WHR

WHR

News Archive Page

2024

February

V4.1 updated 1/4/24

with news to 29/2/24

Newly archived sections are placed at the top of this page.

Looking back 15 years

It is 15 years since the WHR was finally linked to the FR on 28/2/2009. Reproduced below is the coverage of the event from this website's archives and a contemporaneous F&WHR video.

Click on the YouTube link to watch 5 minutes 30 seconds of video showing the Golden Bolts ceremony on 28/2/09. This video is copyright F&WHR and was published on 3/09. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod on a 4K camcorder by John Wooden (F&WHR).

Golden Bolts day (28/2/09)

Although the track had been linked up the night before, 28/2/09 (a day chosen as there was no passenger service on the FR) was the ceremonial day for the completion of the rail link. This was to be the first day that locos used the FR/WHR connection, albeit a temporary connection! Bolts placed the night before were removed alongside Spooner's patio around midday. The day was dull but at least it was mild and did not rain. A special working came across The Cob with No.87 leading Merddin Emrys and Palmerston and two B wagons (the later for use a photographers' platform).

This easterly view (28/2/09) shows the special working approaching Harbour Station crossing The Cob. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Nigel Shaw and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

These easterly and westerly views (both 28/2/09) show the completed rail link between Cob Records and the start of the WHR platform at Spooners. A white line has been marked on the edge of the platform and a stop block placed just west of Spooners. The platform edge kerb stones had been removed but will be set against the platform edge in due course. The extended FR platform is delineated as a dropped down crossing in the foreground. Click on the images to enlarge. These images are copyright Barrie Hughes and were taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Images post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

Just before loco movements began the General Manager Paul Lewin showed the 'Golden' Bolts along with the FR's trowel first used in 1833 to lay the FR's foundation stone. The bolts were actually aluminium/bronze alloy.

This easterly view (28/2/09) shows the General Manager Paul Lewin with the trowel and bolts. This was the first loco to use the link. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

This view (26/2/09) shows the alloy bolts. One is inscribed for each track gang. Even the order of the language is different! Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Roger Dimmick (FR) and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

This northerly view (28/2/09) shows the track gang leaders Dafydd Thomas on the left and Paul Bradshaw on the right doing up their respective bolts. One is inscribed for each track gang. Even the order of the language is different! Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Roger Dimmick (FR) and was taken on a digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

This easterly view (28/2/09) shows No.87 entering the WHR link for the first time at 1410. This was the first loco to use the link as nothing had travelled on it the previous day. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

Large crowds, hundreds strong, gathered to watch the event. Merddin Emrys (a loco used to test the bridges on the WHR back in 1923) also ran onto the WHR connection leaving a space between the two locos either side of the bolt site.

This westerly view (28/2/09) shows Merddin Emrys (one of the locos that operated on the WHR in 1923) entering the WHR link for the first time. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

Palmerston then shunted the B wagons into position so photographers could see over the assembled masses.

This southerly view (28/2/09) shows Palmerston (one of the locos that operated on the WHR in 1923) almost dwarfed by B wagons that were hauled into the adjacent sidings to provide a higher viewpoint for photographers. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

These easterly views (both 28/2/09) show No.87 close to the stop-block at Spooners. Click on the images to enlarge. These images are copyright Barrie Hughes and were taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Images post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

This westerly view (28/2/09) shows Merddin Emrys and No.87 with the North Wales Track Gang on the site after the bolts had been fitted. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

After the photo-calls, Merddin Emrys was removed and Palmerston shunted onto the WHR connection around 1500 with former WHRCL CTRL Manager David High in charge.

The three locos were positioned around the WHR for a final photo-call.

These westerly views (both 28/2/09) show Merddin Emrys shunting in the station and Palmerston with No.87 on the WHR connection. Click on the images to enlarge. These images are copyright Barrie Hughes and were taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Images post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

These westerly views (both 28/2/09) show Palmerston and No.87 on the WHR connection. Click on the images to enlarge. These images are copyright Barrie Hughes and were taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Images post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

This westerly view (28/2/09) shows Palmerston shunting off the WHR connection as the event finished. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

Before the three locos assembled on The Cob to return to Boston Lodge, Merddin Emrys hauled the B wagons out of 2 road with former WHRCL Manager Roland Doyle in charge.

This westerly view (28/2/09) shows Merddin Emrys hauling the B wagons out of Harbour Station. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Barrie Hughes and was taken on a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

This westerly view (1970s) shows Linda leaving Harbour Station crossing the WHR point. At this time even the Good's Shed (now Spooners) had a siding point. Click on the image to enlarge. This image is copyright Phil Waldren and was scanned from a 35mm negative. Image post processed using iPhoto Plus4 and displayed at 96dpi.

F&WHR 29/2/24

Thursday 29/2/24 was forecast to be a day of sunny periods with temperatures of 3-8C. Snow was forecast across North Wales on Friday 1/3/24, particularly above 200m. At 09:45 Harlech Castle was noted stabled by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox in the Down line light engine. Vale of Ffestiniog turned up at the same time at Porthmadog king point after crossing The Cob. The loco dragged 3 coaches into the WHR platform. Harlech Castle had left Tan-y-bwlch by 10:00. The Funkey reversed its train down the platform at 10:45 and picked up goods from a platform trolley nearer to the signalbox. The train waited there until 13:44 before the loco propelled the coaches back to Boston Lodge. The KMX tamper/liner was stabled on the Down line at Tan-y-bwlch by 16:30, ready to finish off the latest piece of track to be relaid.

This easterly view (29/2/24) shows Vale of Ffestiniog with three coaches in the WHR platform at Porthmadog. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright F&WHR and was taken on a web camera.

Dukedog on display at Aberystwyth

The Bluebell Railway had lent the VoR Dukedog No.9017 Earl of Berkeley for display at Aberystwyth. These locos used to haul trains on the Cambrian Coast into the 1950s. Allelys delivered the loco by road transporter on 28/2/24. See Cambrian News story which contains a short video of the delivery. See also VoR news story.

Nesta moved for refurbishment

Earlier this week Nesta, a Penrhyn Quarry locomotive, departed from the Bala Lake Railway Heritage Centre on her journey toward being returned to steam in the not-too-distant future. Currently Nesta, which is now owned by the Richmond Light Railway in Kent, has been moved to Boston Lodge and will be on display at the new behind-the-scenes tours which are scheduled to commence this summer. You can read more about the plans for Nesta at https://www.festrail.co.uk/nesta-conservation-plan/.

As a result it was a busy day at Minffordd yard, though a horrible day weather-wise, but - in the middle of all the torrential rain and mist - there were 'comings and goings'. Quarry Hunslet Nesta (Works No.704 of 1899) arrived from the Bala Lake Railway / Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid. The loco has been bought by the Richmond Light Railway and has come to the F&WHR for assessment prior to its restoration to operable condition, during which great care will be taken to conserve as much of the original as possible.
With Nesta transferred from the low-loader onto an ex-RAF wagon, it was the turn of Palmerston to be moved onto the trailer - ready for its move to the Vale of Rheidol Railway (which will take place 29/2/24).
Palmerston is heading off to Aberystwyth for display in the VoR's new museum alongside other celebrity locomotives. Later in the year, Palmerston will enter the VoR workshop for an overhaul and return to steam - ready for an appearance at the 'Rheidol Steam Festival' event over their August Bank Holiday weekend event.

