McAlpine

Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd was the company responsibile for the construction work required for the development of the WHR. They carried out the work from March 1922 to May 1923 using a number of Locomotives used on the original Welsh Highland Railway. Although the company of Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd had only existed as such since 1918, in the previous 49 years it had grown under similar names and associates. In the 1920s and 1930s operations devolved to area operating companies.

The work carried out was

• Refurbishment of the NWNGR main line from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu
• Completion (including deviations) of Rhyd Ddu - Beddgelert
• New route Beddgelert - Aberglaslyn
• Completion of PBSSR route from Aberglaslyn Pass to Croesor Junction
• Refurbishment from Croesor Junction to Porthmadog
• Part new route from Portmadoc GWR Crossing to FR Harbour Station

There was also a second McAlpine company until 2008

Until the end of 2007, an offshoot, by now totally separate company, Alfred McAlpine, owned and worked the former Oakeley Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and also the new Cwt-y-Bugail (Bwlch y Slaters) quarry at Manod. The operations named were sold off following financial irregularities to a newcomer, Rigcycle, a company linked to construction group Lagan. Around the same time, the Alfred McAlpine company was sold to the Carillion group

Sir William McAlpine is the great grandson of founder Sir Robert

See also

• WHR Locomotives

References

• Bradley, Vic (1993) [1992]. Industrial Locomotives of North Wales. London: Industrial Railway Society. ISBN 0-9010-9672-5. OCLC 27769657.