KS4415 report 1/24

Kerr Stuart pioneer diesel Works No.4415 was a demonstrator 6wDM of 1928 which was loaned to the WHR on test in 1928. There must be some hope that the restoration project will see the loco restored by its centenary. It operated Winter services on the Bryngwyn branch in 1928 before transferring to the FR in March 1929 as bottom end shunter. The loco was returned to Kerr Stuart in august 1929. For images of progress see F&WHR Facebook page.

After 5 days in Wales for the team, the main achievement is that the bonnet is now ready for riveting! It does not really look like anything has changed but a lot of work has been carried out over the last few days to get it to that state. The low point was Sunday where virtually the whole day was spent just grinding millscale off steel. The highlight was David High's entertaining talk on the project, which drew a record crowd for the Gwynedd Area Group's meeting.
In the works volunteers extended the bonnet top at the rear where it was a little short after bending to the required shape and then drilled this through into the angle iron hoop that stiffens the rear end of the bonnet. That was the last of the "making", so volunteers then completely dismantled the bonnet so they could clean up and de-burr every piece of steel. Where bits will be riveted together they removed all millscale and contamination with grinders and then primed the faces with Galvafroid paint. The bonnet was then reassembled and is now ready for riveting.
The rings of angle around the hatches had to have all their holes countersunk because they are flush rivets and this was done on the big radial arm drill in the erecting shop. Some of the cab steelwork has been attacked with a square file to make holes for the special dome headed bolts, so volunteers will be able to change the look of cab in the future while maintaining the illusion that it is all riveted together.
Away from bodywork, the fuel tank frame was looked at and some new steel sourced to repair one stiffening strip that was rusted through. Volunteers also got the gear and clutch controls out to assess them and work out what repairs are necessary.

F&WHR 31/1/24

Wednesday 31/1/24 was forecast to be an increasingly overcast and windy day with temperatures of 2C to 10C and heavy rain from dusk. 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 09:00 apparently unmoved since Friday and was still there at the end of the day. No other movements were noted.

Infrastructure progress 31/1/24

Following the Xmas break and after some 23 man shifts work since then, 14 x 18m panels have been lifted, the formation excavated and new base ballast laid. Track has been relaid on new plastic sleepers and - by 1300 on 31/1/24 - the through route to Blaenau Ffestiniog has been reopened. This will only be for a short time though as the Infrastructure Team will move onto the next second to be relaid almost as soon as this section is tidied up. Top ballast is due to be laid on Thursday 1/2/24 and Friday with tamping due Monday and Tuesday of next week. The KMX tamper liner may be required to attend to speed up the job. The infrastructure team then starts on the next section with a further 180m of relaying in Crossing Bothy area further west than the Whistling Curve relay, nearer to Plas Halt. The follow up Drains Gang are due on 11/2/24 to replace over 50 trackside drain lids on this section using a works train. For images see F&WHR Facebook page.

F&WHR 30/1/24

Tuesday 30/1/24 was forecast to be a sunny day with temperatures of 4C to 8C. 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 are the tracks at Minffordd with fewer works trains recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, Harlech Castle was still stabled in the Up line with its rake of three wagons at 08:30 apparently unmoved since Friday. The train did not move again today. No other trains were noted.

February Half Term trains in the snow?

Although there was snow around the F&WHR for few days in mid January, the month was mostly wet and windy with many mild days with temperatures reaching the teens in some places. The end of February is often a period with snow but the F&WHR has not reinstated the Half Term holiday trains it used to run over the two weeks that cover both English and Welsh Half Term holidays in the years before COVID. These services sometimes offered trains when snow was lying. Other local heritage railways take a different view e.g. the Tal-y-llyn Railway are operating 12-24/2/24, the Bala Lake Railway 10-22/2/24 and the Llanberis Lake Railway 11-25/2/24. Is it time for the F&WHR to restore such services? While major works are programmed on the FR, the WHR could be made available from either Porthmadog or Caernarfon for passenger services, apart from the need to pass the odd lineside clearance train.

Photo archive back on line

The F&WHR photo archive has been offline for January having an update and extra collections added. Please see the latest information from the Festiniog Railway Heritage Group about how to access the improved site.

F&WHR 29/1/24

Monday 29/1/24 was forecast to be an overcast day of with heavy rain and temperatures of 5C to 8C. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are 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 are the tracks at Minffordd with fewer works trains recently.