Moelwyn was used to shunt the dead locos. See F&WHR Facebook page for images.

F&WHR 28/2/24

Wednesday 28/2/24 was forecast to be an overcast rainy day with temperatures of 6-9C. At 08:00 Harlech Castle was noted stabled by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox in the Down line. The greasers were out today maintaining the pointwork at Harbour Station. Upnor Castle turned up at 09:40 propelling the FR's Mess Car No.1111 into the yard at Porthmadog. At 09:41 Harlech Castle set off to the west from Tan-y-bwlch light engine. Upnor Castle departed the yard at 10:15 dragging the Mess Car and stopped just beyond the king point before returning towards Boston Lodge at 10:25. Harlech Castle returned to Tan-y-bwlch in the late afternoon to stable overnight on the Down line as normal.

Spring comes to Tan-y-bwlch tea room

1/3/24 is the first day of Spring as well as being St David's Day. The Tan-y-bwlch tea room will reopen at weekends from 10:00-15:00 to serve visitors to the station from 2/3/24 even though trains will not arrive until 23/3/24.

WHR 27/2/24

Tuesday 27/2/24 was forecast to be an overcast day with rain later and temperatures of 3-10C. At 09:15 Harlech Castle was noted being started up by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox. It propelled the wagons out of the station towards the west at 09:31. A cold snap is forecast for Friday/Saturday with hill snow forecast above 200m. Four locos had been moved around depots yesterday and two more were due steam tests today in preparation for the start of services for the new season in 4 weeks time. Porthmadog station contained a rake a coaches and a few B wagons full of coal for the fuelling point. Coaches are also receiving routine maintenance checks to ensure complete rakes are available for the new season.

Harlech Castle arrived back at Tan-y-bwlch just before 13:30 and staff left for work elsewhere.

F&WHR 26/2/24

Monday 26/2/24 was forecast to be a sunny day with temperatures of 1-8C. At 08:30 Harlech Castle was noted stabled by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox with its two DZ wagons. It had not appeared to have moved all weekend.

Waverley to call at Holyhead!

Waverley, the last ocean going paddle steamer, will call at Holyhead this year for the first time this century! There are three dates in June covering routes between Seacombe Pier in the Mersey and Holyhead Dock and Llandudno Pier. The trips are run in conjunction with Mersey Ferries. See advert below.

Click on the advert to enlarge.

No.134 report Jan/Feb 2024

Adrian Strachan, leader of the No.134 Group, gives a detailed report which reveals the locos will soon be paired with its tender and is likely to reach a stage where it can be tested later this year.

Evening all, as the dark nights recede the possibility of Kalahari action in North Wales increases, following another great month of volunteer input on No.134. At the late Jan and Feb working parties, sometimes at weekends and sometimes during the week, we have made many steps closer to completion.
Checking the Heusinger gear resulted in a requirement to adjust the fireman's side lifting arm to ensure equal mid gears, but the return crank angles proved very close to expectation so no rectification needed there. All in all - better than expected after all the work done over 15 years to the bottom end of the loco by many staff and volunteers. Final setup of the piston valves is left to do.
At the heart of the boiler the brick arch support pegs and angles were completed allowing the first set of firebrick arch segments assembled in the firebox following a few days curing in the heater box. This marks the completion of firebox works so the firehole door assembly was final fitted. Surrounding this area the firebox was then lagged and the recently painted cladding sheets final fitted on top.
Directly below, under the cab footplating, the loco to tender interfaces were worked with the mounting eyes for safety chains fitted to both vehicles, and the injector water pipes completed, now only awaiting the opportunity to position the tender behind the loco to connect up and test movements. Due to length of the loco & tender and the sharp radius curves in Boston Lodge carriage shed the hoses between the two vehicles have to accommodate a lot of movement, so some innovative routing and suspension methods have had to be applied here to hopefully ensure no leakage or damage to hoses in traffic.
Forward of the injectors the large diameter copper pipework for their steam supplies have been formed into the shape required to drop down from the steam turret, avoiding handrails and stay covers, and arrive at the steam elbow interfaces. The Dinas machinists are presently producing mountains of bronze swarf as a by-product of the creation of the impressive large nuts and unions required for the feed water supply pipework. There is a lot more work to come in this area! But the polishable pipework has started well
The small lube pipework from the 2 mechanical lubricators to the Krauss-Helmholtz truck, Steampipes & Cylinders was completed at the February working party and awaits testing once the lubricator drives are completed by the Dinas staff. As the cylinder bore feed oil pipes were completed, the Cylinders were lagged and the cladding sheets fitted.
Also at the working party the boiler handrails were fitted for the first time and the stanchions we previously fitted can now be drilled and pinned to secure them in position.
The vacuum train pipe on the loco has now been worked back to the cab and awaits the final positioning of the brake ejector in the next week or two for connecting in. The routing of the vac pipework on the loco is completely new, running just inside the driver's side frame plates rather than bolted along the outside of the running plates as in SAR service.
Late in February one of our volunteers spent a week in the workshop and as part of this the tender sandboxes were fabricated, and the stainless handrails fabricated to their mounting brackets and fitted to the cab. The renovation of the car-catcher for the front of the loco has been started, utilising expired boiler tubes as per SAR practice, but this time donated from F&WHR resident Hunslet Britomart! The spindle & gauge plate which mounts atop the firebox has been formed and trial fitted and work will continue on this next time.
The tender vacuum pipework is now 95% complete requiring only the termination of the hard piping under the front dragbox, then we will await shedpace to get the tender behind the loco and connect the flexibles, as per the water supply pipes.
On the tender a large package completed has been the bunker insert, which raises the bunker floor by 100mm to give a more ergonomic shovelling height, and takes the opportunity to include a sump drain under the coalspace and avoid shovelling welsh liquid sunshine onto the fire too often! This assembly is bolted in and easily removable from the tender, the interfaces matching to the fuel tank we have designed in the conversion kit for when the loco may be required to switch easily from coal to liquid fuel in future.
At the February working party the rear headlamp returned, now also fitted with its battery and LED cluster and was final mounted on the tender. The ladder for loco crew to access the tender top was mounted at the rear, and the brackets for flange lubrication sticks were mounted to the rear bogie back axle. Underneath the tender a specific packer was made to ensure the correct alignment of the brake beam support bracket and when fitted this completed all the rigging now. We did suffer an unexpected setback as the handbrake column became seized due to insufficient tolerance between the shaft and housing, this has been dismantled for modification.
134 is really starting to look the part, and we have high hopes to be out of the line this year if we continue to get the financial and skilled support we need for the completion tasks. There is certainly an impressive amount of volunteer input going in from the team. Many thanks to all who have, and continue to, contribute to the project!

For images see Adrian Strachan's Facebook page.

F&WHR 25/2/24

Sunday 25/2/24 was forecast to be a day of light cloud with temperatures of 4-8C. At 08:00 Harlech Castle was noted stabled by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox with its two DZ wagons. It did not appear to move all day.

F&WHR 24/2/24

Saturday 24/2/24 was forecast to be a day of light cloud and sunny periods with temperatures of 4-7C. There was a dusting of snow on the Rhinogs. At 08:30 Harlech Castle was noted stabled by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox with its two DZ wagons . It did not appear that the train moved all day and it was still present in the evening.

