Blaenau Ffestiniog beats at the heart of the Welsh-speaking heartland, pock-marked by its busy industrial past; Anglicised Llandudno is a snooty and sedate Victorian seaside resort that has long been a favourite with the masses from north west England.

Work started on this line in Llandudno in the 1860s, and by 1863 it reached Llanrwst, enticing tourists to the popular spa village of Trefriw just across the river.

By 1879 it made it to Blaenau, from where it carried slate to roof the world. It has largely survived the swingeing cuts to much of the rest of rural Wales’ rail network. by virtue of it continuing as a freight line until recent times as far as the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station – the track is still in place.

It proved a less controversial means of transportation than the roads for nuclear waste, as the UK’s only inland nuclear plant’s continuing decommissioning progressed.

It’s frequently punctuated by request halts, passengers on minuscule platforms at tiny little stations, with names like Pont y Pant that sound right out of the realm of Ivor the Engine, sticking their arm out to stop the train.

The train not having catering facilities, at the end of the line at what remains of Llandudno’s once impressive Victorian station, hop across the road for a welcome opportunity for a cuppa or a bite to eat at Café Monet in Vaughan Street. A filling breakfast costs £3.95, while a tasty jacket potato with curry will set you back £4.35.

With a service that runs basically once every three hours in each direction, and an all-day Rover ticket costing £6 for adults, there’s ample opportunity to hop off and do some exploring.

Llywelyn the Great’s birthplace in spectacular Dolwyddelan Castle, perched on a rocky outcrop, is just a short if bracing walk from the village’s picturesque little station.

From Pont y Pant station you can make your way to T Mawr Wybrnant, the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, the first translator of the Bible into Welsh.

Meanwhile Betws y Coed has a host of attractions right in the station complex, including shops and cafes and the fascinating Conwy Valley Railway Museum.