Up at Tan-y-bwlch, Harlech Castle was still stabled in the Up line with its rake of three wagons apparently unmoved over the weekend. The train did not appear to move all day. Down at Porthmadog the platform lights were on as dusk fell though no movements seemed likely.

F&WHR 28/1/24

Sunday 28/1/24 was forecast to be a day of light cloud and sunny periods with temperatures of 7C to 11C. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are 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 are the tracks at Minffordd with fewer works trains recently.

The lineside clearance train set off from Minffordd at 09:05 with the same formation as yesterday. It presumably returned at around 15:30 as the volunteers had to get back to Birmingham. There were 10 University of Birmingham Railway Society volunteers including some young women. Up at Tan-y-bwlch, Harlech Castle was still stabled in the Up line with its rake of three wagons apparently unmoved over the weekend and remained there at 5pm as dusk fell, ready for next week's Works Train.

F&WHR 27/1/24

Saturday 27/1/24 was forecast to be a day of light cloud and sunny periods with temperatures of 7C to 9C. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are 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 are the tracks at Minffordd with fewer works trains recently.

Harlech Castle was noted stabled back at Tan-y-bwlch near the signalbox at 09:00 with three wagons (possibly two DZ and a BZ) in the Down road for a change and had been there overnight. The train appeared to remain there all day. Upnor Castle propelled a lineside clearance train from Minffordd Yard up to the wooded section below Tan-y-bwlch with volunteers from the University of Birmingham Railway Society. The rake consisted of the FR Mess Wagon next to the loco, a DZ wagon with the chipper and a B wagon for larger branches. The train must have returned about 4pm as the sun began to set.

This westerly view (27/1/24) shows Harlech Castle stabled with 3 wagons at Tan-y-bwlch. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

Aberystwyth logs 26/1/24

The Aberystwyth log train to Chirk Kronospan ran on 26/1/24 and was, for a change shown in Real-Time Trains. The train ran as 6C56, the 15:48 departure which left 10 minutes early with two locos on the front NR 97302 Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway in charge and 37405 in Harry Needle livery inside. The train reversed at Chester and propelled the rake into Chirk Kronospan siding 25 minutes early. This YouTube video shows the train at Machynlleth.

F&WHR 26/1/24

Friday 26/1/24 was forecast to be a day of light cloud and sunny periods with temperatures of 7C to 9C. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are 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 are the tracks at Minffordd with fewer works trains recently.

Harlech Castle was noted stabled back at Tan-y-bwlch near the signalbox with three wagons (possibly two DZ and a BZ) in the Down road for a change at 16:15 as staff and volunteers packed up for the day.

Boston Lodge Garratt shed Appeal

The F&WHR is moving forwards with a plan to build a Garratt sized single road loco preparation shed on the 8 Road siding between the existing Loco Shed and the new Small Loco Shed. Work may start this year and be completed in 2025. A Garratt is normally stabled at Porthmadog for the services that start from there and proceed up the WHR to Beddgelert/Caernarfon. Currently the locos have to be prepared/stored in inclement weather.

The WHRS will be helping with fund raising towards the shed which has been costed at about £35,000. An Appeal has been launched. ,The existing 8 Road siding was extended for this purpose as soon as Garratts reached Porthmadog with some excavation of the rock face to lengthen the sidings and the construction of a concrete pit (currently unused). The shed design features SAR practice with a vented roof and sliding side panels to allow more light in but offer good weather protection. The shed will feature the usual compressed air, water and electrical supplies. The existing pit will be adapted to allow better maintenance of the Garratt's underneath components. The track into the shed will be relaid to modern standards. The shed will be demountable if it does not fit in with future plans to extend the Erecting Shop onto the site of the existing small loco shed.

F&WHR 25/1/24

Thursday 25/1/24 was forecast to be an overcast rainy day with temperatures of 5C to 10C. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are 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 are the tracks at Minffordd with fewer works trains recently. The Tan-y-bwlch webcam was off line from 09:00 and continued to be offline until midday.

Harlech Castle was noted arriving back at Tan-y-bwlch light engine at 12:44 but the webcam was offline at 12:45, though the other webcams were working.

NLHF Project Interpretation Panels

Over 35 new Interpretation Panels are being installed along the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways over the next couple of weeks. Work began on Monday 22/1/24 at a very damp Pont Croesor and has already moved on to Tan-y-Bwlch, Waunfawr and Rhyd Ddu. Some panels will keep the strapping in place temporarily in order to allow the glue to dry. The panels are mounted on posts made of old rails that have been manufactured by volunteers and will tell stories about the people and history of both railways across the centuries - and hopefully will encourage our visitors to want to learn more and even join the railway community.