F&WHR 23/2/24

Friday 23/2/24 was forecast to be a day of showers and sunny periods with temperatures of 3-7C. There has been a little overnight snow on the peaks. At 08:45 Harlech Castle was noted stabled by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox with its two DZ wagons as workers arrived. At 09:04 the train departed with spent ballast towards Dduallt. At 09:57 the loco propelled the two empty waggons back into the station and waited additional duties. It had gone to the worksite by 10:5 and back again in the Down line by12;00. The loco left at 12:00 to the east leaving the two wagons in the platform but was back again around 14:30 and was shut down as staff left for the weekend.

F&WHR 22/2/24

Thursday 22/2/24 was forecast to be a rainy day with temperatures of 4-7C but improving later. At 09:00 Harlech Castle was noted stabled by Tan-y-bwlch signalbox as workers arrived. The loco eventually departed about 10:45. At 13:13 the loco propelled the two DZ wagons through the station from east to west via the Down line. The loco and wagons were back by 15:30 and shut down as staff went home at the end of the day.

Main Line news 21-22/2/24

The Penmaenmawr stone train has restarted. Colas liveried No.70802 worked 6K33 the Penmaenmawr Quarry Colas to Longport on 21/02/24.

The Conwy Valley Line saw a 5 coach NR test train today top and tailed by former EPS loco 37612 with 37254 Cardiff Canton on the rear as it made its way back to Chester.

The May timetable change does not show restitution of the midday loco-hauled Holyhead-Cardiff so the North Wales Coast has become the Cinderella Line with almost all the Mk4 stock allocated to Swansea/Cardiff-Manchester several times a day. TfW seems to think Class 153s will do for North Wales! To think that at one time the NWC Main Line had loco hauled trains from Holyhead/Bangor/Llandudno to Birmingham International and Manchester and even some Transpennine workings!

F&WHR 21/2/24

Wednesday 21/2/24 was forecast to be a day of drizzly periods and fog with temperatures of 7-11C but improving later. At 09:20 Harlech Castle was noted passing through Tan-y-bwlch at speed light engine on the Down line from the east having departed about 09:00. The loco arrived back at 11:09 in the Down line hauling the two empty DZ wagons in very wet conditions but had gone by 11:22. The loco was back stabled on its own by the signal box at 15:25 as workers left at the end of the day.

Free ‘Behind The Scenes’ Tours of Boston Lodge

Ever wondered what goes on at the F&WHR's historic Boston Lodge workshops? Well wonder no more... as there are three ‘Behind the Scenes’ tours taking place over the coming weeks!
13:00 – 28/2/24
13:00 – 11/3/24
10:00 – 27/3/24
Experienced Tour Guides will take you on a fascinating guided walk around the works, explaining progress on the restoration work of both listed and new buildings, showing you all that is going on in the Erecting Shop, as well as an opportunity to admire the craftsmanship at the Carriage Works.
These tours will be free to all, whether you are a steam train enthusiast or simply curious to see what goes on at the works!
Please note some age and accessibility restrictions apply, further details on the NLHF website:
https://nlhfproject.festrail.co.uk/workshops/
Book your tickets by contacting James Kindberg: jkindberg@ffwhr.com.

Getting the railway ready for the new season

Sue Sharp reports: Megabash weekend is 23-24/3/24 and is an event for FR Volunteers who would like to help prepare the railway for our visitors at the beginning of the new season. There will be work around the railway for those who enjoy Gardening, for those interested in Electrical work at Boston Lodge and for those who would enjoy using their DIY skills with the Buildings Department.
On this occasion the Company provides a special train to Tan y Bwlch café on the Saturday evening to enjoy a two-course meal together at the café. There is no charge for the train but we do have to pay for the two-course meal.
If you would like to join us, please let me know -
1) which days you can work with us?
2) which department you would like to work with?
3) and if you would like to join us for the meal?
Do ask any questions if you need to know more.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Please email Howard Wilson on volunteer@ffwhr.com OR leave a message with us and we will come back to you!
📷 Penrhyn Hostel Team. Thank you Sue Sharp
We can't promise sunshine but we can promise lots of laughs!

F&WHR 20/2/24

Tuesday 20/2/24 was forecast to be a day of drizzly periods with temperatures of 8-10C. At 08:45 Harlech Castle was being started up at Tan-y-bwlch and had left by 09:15. Down in Porthmadog, families on Half Term Holidays were already wandering around Porthmadog station looking for trains at 09:00. At 11:23 Harlech Castle arrived light engine from the west presumably for staff to collect tools as it departed for the worksite by 11:27. The loco was back again at midday receiving some attention possibly topping up windscreen washer liquid before returning to the worksite at 12:08. The loco and wagons were back stabled by the signalbox by 16:20 as staff had finished for the day.

Linda's Beddgelert trip 19/2/24

This easterly view (19/2/24) shows Linda hauling a short 4 coach rake passing through the Aberglaslyn Pass. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright F&WHR and was taken on a digital camera.

This easterly view (19/2/24) shows Linda hauling a short 4 coach rake approaching Cemetery Crossing with the village in the background. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright F&WHR and was taken on a digital camera.

Additional photos are available on F&WHR Facebook page.

Free tours of Boston Lodge

The F&WHR is taking part in The National Lottery Open Week, to say a huge thanks to National Lottery players for their support of the railway's Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project. To celebrate this occasion, on the 15-16/3/24, the railway will be offering free tours of Boston Lodge to visitors who bring a National Lottery ticket or scratch card with them. It is as simple as that!
Visit the F&WHR's NLHF website to book your place.

Click on the advert to enlarge.

F&WHR 19/2/24

Monday 19/2/24 was forecast to be a day of sunny periods with temperatures of 8-11C. There was quite a surprise this morning with Linda in the WHR platform at Porthmadog at 09:15 with a four coach rake. The train left towards Caernarfon at 09:18 but probably only went to Beddgelert/Rhyd Ddu as it was back by 11:45 and departed at 12:10 for the depot which it entered at 12:15.

This easterly view (19/2/24) shows Linda hauling a short 4 coach rake departing Porthmadog presumably for Dinas. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle which had been stabled by the signal box all weekend had left with a works train by 09:30. It was back stabled by the signalbox with the two DZ wagons by 17:15.

Recruiting for the new season

The F&WHR is looking for new seasonal staff. The countdown is nearly over as next month, the F&WHR will be ready to steam into the 2024 season as they look forward to welcoming visitors once again!
The railways currently have a number of new job vacancies available across various departments, including;
🔵 CARRIAGE CLEANERS
🔵 CHEFS
🔵 COMMERCIAL ASSISTANTS
🔵 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASSISTANTS
🔵 ON-TRAIN STEWARDS
… and more...!
If any of these jobs take your interest, see the F&WHR jobs page for more details!
Click here to view full job descriptions: https://www.festrail.co.uk/jobs/

F&WHR 18/2/24

Sunday 18/2/24 was forecast to be a cloudy day with temperatures of 7-12C with sunny periods later. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was stabled by the signal box at 09:00 and appeared not to have moved over the weekend. Vale of Ffestiniog must have returned from Dinas yesterday as it arrived in the WHR platform coming across The Cob at 08:30 with the six coach rake that was taken to Dinas yesterday. This was probably a training course for guards. The train ran round at Minffordd at 08:50 and was noted back in Porthmadog WHR platform and having run round by 09:45.

