Glanllyn - the halt with 3 names

Glanllyn Halt (the first name)

This station was created by Bala & Dolgelley Railway solely for Sir Watkin-Williams-Wynne, who was a major shareholder and later a Director of the GWR. It was named after his house on the far shore of the lake, which has since become a multi-activity educational centre for Urdd (the Welsh Youth organisation).

Glanllyn Station circa 1960 in BR standard gauge days cppyright Bob Greenhalgh

The station building was originally built out of timber and clad in a rustic style with split logs. It consisted of featured a two small waiting places and in latter years a small booking office. A signal post was erected on the platform for the dual purpose of stopping the train. A flagpole was erected as well as a station nameboard proudly proclaiming the name of the little halt. A small stone faced platform was erected in front of the station building, edged with stone blocks.

At some time a small extension was added to the western end of the platform, built using bricks but strangely to a higher height than the original. Thinking is that as passenger coaches changed over the years the step down gap became to great, however the solution provided really make things worse instead of better. The "ski-jump" at the western end is clearly visible in the above photo.

Flag Halt (the second name)

When Sir Watkin-Williams-Wynne or any of his guests wished to cath the train, they were rowed across the lake by staff from the house and the signal post at Glanllyn was manually operated to signal the approaching train to stop.

Flag Station showing a reconstruction of the signal post and flag pole, both additions by Bala Lake Railway, along with the porch at the western end of the building copyright Keith Revell

When Sir Watkin-Williams-Wynne or any of his guests arrived at Glanllyn Halt by train, they alighted then raised the flag on the flagpole to signal that the boat should come across to collect them. And it was this practice of raising the flag to call the boat that gave the halt its secnd name. Flag Station had the distinction of being the only station on the Great Western Railway to be shown in the timetable by a nickname.

Into Preservation

When the standard gauge closed somehow Glanllyn escaped attacks by the railway vandals and all parts of it urvived remarkably intact. Perhaps this survival was aided because the station was still visible from Glanllyn House across the lake or perhaps it had more to do with the cottage that had been built between the railway and the lane, directly opposite Glanllyn Halt. This cottage was for many years occupied by railway staff, who I expect "adopted" Glanllyn.

When the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway was reborn on the original formation, its first terminus was created at Pentrepiod a flat (and at the time open) area at the bottom of the bank and just short of Glanllyn. Because there is no practical public access to the platform, a decision was taken early on forthe stationto be a non-advertised Halt (eg its not in the timetable) but to pick people up if they do signal the train to stop.

Society BBQ at Glanllyn 1989 copyright Bala Lake Railway Society

As the preserved Bala Lake Railway developed and its supporting Society was created, Glanllyn became the location of choice for Society BBQs. This was certainly so during the David Black years (as the railways Engineer), when many a fine repast was created and taken in the evening sunshine on the platform.

Santa's Halt (the third name)

Ever since 1991, every December for two days GlanLlyn/Flag Halt becomes Santa's Halt (or in Welsh - Arhosfa Sôrn Corn). It is to here that the very successful and popular small pushme/pullme train operates, delivering loads of excited children and their parents/guardians to visit Santa who resides in one of the waiting shelters and gives out presents to his visitors. The station is suitably dressed up for the occassion and becomes a hive of activity for those two days.

The first year the station became Santa's Halt (1991) before the front porch was added copyright John Harrison

In 1992 the porch was added to the front of the western end of the waiting building because the driving rain and whistling wind demanded that something was done - or else Santa was going on strike!

Santa Halt after the porch was added, with crowds waoting to see the great man copyright Bob Greenhalgh

A few years later the floor inside was patched up and a very energetic David Peaker laid and floated off a concrete floor that served to hold the sides together as well as provide a better floor to stand on.

Rebuilding Glanllyn/Flag/Santa's Halt

However, it was becoming increasingly apparant to everyone that the old building (well it was over 100 years old and built of timber) was slowly falling apart and worse than that - the whole thing wassliding into the farmers field behind the building.

After much discussion it was eventually agreed that a replacement building would be put up but to help reduce ongoing maintenance costs, the basic building would be made of concrete blocks, on a firm concrete base and only the outside would be clad in timber. The one concession to the past being that the rustic, split log appearance would be retained.

A design was agreed upon, contractor appointed, hefty financial contribution from the Society agreed and a start date determined. The Railway Company demolished the old building and cleared the site ready for the contractor to move straight in.

Demolition of the old Glanllyn building underway copyright Bala Lake Railway Society

However, as with everything, reconstruction was not easy - the whole building needed to be moved away from the roots of the 3 tall pines towards the Llanuwchllyn (western) end of the Halt, requiring the Railway to negotiate with the farmer who had the field behind the platform. Eventually an agreement acceptable to all was made and work could start.

The railways fleet of dropside bogie wagons was called on to move materials from the yard at Llanuwchllyn to the work site, which has limited access. However, the pallets the blocks arrived on were wider than some of out wagon, so some double handling was needed. The contractor had a Bobcat loader which greatly helped with material handling.

After it completed the loading at Llanuwchllyn, the Bobcat trundled down the lane to Glanllyn for the unloading. The narrow site - basically Flag Station platform was just wide enough for the machine to move the materials up to the work site. Unloading was done in the gateway to the farmers field at the Bala end of Flag Station platform. Once construction started, the new building rose rapidly from its new footings.

By the 28th October 2006 the roof was on and internal fitting out started. An internal door has been provided joining the "grotto" room to the "booking office space". The whole project was completed and the site c;eared by midNovember, just in time for the "set dressers" to move in and convert the station once again into Santa's temporary home.

The new building is almost complete copyright Daniel Newton

Hopefully, the "new" station building can give the line another 100 years of service.