This easterly view (22/1/24) shows the new interpretation panel by the east end of Tan-y-bwlch station car park. Platform edgings have been reset and block paving is replacing tarmac in part. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a digital camera.

F&WHR 24/1/24

Wednesday 24/1/24 was forecast to be a day of sunny periods with temperatures of 5C to 9C and decreasing wind. No trains were scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are 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 are the tracks at Minffordd with fewer works trains recently.

Harlech Castle was noted with a 2 wagon ballast train (including DZ1424) stabled overnight in the Up platform at Tan-y-bwlch with the loco on the east end. The train reversed out of the station to the west at 09:02 and the loco was back in the station ten minutes later light engine presumably having deposited the wagons at Whistling Curve where track was recently re-laid. No further movements were noted.

Blaenau Ffestiniog platform progress 24/1/24

This easterly view (24/1/24) shows the improved platform at Blaenau Ffestiniog with loco Moel Hebog in attendance with the spoil train. Platform edgings have been reset and block paving is replacing tarmac in part. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a digital camera.

F&WHR 23/1/24

Tuesday 23/1/24 was forecast to be an overcast day of heavy rain with temperatures of 8C to 11C and there was a wind warning for storm Jocelyn overnight into Wednesday. No trains were scheduled today. run but works trains and stock transfers are possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now.

At 09:25 Harlech Castle was noted with a 2 wagon ballast train departing the Up platform at Tan-y-bwlch with DZ1424 with the loco on the east end. The train was back in the station at 13:55 loading materials from an excavation near the old station building and had departed again by 14:30 and remained there all afternoon. Staff and volunteers were packing up at 16:00 and a track block was placed on the Up line behind the train.

YouTube Moving Pictures No.87 23/1/24

Click on the YouTube link to watch 19 minutes 23 seconds of video showing Linda back in steam, work on the platform at Blaenau Ffestiniog and progress with the NG15 at Dinas. This video is copyright F&WHR and was published on 20/12/23. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod on a 4K camcorder by John Wooden (F&WHR).

New infrastructure van 23/1/24

This northerly Boston Lodge view (23/1/24) shows the newly outshopped infrastructure van with S&T loco Moel-yr-hydd. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a digital camera.

The new Lineside Tool Van was released today by Boston Lodge on its permanent bogies. A little over four months ago this was just a pile of newly delivered steel. Boston Lodge has built it quickly with FRS funds. The platform at the end of the vehicle helps solve working at height issues. An operative can safely work from within it and is already 2m from the ground. With a pole saw they can safely be cutting branches 5m above rail level. The van needs to be numbered and painted in PW livery.

NG15 No.134 progress 23/1/24

The latest news in from Project Leader Adrian Strachan.

As always we are in need of donations to bring 'Kalahari' back to steam for 2024. Every penny helps, use the button on this post to donate. Thanks to our December and January working parties and our first volunteer working week mid Jan, there’s quite a bit to report at the start of the year.
The valve gear pins were sent away for hardening in early December, and when these returned the Dinas staff quickly reassembled both sets of gear for us so the loco was mobile for our working party over the holiday period. We measured the piston travel with the connecting rods on and adjusted one piston to ensure equal travel for both in the bores. Now the gear is on (hopefully for the final time..) we are ready to check & adjust for equal mid gears, return crank positions & dead centres, prior to setting the piston valves. The lubrication pipework to the pistons, valves, glands, slidebars and Krauss-Helmholtz truck should also be completed at our next working party and ready for test.
Once the Cab sides & Front returned from shotblasting they were taken to Boston Lodge, where the volunteer working party in the Carriage Works over the Christmas to New Year period set to in applying several coats of paint, resulting in a dramatic transformation (certainly for those who have made them!) from dirty steelwork into pristine loco parts. We have since erected these on the engine to assist in the positioning of cab controls, components & pipework. The barrel cladding sheets also travelled south and were glossed in Minffordd in early January, before being fitted onto the loco at the January working party. These have now been covered with a protective layer to hopefully reduce scuffs during the fitting of the feed pipes. New steam pipe cladding covers have been fabricated too.