The train departed at 09:50 before coming to a sudden stop on the king point. The train reversed into the WHR platform at 09:52 and again at 09:58. About 10 trainee guards got off the rear coach at 10:00. Signals indicated shunting was taking place in the yard but no loco was noted so it was probably a test. It appeared connections were examined for vacuum problems or guard training. The front two coaches were split off and then reconnected at 10:10. A further splitting and coupling attempt was made at 10:15 with final departure coming at 10:24. The train headed to Minffordd to run round at 10:55 before departing at 11:12 for Porthmadog. Arrival in the WHR platform came at 11:24 and the 10 trainee guards made their way to Spooners whilst others examined the couplings and vacuum connections.

This westerly view (18/2/24) shows Vale of Ffestiniog hauling the Quarryman rake arriving at Minffordd on a Guards training exercise. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

The sun came out in the afternoon and Velinheli was noted making a run across The Cob between Boston Lodge and the WHR platform. The loco arrived light engine at 15:22 and departed again at 15:44. The train was back again at 16:26 drawing a wagon possibly giving a treat to the Young Rail Professional volunteers and departed for Boston Lodge at 16:33.

This easterly view (18/2/24) shows Velinheli arriving at Porthmadog with a wagon full on volunteers. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

F&WHR 17/2/24

Saturday 17/2/24 was forecast to be a cloudy overcast day with temperatures of 8-11C with yellow warning of heavy persistent rain in the afternoon and continuing into Sunday evening. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was stabled by the signal box at 08:50. An ECS working was noted passing Minffordd at 09:13. Vale of Ffestiniog then ran round and was noted being shut down in the station at 09:30. Upnor Castle passed through the loop at 09:40 with a PW train including the FR Mess Car No.1111 and wagons with sleepers and rails heading towards Boston Lodge. This train was propelled from Pen Cob Junction into the yard to complete trackwork alterations for the new Small Loco Shed, courtesy of the Young Rail Professional volunteer group. At 13:00 staff returned to the Funkey stabled in Minffordd platform. What appeared to be the six coach Quarryman set then departed at 13:25 towards Porthmadog, arriving in the WHR platform at 13:35. At 13:40 the train departed, heading towards Dinas with its 6 coach train.

This easterly archive view (17/2/24) shows Vale of Ffestiniog hauling the Quarryman rake towards Caernarfon. This is the first train noted going towards Caernarfon since 1//1/24. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

As well as Porthmadog, holidaymakers were noted visiting Tan-y-bwlch and even turned up at Minffordd to look at the ECS train.

Up at Dinas Blanche was booked to be giving cab ride duties over this weekend and next for Half Term Holiday visitors to Caernarfon. The General Manager has explained that the FR cannot offer Half Term holiday trains as Boston Lodge is being dug up to reorganise utility services. However, an ECS passenger train did depart Boston Lodge today and ran via Minffordd and Porthmadog towards Caernarfon (see above). So it appears the excavations at Boston Lodge do not explain the absence of Half Term holiday services on the WHR from Porthmadog or Caernarfon. Given that the Bala Lake and Tal-y-llyn Railways are both offering such services over the next few weeks it appears to be a commercial decision not to offer these services.

Mainline trains

The Aberystwyth Log train ran on Friday 16/2/24. 6C56 the 15:48 Aberystwyth to Chirk Kronspan left at 15:45 but became late after Welshpool. Despite being 48 minutes late whilst changing locos at Coleham LMD (Shrewsbury), the train arrived on time at Chirk after reversing at Chester in the absence of a facing crossover at Chirk. The train was hauled by a 97304 and HNR livery Class 37 inside but usually has a Colas loco inside to cope with the heavy gradient up to Talerddig summit. See H18-PDW Photography YouTube clip.

F&WHR 16/2/24

Friday 16/2/24 was forecast to be a day of light cloud with temperatures of 8-10C. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle had left probably on works train duty by 10:30. The loco propelled the two DZ wagons into the Down line by 10:50 and headed west at 11:00 propelling the wagons to the worksite. The loco was back in the Down line ECS wrong line at 12:21 for a lunch break but shut down for the rest of the day as staff went elsewhere.

Up at Dinas Blanche was booked to offer cab rides over the weekend (and is booked for next weekend too) for Half Term Holiday visitors to Caernarfon. The General Manager has explained that the FR cannot offer Half Term holiday trains as Boston Lodge is being dug up to reorganise mains services. While this would affect trains starting from Porthmadog on the WHR too it does not explain the absence of services from Caernarfon given that the Bala Lake and Tal-y-llyn Railways are both offering such services.

Loco Roundup YouTube 16/2/24

Click on the YouTube link to watch 20 minutes 39 seconds of video showing progress with locos. This video is copyright F&WHR and was published on 16/2/24. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod on a 4K camcorder by John Wooden (F&WHR).

Nesta to be based at Boston Lodge

The as yet unrestored former Penrhyn Quarry Hunslet Nesta (No.704 of 1899), which was repatriated from Puerto Rico, is the subject of a deal between the F&WHR and the Richmond Light Railway. The loco will be exhibited initially in its unrestored state at Boston Lodge as part of the new workshop tours, but subsequently will be restored at the works for operation on the RLR. https://www.festrail.co.uk/nesta-conservation-plan/. The loco will soon arrive on the FR from display at the BLR.

Statesman Railtours 2024

Statesman will operate several railtours to North Wales this year although Holyhead seems to be off the schedule and no railtours originate from North Wales which Statesman seems to regard as an economically depressed area. In addition to a trip to the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza Statesman from Woking, Salisbury and Bath on 6/5/24, there are four Snowdonia Statesman trips to Blaenau Ffestiniog with optional FR add-ons to Tan-y-bwlch from the following starting points:

15/5/24 Chesterfield, Leicester and Nuneaton

19/6/24 Cardiff, Chepstow and Birmingham New Street

17/7/24 Chester-Le-Street, Leeds and Stalybridge

4/9/24 High Wycombe, Banbury, Birmingham International

Trains will call at intermediate stations. See Statesman Rail website for full details.

F&WHR 15/2/24

Thursday 15/2/24 was forecast to be a drizzly overcast day with temperatures of 8-11C. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle had left probably on works train duty by 09:15. The loco passed through the Down line wrong line light engine at 12:30 heading east. The loco was back light engine and stabled by the signalbox at 15:40 as staff went home for the day.

Up at Dinas Blanche was probably on shed awaiting its cab ride duties over the next two weekends for Half Term Holiday visitors to Caernarfon.

10% off James Spooner merch!

To celebrate winning the HRA ‘Coiley Award for Steam Locomotive Engineering’ (for the building of the F&WHR's new Double Fairlie) the Retail Manager has reduced the price of James Spooner souvenirs by 10% until the end of February. This is an exclusive ‘online only’ offer for orders placed through the F&WHR webshop.

Click on the advert to enlarge. Items shown are listed below. Image copyright F&WHR.

What’s included?
▪ Mug – Two designs (were £7.99, now £7.19)
▪ Glass Placemat – Two designs (were £9.99, now £8.99)
▪ Acrylic Keyring (was £2.99, now £2.69)
▪ Acrylic Fridge Magnet (was £2.99, now £2.69)
▪ Slate Coaster (was £5.99, now £5.39)
How does the discount work?
The discount will applied automatically to the offer items included in your basket when you are ready to checkout.
Simply click the link below to go to the webshop's selection of ‘James Spooner’ items:
James Spooner merchandise.

