Summit Cutting
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Summit Cutting or Power Station Summit (behind the pumped storage power station at Tanygrisiau, opened 1963) is the highest point of the continuous gradient from Boston Lodge, and therefore the highest point from which any gravity run could be made. Beyond this point the line drops at approx 1 in 75 down to the original formation at Tanygrisiau. As the line leaves the north end of the cutting, it crosses a private (Electricity Board) road which is known as Valvehouse Crossing. At one time it was known as Penstocks Road Crossing.
Notice the additional rails in the final picture, laid outside the normal running rails. These were installed to satisfy the CEGB, as a precaution against derailments breaching the high pressure penstocks pipes that run below the railway just here and to prevent a derailed train going into the power station compound and getting mixed up with high voltage electricity.
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The start of excavations for Summit Cutting, 1976 -
Excavations at Summit Cutting, 1977 -
Excavations for Summit Cutting,1977 -
Merddin Emrys on down train passes behind the CEGB's Ffestiniog Power Station. 1979 -
The penstocks viaduct under construction in May 1977.