This Dinas view (23/1/24) shows No.134 complete with blue boiler barrel cladding. The loco number is carried US style on the headlamp bracket. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy WHRSoc. and was taken on a webcam.

The first 9-piece Brick Arch was cast in our working week and the new stainless steel moulds worked a treat, with the blocks easily coming out of them after curing. These are now drying out fully before we fit them in the firebox. Also in this area, we water tested the ashpan damping, and adjusted the jets for the optimal position to keep the ashpan sides clear in service. At the January working party the ashpan sliding door operating shaft was refitted under the boiler barrel following straightening of the shaft, with weld build up and re-cutting the keyway and fitting of a new gib key. Clearly this assembly had taken some force in SAR service!
With both Injectors mounted on their new brackets under the Cab, the stainless steel pipework was extended back to the water valves and towards the tender flexible hoses. The loco vacuum train pipe has also been fabricated back into the cab and awaits the final mounting of the ejector & steam brake. We trial fitted the ejector exhaust along the boiler.
Early in the new year thanks to December’s donations, the large diameter copper pipe arrived, and we had our first demonstration and instruction in the art of bending these into the compound curves required for the injector steam and feed pipe runs. There is much more of this to do on No.134!.. but it is very dramatic in the process, and quite satisfying on the outcome so we are looking forward to it.
The Tender found a slot back in the workshop in December and so we were able to start catching back on the completion jobs there. The handbrake mechanism was completed with its new pullrod from Boston Lodge, and the toolbox hoods fabricated which fit either side of the coal tunnel. The design work on the new sandboxes is close to completion so material for these can be ordered when funds permit. Working the evening shifts around us the painters transformed the fabricated tank sides into smooth shiny surfaces with their filler, sanding and keen eyes.
Finally of note, Tommy the shed cat has become much more interested in the project recently and has been making a habit of sidling up to discussions and gatherings around the engine to give his approval. Obviously looking to secure an early footplate ride! Perhaps the recent change of colour on the loco has appealed to him, or he just has great taste in locomotives, you decide.

For more images of progress and to donate see NG15 No.134 Project webpage.

Port Talbot closure may affect Shotton Steelworks/North Wales rail freight

The closure of steelmaking at Port Talbot will most likely affect Shotton Steelworks which receives daily trains of steel for converting to steel coil and adding coatings such as galvanising and paint treatments. Shotton may have to use import steel with re-jigging of the rail traffic flows. The Tories has previously promised to keep steelmaking alive in the UK and there are security of supply issues associated with importing all our steel from outside the UK. See BBC story.

F&WHR 22/1/24

Monday 22/1/24 was forecast to be a day of sunny periods with temperatures of 6C to 8C and decreasing wind. No trains are scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now. Storm Jocelyn is forecast for Wednesday bringing more wet and windy, if mild, weather to North Wales.

At 12:15 Harlech Castle was noted with a 2 wagon ballast train in the Up platform at Tan-y-bwlch with DZ1424. The train left by 12:45. The train arrived back at 13:45 with the loco at the east end and a track block protecting the Up line behind the train.

Fire Queen moves to VoR 22/1/24

The unique 4 foot gauge Padarn Railway's Fire Queen, a loco built by marine engineers Horlocks, has been moved from Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, to a temporary display at the Vale of Rheidol, arriving by 22/1/24. The VoR's new display shed will open at the end of March in the former Loco Shed just east of the NR station and will also feature the loco's tender and Padarn Railway Director's Saloon. The long term home for the loco is planned to be an exhibition at Gilfach Ddu, Llanberis, where the loco ran from 1848-1886 down to the docks at Y Felinheli (Port Dinorwic). This is a further step in the reduction of the railway museum at Penrhyn Castle which still has Penrhyn loco Charles on display, which is of the same original design as Linda and Blanche. See Cambrian News story for images. For full details see World of Railways webpage.

F&WHR 21/1/24

Sunday 21/1/24 was forecast to be a rainy day with temperatures of 7C to 10C with increasing wind. An AMBER storm warning for strong winds has been issued for 6pm-6am tomorrow. No trains are scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now.

At 10:33 a train was noted in the Minffordd loop with FR Mess van No.1111 on the rear with staff checking the line between there and the Minffordd Yard level crossing. The train had disappeared by 13:00. The stormy weather was very extreme overnight with a record UK gust of 90mph recorded at Capel Curig.