Hanson & Hall Railtours to visit North Wales

Hanson and Hall of Keighley, the Class 50 owning rail logistics company that works with RailAdventure, will be offering railtours this year. An initial tour to North Wales has been announced for 20/7/24 using their short Mk1 set from the Chiltern Hills (probably High Wycombe). In addition to H&H's No.50008 Thunderer another loco will be required, probably top and tailed. See H&H website for details of railtours.

F&WHR 14/2/24

Wednesday 14/2/24 was forecast to be a drizzly overcast day with temperatures of 10C all day. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was still present in the loop at 08:45. There was further shunting around mid day with the loco turning up light engine with lights on in the fog and departing to the west shortly afterwards. The loco was back by late afternoon and resumed its position stabled by the signalbox. Up at Dinas Blanche was probably on shed awaiting its cab ride duties over the next two weekends for Half Term Holiday visitors to Caernarfon. Half Term Holidaymakers were noted on the platform at both Porthmadog and Tan-y-bwlch at various times but there were no trains to greet them.

Palmerston to be displayed, repaired and run at VoR

Despite the WHHR's problems with No.590, the Vale of Rheidol Railway and the F&WHR have agreed a collaboration to run 1864-built steam locomotive Palmerston at the VoR later this year. The loco will thus be back in steam faster than the F&WHR could manage from its own resources. Palmerston visited the VoR several times between 1913-1922 before being required for WHR construction and most recently it visited the VoR again in 2014. This widely travelled loco even visited the BLR in 2018. Out of boiler ticket since 2022 the loco is currently stored in the Old Loco Shed.

This westerly archive view (2014) shows Palmerston tackling the steep gradients in the Rheidol valley towards Devil's Bridge. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

The locomotive will arrive at Aberystwyth in late February, and will spend the first half of the 2024 season on static display in the VoR's new Museum, Display & Events building at Aberystwyth station in the former Loco Shed. The locomotive will then enter the VoR workshops in July, for work to return it to traffic. Palmerston will then feature (in steam) as the star guest at the line’s ‘Rheidol Steam Festival’ event from 24-26/8/24 where it will be hauling trains to Devil’s Bridge (presumably double headed with an air braked loco). Palmerston will return in late September to take part in the FR's Bygones event. It seems it will miss the WHR SuperPower weekend.

See full story here.

Chinese C2 Loco project news

After a quiet few months, the CR volunteers are resuming their regular monthly updates. Work has been proceeding on various components including the expansion links and the design of the new boiler has been progressing. See C2 website.

F&WHR 13/2/24

Tuesday 13/2/24 was forecast to be a rainy overcast day with temperatures of 7-9C. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was still present in the loop at 08:00. The loco had left on works duties by 09:50. DZ 1424 and another wagon, both empty, were shunted into the Down platform by 12:30. The loco returned to join the wagons in the late afternoon. Up at Dinas Blanche was probably on shed awaiting its cab ride duties over the next two weekends for Half Term Holiday visitors to Caernarfon.

Loco projects review

Taliesin's power bogie is being refurbished and the wheels re-profiled. New tubes will soon be fitted followed by a hydraulic test to approve the boiler for another 10 years. Work has yet to start on checking Welsh Pony's shifted crank pin problem that sidelined the loco last September. Prince is also set to see some progress in 2024 with fundraising for a new boiler as the last certificate expired 9/22. The NG15 No.134 Kalahari needs about £50,000 more spending on it to complete. The loco has cost almost £630,000 so far. The loco has been OOU since 2020.

Work also continues at Glan-y-pwll depot on the Alco Mountaineer. The 1863 Mountaineer project at North Bay Rail Engineering Services Darlington continues to make good progress on this original design side tank version of the England engines. The private project to complete Gowrie, a single Fairlie of dubious steaming ability ordered for the PBSSR but used on the NWNGR. The loco was sold in 1918 and never saw use on the WHR which opened in stages over 1922-23. Work is currently underway on the coal bunker, cabs and side tanks plating, having a wheeled rolling chassis. Work is also underway on the trailing unpowered bogie. For further information about Gowrie, click on the Gowrie website. What is surprising is that there is no project to recreate Moel Tryfan, a single Fairlie used on both the WHR and the FR right up to closure being scrapped by the new FR management in 1954.

F&WHR 12/2/24

Monday 12/2/24 was forecast to be a sunny but chilly day with temperatures of 4-8C. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was still present on its own in the loop at 08:30 and did not appear to have moved over the weekend. The loco was started up at about 09:00 and set off on works duties by 09:15. It was noted shunting around the station ar 09:25 and was back at 09:30. The loco returned at 14:30 with a wagon and was shut down for the day. Up at Dinas Blanche was probably on shed awaiting its cab ride duties over the next two weekends for Half Term Holiday visitors to Caernarfon.

North Wales main line news 2-12/2/24

On 2/2/24 97303 Dave Berry hauled a tamper to Porthmadog from Tywyn. The loco returned light to Shrewsbury Coleham LMD later. Tampers need to be hauled as they do not have ERTMS fitted.

All seven Class 67 hauled rakes are being extended to include an extra Mk4 coach by the end of March. Selective door opening is required because of some of the shorter platforms on the Marches route.

The Aberystwyth Logs does not appear to have run on 9-10/2/24.

On 12/2/24 Europhoenix (hired to ROG) No.37800 Cassiopeia (ex Glo Cymru) hauled a Class 175 DMU No.175114 (sidelined at Holyhead) going to store at Barton under Needwood. No.37510 was on the rear. See Deiniol Williams excellent photo on Facebook's Railways of North Wales page.

Steam driving courses at the WHHR

The 2024 Driving Courses are now bookable at the WHHR. A full day course is £700 available on 19-26/4/24, 3-24/5/24, 19/7/24 and 4-11-18/10/24. Evening courses are available any day the railway is operating steam (check timetable). A taster experience for £45 is also available on steam days. Contact WHHR steam driving experience to book.

No news about Baldwin No.590

Several months have now passed since the no-show of No.590 after it was failed with hot bearings the day before its was due to appear at the WHR100 Gala. Many supporters hope that a year on it might appear at the F&WHR's September SuperPower event but there is no news so far. Steam Railway Magazine made a short YouTube about No.590 including some archive footage to whet the appetite. With Russell shortly due to be withdrawn for its 10 year overhaul it seems sadly unlikely the pair can appear together for some years.

Click on the YouTube link to watch 5 minutes 22 seconds of video showing No.590 at the WHHR including some archive footage. This video is copyright Steam Railway Magazine and was published on 11/24. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod camcorder by Tim Dunn.

F&WHR 11/2/24

Sunday 11/2/24 was forecast to be a mixed day with temperatures of 3-9C and some sunshine later. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was still present on its own in the loop at 08:15 and did not appear to move all day. Up at Caernarfon Blanche was booked on Sunday and over the next two weekends to give cab rides to visitors who might visit the station at Half Term Holidays.

Success at Heritage Railway Association Awards 10/2/24

The Coiley Award for Steam Loco Engineering went to the F&WHR for its new double Fairlie James Spooner. The F&WHR also won the Rising Star Award for its Osian Hughes who joined the Marketing Department in 2020. See F&WHR Facebook page for full details. The Llangollen Railway won the Infrastructure Award for the completion of Corwen Station.

