minffordd as far as Tan-y-Bwlch before continuing to {{Stnlnk|Tanygrisiau}} and then by road to [[Blaenau Ffestiniog]].<ref>News; Festiniog Railway Magazine (FR Society), No.90, Winter 1968 p5, (Visit of BR Chairman)</ref>

== Other railway facilities at Minffordd ==
To the railway historian and, indeed, the railway archaeologist, the railways at Minffordd are of considerable interest.

=== Minffordd Junction Goods and Minerals Exchange Yard ===
[[File:Maenofferen.jpg|thumb|right|The Minffordd Yard]]
The adjacent Minffordd Yard, the former exchange yard between standard gauge and narrow gauge railways, can only be accessed by rail from the down platform of Minffordd station. The exchange sidings laid out in 1872 to the design of [[The Spooners of Porthmadog|Charles Easton Spooner]] the great advocate of narrow gauge railways, whose book "Narrow Gauge Railways" was published in 1871, were extensive and at first were heavily used primarily for the [[transshipment]] of coal and goods destined for Blaenau Ffestiniog. This traffic declined rapidly after the [[LNWR]] reached Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1879. Outwards slate traffic by rail from Minffordd did, however, develop and in time surpassed the sea bound traffic via Porthmadog as the volume being exported declined. This slate traffic by rail from Minffordd (ironically, after 1946, using slate brought by road from Blaenau Ffestiniog) lasted until the early 1960s. Minffordd yard is now used exclusively for Ffestiniog Railway purposes and the standard gauge connection was removed in 1973.

=== Minffordd volunteers' hostel ===
A new and purpose designed volunteers’ hostel was built between 1992 and 1998 in two stages on land between the railway and the exchange sidings. This hostel replaced a temporary hostel established in Minffordd Yard in 1978. The hostel provides residential accommodation for volunteer staff working on this heritage railway.

=== Minffordd – Lottie’s Cottage ===
This Grade 2 Listed building was the crossing keeper's house and was the home of the late Mrs Lottie Edwards, for many years the Quarry Lane Crossing Keeper, and of her late husband Dai Edwards, a railway ganger. It has been restored in their memory. The cottage adjoins the gate, which has now been replaced by an automated system.

=== Cae Ednyfed ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Ffestiniog Railway]] -->
{{langx|en|Ednyfed’s field}}

This farm provided stabling for some of the horses used on the railway prior to 1863. These horses operated between Boston Lodge and [[Rhiw Goch]], hauling empty slate wagons uphill. 

Nos. 1, 2 & 3 Cae Ednyfed – The three terraced cottages behind the water tower at Minffordd station are thought to have been used originally in connection with horse traction, possibly as stables. Nos 1 and 2 Cae Ednyfed have recently been combined into a single dwelling.

=== Minffordd weighbridge ===
A pair of railway wagon weighbridges existed side by side, outside the weighbridge office (that still exists) next to the railway crossing at the road entrance to Minffordd exchange sidings and to the volunteers' hostel. The remains of these weighbridges rest in two slate wagons in the yard. The weighbridge office underwent a major refurbishment in 2007–08.

== Services ==
{{s-rail-start}}
{{s-rail|title=National Rail}}
{{rail line |next=[[Penrhyndeudraeth railway station|Penrhyndeudraeth]] |route=[[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]]<br /><small>[[Cambrian Coast Line]]</small> |previous=[[Porthmadog railway station|Porthmadog]]|col={{KAW colour}} |lightcol={{CV colour|Cambrian}} }}
{{Heritage rail insert}}
{{rail line|previous={{rws|Boston Lodge Halt}}|next={{rws|Penrhyn}}|route=[[Ffestiniog Railway]]<br /><small>Porthmadog – Blaenau Ffestiniog</small>|col={{heritage rail colour|line=Ffestiniog Railway}} }}
{{Historical Rail Insert}}
{{rail line|previous={{rws|Porthmadog}}<br /><small>Line and station open</small>|next={{rws|Penrhyndeudraeth}}<br /><small>Line and station open</small>
|route=[[Cambrian Railways]]<br /><small>[[Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway]]</small> |col={{Cambrian colour}}
}}
{{s-end}}

== References ==

=== Notes ===
<!-- This sub section contains the notes from within the main body of the article -->
{{reflist}}

=== Sources ===
<!-- This sub section lists all the various sources relevant to the article -->
* {{Boyd-FR1}}
* {{Boyd-FR2}}
* {{Butt-Stations}}
* C.E.Spooner; Narrow Gauge Railways, 1871,
* {{Jowett-Atlas}}
* {{Jowett-Nationalised}}
* [http://www.festrail.co.uk/ The Ffestiniog Railway Company's web site]
* [http://www.festrail.co.uk/timetable-fr.htm?mn=3&sm=3-0 Ffestiniog Railway Timetables] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321043735/http://www.festrail.co.uk/timetable-fr.htm?mn=3&sm=3-0 |date=21 March 2013 }}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=Porthmadog to Blaenau|first1=Vic|last1=Mitchell|first2=Keith|last2=Smith|at=figs. 43–55|publisher=Middleton Press|location=West Sussex|year=1995|isbn=9781873793503|oclc=877269886}}

== External links ==
{{commons category-inline|Minffordd railway station}}
{{stn art lrnk|MFF}}

{{Gwynedd railway stations}}
{{Ffestiniog Railway}}
{{Railway stations served by Transport for Wales}}
{{Festiniog Railway Company}}

[[Category:Heritage railway stations in Gwynedd]]
[[Category:DfT Category F2 stations]]
[[Category:Ffestiniog Railway]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1871]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1939]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1956]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Gwynedd]]
[[Category:Former Cambrian Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1872]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by Transport for Wales Rail]]
[[Category:Penrhyndeudraeth]]