Volunteering 2024

It is the start of a new year at the F&WHR, and while trains may not be steaming until the 23/3/24, there is plenty of work taking place across the railways to make sure the railway is all set for the big opening in a few months’ time! The railway's extensive ‘Winter Works’ programme is now well underway, with Volunteers working side by side with Staff to tackle an array of tasks - including the replacement of sleepers on the track bed, providing carriages with some much needed ‘TLC’ in the Carriage Works, organising material in the archives and much more.

Click on the this short Facetime video to watch volunteers at work guarding a train at Caernarfon.

F&WHR 20/1/24

Saturday 20/1/24 was forecast to be a sunny day with temperatures of 5C to 8C with heavy rain at times and increasing wind. The snow retreated to the summits of the Rhinogs as the cold snap came to an end. There was a weather warning out for heavy rain and gales for Sunday and Monday. No trains are scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements for a few weeks now. No train movements were noted.

Spooner's St Dwynwen's Day offer 25/1/24
Welsh Romantics have two days each year to celebrate their love for their partner.
'Dydd Santes Dwynwen' - Wales' very own 'Valentine's Day' - is just around the corner and so Spooner's is planning a special menu for next Thursday evening, as a treat for anyone who wants to celebrate the day with their 'one and only'.
Spooner's three-course menu, with a 'Welcome' Glass of Prosecco, is just £30 per person. Please book in advance - in person or by phone on 01766 516032
----------
• GLASS OF PROSECCO •
• STARTER •
Melted Golden Cenarth Cheese
with sourdough bread for dipping
• MAIN •
Minted Welsh Lamb Chops
or Glamorgan Sausages
with a Laverbread Herb Sauce
Served with creamy mash potato,
rainbow carrots and cavalo nero
• DESSERT •
Chocolate Fondant
with cherry kirsch truffles

F&WHR 19/1/24

Friday 19/1/24 was forecast to be a sunny day with temperatures of 3C to 7C warming up slightly as the cold snap fades away. There had been a little further dusting of snow overnight and light covering was visible again on Porthmadog platform as well as a fresh covering of lying snow at Tan-y-bwlch. There was a weather warning out for ice until 10:00 Friday. No trains are scheduled to run but works trains and stock transfers are possible. The WHR tracks at Porthmadog are looking very rusty again as it appears there have been no movements in a few weeks now.

Harlech Castle arrived light engine at Tan-y-bwlch at about 11:30 and stabled there for a while. The loco departed to the west at 11:55.

Coach rot

Examination of one of the Boston Lodge built coaches (No.2043 which was new to service 20/5/07) in the Coach Works for annual maintenance has revealed extensive rotten wood, despite being stored in Carriage Sheds some of the time, This will upset the planned maintenance programme leading to Pullman coach Bodysgallen No.2115, currently stored at Boston Lodge, moving back in the maintenance programme again.

Aberystwyth logs ran again 19/1/24

Although an empty train went from Chirk to Aberystwyth on Friday, the return loaded working was missing from schedules on Friday but apparently ran as it was recorded on video! 97302 and 37405 provided the traction as sunset fell.

Click on the YouTube link to watch 4 minutes 36 seconds of video showing 97302/37405 hauling the Aberystwyth logs between Glandyfi and Talerddig in the late afternoon. This video is copyright Mr Thrash37 and was published on 22/1/24. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod on a camcorder.

The empty Aberystwyth log train arrived at the Aberystwyth run round loop early on Friday some 23 minutes late. The train operated in snowy conditions in the mountains giving photographers a rare opportunity to take images of the Class 37s in the snow! This train may run on Saturday as the Friday afternoon path was not activated.

Storm Isha to bring gales 20/1/24

The BBC warn about Storm Isha which is set to hit the UK on Sunday. The storm will bring an end to the cold snap but has high winds which might affect the F&WHR by possibly bringing trees down across the line. See BBC news story.

F&WHR 18/1/24

Thursday 18/1/24 was forecast to be a very cold but sunny day with temperatures of -4C to 4C. There had been further snow overnight and light covering was visible on Porthmadog platform as well as a fresh covering of lying snow at Tan-y-bwlch. The cold snap is forecast to continue until Friday with snow and ice weather warnings until 11:00 Thursday.

Harlech Castle arrived from the east light engine at a pristine Tan-y-bwlch with a couple of centimetres of snow at 09:59 and promptly departed towards Porthmadog. The loco was noted returning to Tan-y-bwlch with the two DZ wagons at 11:24 where it stabled over the lunch break. The train was gone by 16:20.