Fare issues

F&WHR fares have been rising with inflation as the costs of providing the service rise. The F&WHR currently promotes round fares for complete journeys (Disneyfication experiences as some detractors suggest) and the price of these journeys may be off-putting for those holidaymakers on low incomes or with families with adult teens. When faced with these prices on the website some people will baulk at visiting the railway even though they are in the area, in favour of cheaper entertainment. For example the Snowdonia Star experience for a husband, wife and adult teen son/daughter would cost £166.95 including booking fee! This particularly hits the WHR with its longer journeys.

Potential passengers may feel intimidated about seeking lower fares at the booking office in a queue and there is little or no promotion of turnback fares in literature/on websites. Rather than losing the trade of such groups, turnback journeys could be promoted at roughly half the fare e.g. Caernarfon-Rhyd Ddu by changing into the Harbourmaster off the morning Snowdonia Star or in the afternoon, getting off the return Harbourmaster at Rhyd Ddu and joining the returning Snowdonia Star. Similar opportunities exist for both morning and afternoon from Porthmadog to Beddgelert/Rhyd Ddu. This gives a Cwellyn type journey out of the Cwellyn's Summer season twice a day or an extended Aberglaslyn type journey on days when The Aberglaslyn is not running. While the F&WHR would no doubt like to fill its trains with full fare passengers, trains do not usually operate fully booked except in the high season, so filling spare seats with these economy fare options seems a sensible way of garnering marginal income.

F&WHR 10/2/24

Saturday 10/2/24 was forecast to be a sunny day with temperatures of 4-10C. Temperatures were forecast to rise a little over the weekend. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was still present on its own in the loop at 08:15 and was still there at the end of the day. From 08:30 steam was being raised at Boston Lodge. This was Blanche being prepared for its cab rides at Caernarfon later in the day.

Blanche came over The Cob light engine at 09:20 but paused by the king point for several minutes before stopping near the signal box at 09:26 for the token. The loco left for Dinas at 09:30 and was expected to offer cab rides in Caernarfon over the three weekends of the Half Term Holidays starting 10/2/24. The loco might be expected to arrive at Caernarfon at about midday.

This easterly view (10/2/24) shows Blanche making a light engine move to Dinas to offer cab rides at Caernarfon over the 3 weekends of Half Term Holidays, starting today. This was probably the first steam engine on the WHR since 1/1/24! Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

Timetable dates in March

The Gelert Explorer runs TThSX from 24/3/24.

The Snowdonia Star runs TThSO from 23/3/24.

The Harbourmaster runs TThSO from 23/3/24.

The Aberglaslyn runs WSuO from 27/3/24.

The Woodland Wanderer runs FSSuO from 29/3/24.

The Mountain Spirit runs daily from 23/3/24.

The Quarryman runs FSuX from 25/3/24.

There are no Victorian services in March.

With the Snowdonia Star and The Harbourmaster running on the same day it is possible to make return journeys from Caernarfon to Rhyd Ddu or Porthmadog to Beddgelert/Rhyd Ddu on both the morning or afternoon departures.

Tornado midnight test run on Cambrian?

Tornado is the test engine for the signalling trials of ETC on the ECML. It is apparently to be tested on the Cambrian too. NR reneged on promises 13 years ago to provide a mobile ERTMS signalling unit for visiting traction. This has had the effect of banning visiting steam and heritage diesel excursions on the Cambrian Coast and WCR's regular summer dated Cambrian Coast Express steam operation which mirrored The Jacobite on the Mallaig Line. Now the trial ETC unit fitted to Tornado will be tested west of Shrewsbury. See Shropshire star story.

Five Cambrian Coast railtours from Pathfinder!

With the Barmouth Bridge reconstruction completed and open all year in 2024, Pathfinder is planning no less than 5 excursions to the Cambrian Coast this year. In recent years there have sometimes been no excursions on the Cambrian Coast so this trend is to be welcomed even though NR require double headed Class 97 haulage west of Shrewsbury. After Shrewsbury, passengers can opt to get off at Barmouth, Minffordd, Porthmadog or Pwllheli.

1) 4/4/24 Reading and stations via Oxford/Birmingham New Street.

2) 18/4/24 East Midlands Parkway and stations via Coleshill Parkway/Birmingham New Street.

3) 16/5/24 Cardiff and stations via Hereford.

4) 5/9/24 Bristol and stations via Bromsgrove/Birmingham New Street

5) 12/9/24 Swindon and stations via Stourbridge Junction/Tame Bridge Parkway

Depending on the day passengers could travel on the FR between Minffordd (excursion stops 13:50-17:00) and Porthmadog (excursion stops 14:00-16:45) or vice versa. The F&WHR does not seem to be planning any special services to meet the trains yet and there are no add on fares but it should be possible to do something in 3 hours 10 minutes at Minffordd. The Minffordd stop is advertised as being for a 1 mile walk to Portmerion allowing over 2 hours to visit the famous Italianate village.

It seems the only area that Pathfinder is not offering a tour from is the North West but passengers from this area could join any of the excursions at Shrewsbury. All trains will be hauled by Class 67 to Shrewsbury and double headed Class 97/3 (Class 37) on the Cambrian.

In comparison, trips to the North Wales Coast are few and far between this year with just one trip advertised so far.

8/6/24 Festiniog Express by Vintage Trains from Dorridge with S5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe or S7029 Clun Castle with a diesel loco hauling up the Conwy Valley.

F&WHR 9/2/24

Friday 9/2/24 was forecast to be a chilly overcast drizzly day with temperatures of 6-8C as the cold snap ended. Temperatures were forecast to rise a little over the weekend. Steam was being raised at Boston Lodge at 09:00 as Blanche was prepared for its journey to Dinas where cab rides were planned over the Half Term Holiday weekends. Up at Tan-y-bwlch Harlech Castle was still present with the three wagons in the loop but had gone by 10:00. From 11:00 Blanche was running up and down the Carriage Shed presumably on test for the next hour as the mist descended. At 12:20 the loco emerged onto the main line and worked towards the Old Loco Shed presumably to deliver some rolling stock before returning to the Carriage Shed. Later information revealed Prince, Welsh Pony and Palmerston had been moved there.

Clearance of Trawsfynydd branch

The closed and disconnected Trawsfynydd branch line south of Blaenau Ffestiniog has become an overgrown rubbish dump and NR has apparently received complaints from neighbours. Some clearance work is reported to be underway.

Moving Pictures No.88 9/2/24

Click on the YouTube link to watch 19 minutes 43 seconds of video showing various Winter volunteer projects. This video is copyright F&WHR and was published on 9/2/24. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod on a 4K camcorder by John Wooden (F&WHR).

F&WHR 8/2/24

Thursday 8/2/24 was forecast to be a chilly day of sleet and snow with temperatures of 4-6C as the cold snap rolled in. Temperatures were forecast to drop later as a short cold snap with snow was due Thursday/Friday. Snow warnings were in place until 06:00 on Friday and some schools in North Wales had been closed as a precaution. A dusting of snow fell on the Rhinogs but there was no lying snow even at Tan-y-bwlch. More snow was evident at Blaenau Ffestiniog.

This westerly view (8/2/24) shows snowfall at Blaenau Ffestiniog with staff on hand to finish the platform works. The number of footprints on the platform indicate it is used by a through route by schoolchildren. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy Daily Post and was taken on a digital camera.

