The Ffestiniog Railway is one of Britain's great narrow-gauge lines, built in the 1830s to carry slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog down to the harbour at Porthmadog. Today the steam trains make the same mountain-to-sea journey for travellers.
The ride is the best way to understand Blaenau's position in the slate landscape. It starts among quarry tips and high ground, then drops through woods and valleys toward the coast.