By fortuitous coincidence, the Welsh Highland Railway will also be completed this coming weekend. A brave attempt there, guys, but you’re just a week too late.

Frankly, they’ve had millions of pounds in funding, an army of volunteers and over ten years (politely overlooking the prior sixty years when they all sat on their backsides and let the trackbed moulder) to reach this point, so we’re not much impressed by their slow progress. OK, maybe their railway is slightly bigger and marginally longer, but if you can’t beat some rank amateur messing about in his garden with all those resources at your disposal, maybe it is time to get out of the railway-building business?

Kidding. Heartfelt congratulations to everyone who has worked on this so hard for so long, from both sides of the Aberglaslyn Pass. Wish we could be there, but alas it won’t be possible. One day, we will make it up there for a ride along the whole line. (And one day much further than that into the future, I’m going to do the old Chester - (Bangor) - Caernarvon - Portmadoc - Blaenau Ffestiniog - Llandudno - Chester tour by rail.)

Update, 20090302: Pictures and video of the event.