No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible with Blanche going to Dinas on Friday in a stock move. A tall crane was working at Boston Lodge at 09:00 and Vale of Ffestiniog was doing some shunting at 09:20.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, the rake of three wagons and Harlech Castle were still present at 09:00 where they had been left the night before. At 09:24 the diesel propelled the rake out of the station towards the relay site and returned by 16:25 to finish the day's activities.

2024 timetable compared

The 2024 timetable is shown above with the 2023 timetable retained for comparison. Dates of operation will be reviewed later. There have been some changes to timings on the FR and this may be to make better connections with the Conwy Valley line. There have been no changes to the WHR timetable.

Woodland Wanderer Up to 4 services will run according to anticipated demand. Trains run earlier with an 09:45 over an hour earlier than the 11:10 first train of last year. The final train is also earlier at 14:50 compared to 15:30 last year which was thought to arrive back too late at 17:40.

The Victorian This new service utilises two of the paths allocated to last year's Woodland Wanderer starting with the 11:50. The Victorian operates on days when the Woodland Wanderer does not operate.

Mountain Spirit The times are similar to last year's two paths but with the 40 minutes layover at Blaenau Ffestiniog extended to 50 minutes which results in the afternoon working getting back a little later at 17:35.

The Quarryman This utilises the same path as last year but with an extended 2 hour 35 minute layover in Porthmadog compared to 2 hours 15 minutes last year and so a later arrival back at Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The Gelert Explorer This runs up to twice a day with the same times as last year.

The Aberglaslyn This also runs up to twice a day with identical times to last year.

The Snowdonia Star This also runs to the same times as last year.

The Harbourmaster This is also unchanged.

The Cwellyn This operates TWThO to unchanged times but only in the high season.

F&WHR 7/2/24

Wednesday 7/2/24 was forecast to be a chilly day of sunny periods with temperatures of 2-7C as the cold snap rolled in. Temperatures were forecast to drop later as a short cold snap with snow was due Thursday/Friday. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now. The Up line at Minffordd also looks rusty with fewer works trains noted recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, the rake of three wagons and KMX tamper-liner were still stabled by the signalbox at 08:30 in the Down line. There was no sign of steam being raised at Boston Lodge with Blanche due to be transferred to Dinas depot by Friday. The KMX tamper had left Tan-y-bwlch by 11:00. By 16:30 Harlech Castle had joined the east end of the rake at Tan-y-bwlch and the KMX had not returned.

Small Loco Shed progress 7/2/24

Roughly 70 cubic metres of concrete was pumped into formwork to create the floor of the Small Loco Shed on 7/2/24. Rebar was included to make the floor strong enough to bear weight. For images see F&WHR Facebook page.

F&WHR responds to Half Term

The F&WHR has finally responded to the absence of any Half Term trains in February compared to the services offered on the Tal-y-llyn and Bala Lake Railway and is providing BLANCHE on cab rides at Caernarfon station in a previously unadvertised move that will cheer WHR supporters. The loco will most likely make the light engine movement to Dinas by Friday 9/2/24. While the FR may be blocked by PW work, the WHR is available for Half Term services from both Porthmadog and Caernarfon with only the occasional lineside clearance trains to pass.

By providing BLANCHE at 'Y Stesion' during the break for footplate rides over the three weekends of 10/11, 17/18 and 24/25 February, the F&WHR is dipping a toe in the water with Half Term Holiday trains. Regular Half Term holiday trains were offered over 2 weeks at the end of February in the years before COVID to cover both English and Welsh schools' holiday weeks. Cab rides will be offered between 10:00 and 16:00 on those days and you can join the driver and fireman in the cab of BLANCHE for a ride through the station area. It is a great way to entertain the family - and it is warm and dry inside the cab if the weather is not at its best!
Caffi De Winton and the station shop will be open as well - and visitors can also see the new interactive displays and information panels that have just been installed. This previously unadvertised service will be a family treat for the many visitors who come to North Wales during Half Term holidays to see the sometimes snow covered alpine scenery.
BLANCHE was built in 1893, by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds, to work the Penrhyn Quarry Railway's main-line between Coed-y-Parc, Bethesda and Porth Penrhyn, Bangor. Retired by the quarry in 1962, BLANCHE moved to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1963, following its sister LINDA, where the loco has been kept busy - working trains longer and heavier than it ever did during its time on the PQR! It also acquired a pony truck to improve riding using the trailing bogie wheelsets from the much missed WHR single Fairlie Moel Tryfan.

F&WHR 6/2/24

Tuesday 6/2/24 was forecast to be an overcast rainy day with temperatures of 2-10C. Temperatures were forecast to drop later as a short cold snap with snow was due Thursday/Friday. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now. The Up line at Minffordd also looks rusty with fewer works trains noted recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, the rake of three wagons and KMX tamper-liner were still stabled by the signalbox at 08:30 in the Down line, apparently unmoved since Friday. The KMX had disappeared by 10:20 and was presumably working on tamping the relay west of Tan-y-bwlch. The KMX was back in the loop at Tan-y-bwlch by 15:00.

Launch of The Victorian service

Click on the advert to enlarge. Advert copyright F&WHR.

The new Victorian service will be launched to run on selected dates in April and May. Further dates will be added in due course if the venture is successful. The service will use the FR's Victorian period liveried coaches including No.15 and the bowsiders, bugboxes and probably the curly roofed van. Compartments for up to six persons can be booked. The trains will be hauled by a double Fairlie loco (probably James Spooner) or other vintage loco and have an hour lay over at Tan-y-bwlch for a break in the cafe. Passengers may choose their compartment.

The F&WHR and Tal-y-llyn Railways are proud to be part of the UNESCO Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales as both were built to service the slate industry. The railways are pleased to announce they will be working together to offer an opportunity to try both The Victorian and Tal-y-llyn’s Slate Trail experiences.

The return journey is priced at £33 (children and dogs £3) but it may be possible to take a single journey by returning on one of the alternative FR services which must booked separately. It is possible to purchase two single tickets on The Victorian on days when two services operate. Initially trains will operate TThO from 9/4/24 to 23/5/24 and additionally on a few Saturdays (20/4/24 and 4/5/24). Trains run twice a day at 11:10 and 14:50, arriving back at 13:20 and 17:00 respectively. The Woodland Wanderer will not operate on days when The Victorian runs. The Victorian can be seen as upselling as the return fares are £4 dearer than the Woodland Wanderer being a premium for the Victorian ambience.

NG15 No.134 launch?

Assuming Kalahari is completed in time, it is hoped to launch this loco at this year's SuperPower event 14-15/9/24. If the loco is still not ready, guided tours of the loco are likely to be given.

F&WHR 5/2/24

Monday 5/2/24 was forecast to be an overcast day with temperatures of 9C all day with misty conditions at times with a short cold snap due Thursday/Friday. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now. The Up line at Minffordd also looks rusty with fewer works trains noted recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, the rake of three wagons and KMX tamper-liner were still stabled by the signalbox at 09:00 in the Down line, apparently unmoved since Friday. At 19:00 Upnor Castle and Harlech Castle were noted propelling the FR Mess Car No.1111 out of Minffordd loop wrong line towards Porthmadog. Moel-yr-Hydd arrived at Minffordd from Porthmadog at 12:56 propelling a B wagon filled with coal and dragging the FR's Mess Car No.1111. The train reversed into Minffordd Yard at 13:04.

