Evan Robert Davies
| Evan Robert Davies | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1870 Llannor |
| Died | 1934 |
| Employer | Festiniog Railway |
| Occupation | Manager |
| Predecessor | Colonel Holman Fred Stephens |
| Successor | Robert Evans |
| Official positions held: | |
| FR Co. Exec | 12.1921 - 12.1934 |
| FR People | WHR People | |
Evan Robert Davies was born at Llannor in 1870. Prior to service on the FR Board, he also served on the WHR Board, and previous to that, apparently, the NWNG board. He succeeded Colonel Stephens to become FR Company Manager from October 1931 - December 1934. He built up the tourist traffic so that between 1930 and 1934 ordinary passenger figures rose from 10,000 to 55,000. From 1930 winter passenger services had ceased.
He marketed the summer-only service by developing road/rail tours of various types, some embracing both the FR and WHR and other tours used the FR for the first stage of tours on to the standard gauge lines to other coastal resorts. He realised that much of the summer traffic must emanate from North Wales resorts of Colwyn Bay, Llandudno etc. and set out to promote an extensive advertising scheme backed by circular tours which brought people down the Conway Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog and then over the FR to Portmadoc or even by the WHR to Dinas Junction and so home.
This was the era of the "Festiniog Toy Railway" posters and leaflets and the tourist hostel at Boston Lodge![citation needed] He died of a stroke in 1934, to be succeeded by Robert Evans.
A solicitor by trade, he invested heavily in the merged North Wales railways.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Boyd, James I.C. (1975) [1959]. The Festiniog Railway 1800 - 1974; Vol. 1 - History and Route. Blandford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-8536-1167-X. OCLC 2074549.