User:NoelWalley/Sandbox

SANDBOX

Geology and natural history
The Great Orme is run as a nature reserve, with a number of protective designations (including Special Area of Conservation, Heritage Coast, Country Park, and Site of Special Scientific Interest), being an area two miles (3.2 km) long by one mile (1.6 km) wide. It is home to a long-established herd of several hundred feral Kashmir goats (a present from Queen Victoria). There are numerous paths for walking on the summit, including a section of the North Wales Path, a long distance route. About half the Great Orme is in use as farmland, mostly for sheep grazing.

The geology of the Great Orme is limestone and the surface is particularly noted for the limestone pavements covering several headland areas. There are also rich seams of copper ores.

The Great Orme has a very rich flora, including most notably the only known site of the critically endangered Wild Cotoneaster Cotoneaster cambricus, of which only six wild plants are known.

Many of the flowers growing in shallow lime-rich earth on the headland have developed from the alpine sub-arctic species that developed following the last ice-age.

Spring and early summer flowers include Bloody Cranesbill, Thrift and Sea Campion, clinging to the sheer rock face, while Pyramidal Orchid, Common Rockrose and Wild Thyme carpet the grassland. The old mines and quarries also provide suitable habitat for species of plants including Spring Squill growing on the old copper workings.

The White Horehound (marrubium vulgare), which is found growing on the western-most slopes of the Orme is said to have been used, and perhaps cultivated, by fourteenth century monks, no doubt to make herbal remedies including cough mixtures. The rare Horehound Plume Moth (pterophorus spilodactylus) lays her eggs amongst the silky leaves and its caterpillars rely for food solely upon this one plant.

The headland is the habitat of several endangered species of butterflies including the Silky Wave, the Silver Studded Blue (plebejus argus ssp. caernesis) and the Grayling (hipparchia ssp. semele thyone) These last two have adapted to the Great Orme by appearing earlier in the year to take advantage of the limestone flowers and grasses. Also they are smaller than in other parts of the country and are recognised as a definite sub-species.

The Great Orme is reported as the northernmost known habitat within Britain for several ‘southern’ species of spider notably: Segestria bavarica, Episinus truncatus, Micrargus laudatus, Drassyllus praeficus, Liocranum rupicola and Ozyptila scabricula.

The cliffs are host to colonies of seabirds (such as Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Razorbills and even Fulmars as well as Gulls). The Great Orme is also home to many resident and migrant land birds including Ravens, Little Owls and Peregrine Falcons.

Below the cliffs, the rockpools around the headland are a rich and varied habitat for aquatic plants and animals including barnacles, red beadlet anemones and hermit crabs.

Other rolling stock
For more detailed information on current and past rolling stock, visit the Railways own Heritage Group Wikipedia

These are the existing vehicles that are owned by or are permanently housed on the Ffestiniog Railway:-

Four-wheel passenger coaches and vans
The principal source of information for this table is the: "Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway Traveller's Guide" by the FR Company circa 2002, supplemented by later information as it becomes available.

Bogie passenger coaches and vans
The principal source of information for this table is the: "Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway Traveller's Guide" by the FR Company circa 2002, supplemented by later information as it becomes available. Updated with information from the General Appendix to the 2006 Rule Book

Goods Vehicles
The principal source of information for these tables is the: "Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway Traveller's Guide" by the FR Company supplemented by later information from the FR Heritage Group Chronology and the FR Heritage Group Wiki.