2024 tickets on sale 6/2/24

The F&WHR's 2024 season will begin on the 23/3/24 and this year the railway will be running all the journey options that they offered last year, plus a brand new FR addition to the timetable… introducing ‘The Victorian’! There has been no attempt to follow the example of other North Wales heritage railways and offer Half Term services in February on the WHR or any additional service on the WHR in the main season despite last year's promise to promote services more from Caernarfon.

Here are the F&WHR's 9 journey options for 2024:

• Woodland Wanderer : Porthmadog - Tan-y-Bwlch
• The Victorian : Porthmadog - Tan-y-Bwlch
• Mountain Spirit : Porthmadog - Blaenau Ffestiniog
• The Quarryman : Blaenau Ffestiniog - Porthmadog
• Gelert Explorer : Caernarfon - Beddgelert
• The Aberglaslyn : Porthmadog - Beddgelert
• Snowdonia Star : Caernarfon - Porthmadog
• The Harbourmaster : Porthmadog - Caernarfon
• The Cwellyn : Caernarfon - Rhyd Ddu (Summer dated)

Details of all services will be available here from 6/2/24. This link currently gives access to an 18 minute video showing the services.

All trains between late March and early November will be available to book via the F&WHR website. A full analysis of services offered compared to last year will be made in tomorrow's edition of this webpage.

Snow alert!

The Met Office has put out a warning for heavier than expected snow on Thursday and Friday 8-9/2/24 for North and Mid Wales from 03:00 to 03:00. See Met Office warnings.

Pwllheli Job Fair 7/2/24

The Pwllheli Job Fair is being held on Wednesday, 7t/2/24 at Neuadd Dwyfor 13:00-16:00. Local people looking for a job come and say ‘Hello’ as the F&WHR will be attending the event too. Staff would be happy to have a chat and explain all the exciting opportunities the F&WHR has available including both seasonal and full time jobs.

F&WHR 4/2/24

Sunday 4/2/24 was forecast to be an overcast day with temperatures of 8C to 10C with misty conditions at times. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now. The Up line at Minffordd also looks rusty with fewer works trains noted recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, the rake of three wagons and KMX tamper-liner were still stabled by the signalbox at 08:30, apparently unmoved since Friday. Conditions at Tan-y-bwlch were very misty at first. No other movements were noted.

North Wales Track Gang 2-4/2/24

Work took place between Caernarfon and Dinas and later the lineside team moved to the Dinas-Waunfawr section. The works train consisted of Caernarfon Castle with the well wagon occasionally, a B wagon, the WHR Mess Car No.111 and the SAR brake van.

This southerly view (3/2/24) shows Caernarfon Castle with the WHR Mess Car No.111 at Hendy Crossing during lineside clearance work. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright Tom Waldren and was taken on a phone camera.

This northerly view (3/2/24) shows Caernarfon Castle with the WHR Mess Car No.111 at Caernarfon station during lineside clearance work. The B wagon is full of cuttings. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright Tom Waldren and was taken on a phone camera.

F&WHR 3/2/24

Saturday 3/2/24 was forecast to be an overcast day with temperatures of 8C to 11C and misty at first but with some sunny periods at the end of the afternoon. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now. The Up line at Minffordd also looks rusty with fewer works trains noted recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, the rake of three wagons and KMX tamper-liner were still stabled by the signalbox at 08:30, apparently unmoved since yesterday. Conditions were very misty everywhere on the railway at first. At 09:12 the PW train exited Minffordd yard with Harlech Castle propelling the FR Mess Car No.1111, the PW container wagon and two small FR wagons. The train made its way east towards the relay site just west of Tan-y-bwlch with the mist clearing slowly.

Carriage Works report 2/2/24

It has been a busy week in the Carriage Works. Staff have been busy making the new bottom end headstock for Bowsider Carriage No.20. The old chequer plates have gone and traditional wood has taken their place and it is looking great. Window mouldings have also been making progress and are now dry fitted and, again, these too look great. Meanwhile other staff have been busy repairing the roof of WHR carriage No.2043. For images see F&WHR Facebook page.

New A487 Dyfi bridge opens 2/2/24

The new £46 million A487 Dyfi Bridge opened on Friday 2/2/24. This will ease traffic coming towards the F&WHR from the Aberystwyth area. The old bridge is sometimes closed by flooding on its approaches, a problem now avoided by the new road being on a viaduct across the Dyfi floodplain. This is one of the last TfW road schemes as WAG has paused road building for environmental reasons. It remains to be seen if they will invest the money in new rail schemes such as the Amlwch line or the major TRAWS scheme to reconnect Bangor to Porthmadog and Aberystwyth to Carmarthen or Swansea to provide a North Wales-South Wales rail link within Wales. Most of the new Dyfi bridge is subject to a 50mph speed limit.

See TfW report and BBC report.

Click on the YouTube link to watch 3 minutes 5 seconds of video showing the opening of the new A487 Afon Dyfi bridge at Machynlleth. This video is copyright Griffiths, the contractor, and was published on 6/2/24. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod by Griffiths staff using a quadcopter.

More NLHF interpretation panels erected

Despite the rain and cold foggy winter weather, the National Lottery Heritage Fund Project bilingual interpretation panels continue to be erected. The second week of installation has gone well with new wall panels and displays installed at numerous locations including Porthmadog. Minffordd, Boston Lodge Halt, and Dduallt but nowhere on the WHR this time it seems! For images see F&WHR Facebook page.

F&WHR 2/2/24

Friday 2/2/24 was forecast to be an overcast day with temperatures of 9C to 10C and misty at times. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now, as is the Up line at Minffordd with fewer works trains noted recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, Harlech Castle was still stabled in the Up line with its rake of three wagons at 10:20 apparently unmoved since yesterday. At 16:06 the loco was missing having left the rake in the platform (including DZ1424) as the fog descended. The KMX tamper-liner was visible at the far end of the rake.

2024 Trailffest date changed

The date for the Trailffest run has been changed to 28/9/24. A special train will be run. Registration commences 1/3/24.

Hairy Bikers Go West

BBC2's Hairy Bikers have visited the FR. The FR clip will appear during the fifth episode of the programme and will be broadcast on Tuesday 5/3/24 at 19:00.

Mainline news 2/2/24

The Aberystwyth log train did not appear to run on 2/2/24 but instead a light engine moved from Porthmadog to Coleham Depot (Shrewsbury) using the same path from Dyfi Junction. The train was 0Z50 the 14:58 Porthmadog-Coleham ISU which had probably taken a tamper to Porthmadog to use as part of weekend PW.

F&WHR 1/2/24

Thursday 1/2/24 was forecast to be a chilly day with temperatures of 6C to 8C with light cloud. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers were possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now, as is the Up line at Minffordd with fewer works trains noted recently. Ballast lorries were delivering to Minffordd after 08:15 in preparation for a ballast train to deliver top ballast to the Crossing Bothy relay site, just west of Tan-y-bwlch.

The KMX tamper was noted leaving Minffordd Yard at 08:22 heading for the Crossing Bothy relay site. Up at Tan-y-bwlch, Harlech Castle was still stabled in the Up line with its rake of three wagons at 08:15 apparently unmoved since Friday but had gone by 11:40. The loco was back with its 3 wagons by the signalbox at 14:30.

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