This westerly view (18/1/24) shows Harlech Castle passing through Tan-y-bwlch after overnight snowfall. The loco continued to collect wagons presumably from the nearby Whistling Curve relay site. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

TfW examine TRAWS proposals for Bangor-Carmarthen 18/1/24

A BBC report reveals TfW has reported an estimated cost of £2 billion to restore the rail link between Bangor and Carmarthen. It might take 10 years to achieve and not be value for money but TRAWS campaigners dispute the figures as they say studies are not complete. The report's author TfW's Chief Executive James Price agrees that the route would offer shorter journey times even after reversal at Machynlleth and Aberystwyth. The report does admit that the 28 miles between Bangor and Afon Wen are a better prospect for reinstatement with higher traffic figures likely on this section which shares a trackbed with the WHR between Dinas and Caernarfon. A practical solution would require gauntleting of the WHR tracks within the 4' 8.5" standard gauge tracks and a common signalling system.

See BBC report.

Velinheli latest progress

Quarry Hunslet Velinheli is nearing completion with lagging and cladding of the boiler last weekend. The cladding sheets are now awaiting painting. For images see F&WHR Facebook page.

F&WHR 17/1/24

Wednesday 17/1/24 was forecast to be a very cold but sunny day with temperatures of -4C to 4C. There had been no further snow overnight and lying snow at Tan-y-bwlch was fading. The cold snap is forecast to continue until Friday with snow and ice weather warnings for Tuesday-Thursday.

Upnor Castle was noted emerging from Minffordd Yard at 11:01 possibly propelling a works train towards Tan-y-bwlch.

Another storm predicted 20/1/24

The cold snap is set to end on Saturday with increasing temperatures and the arrival of mild wet and windy stormy weather from the west. See North Wales Live report.

Alco Mountaineer report 16/1/24

The team returned to Glan-y-pwll after the festive period. The wood developments continued with the front supports to see if they can be connected to the smoke box saddle rather than the smoke box itself. A new lubricator drive similar to that used on the Garratts has also be mocked up. There is a new location for the reverser on the previously made rear frame supports. This is to stop the need to have a packing piece on the reach rod when the reverser was attached to the boiler. Lastly a set of sliding doors for the cab to see how they would fit in and in turn how easy they would be to use.
On the locomotive itself, focus turned to start disabling the cylinder pistons. This involves removing the piston rod from the cross head. The cotter pins were removed with the aid of a power pack and safely stored. The front cylinder and piston valve covers were removed and refitted to allow inspection of the bores, which will need to be measured in the near future to ascertain what work is required. Attempts were made to undo the little end pins out of the cross-head but a lack of the correct sized spanner prevented this from happening.
The removal of tubes continued with all of the welds in the firebox now ground down to allow the tubes to be removed from this end, a very essential but dirty job that the team will be glad to see the back of. They also started to tackle the remains of tubes in the smoke box.
More Non Destructive Testing was carried out with thicknesses being taken on the firebox tube plate and the inner fire box. All NDT results so far are as positive as the boiler shell. There is still a large amount of ground to cover with this task until volunteers can be certain of the condition of the boiler but they hope to reach a conclusion at the next working party. The team were very kindly lent the endoscope from the NG15 project. This small camera plugs into your phone and allows the interior of the boiler to be viewed. Upon viewing it was found that as with the boiler tubes the rest of the boiler is coated in the red layer of boiler treatment. It was decided that once the tubes have been removed the boiler should be washed out to remove as much of the dried boiler treatment as possible to avoid any confusion between it and the boiler plate work.
As ever there are some tidying jobs to do on site and two pickup loads of scrap were taken down to Minffordd. Two tarpaulins that had come loose were re secured and 3 old industrial welders were carefully drained of oil to allow the metal components to be taken away for the recycling and the oil to be safely disposed of next time at the railway's waste oil store.
Lastly a sub team began work to focus on how to store the vast amount of tools that have been found at the site. As can be seen in pictures the far corner of the workshop has now been kitted out with a shadow board and a good selection of tools hung upon it. Shelves have been added to the cabinet and the cupboards have started to be sorted though with the aim of streamlining the equipment storage on site.
As ever, thank you to the team whose determined efforts every working party are bringing the project ever closer to the goal volunteers are all waiting for.
There are many ways to support the project and get involved. Please find the Volunteer Appeal page on the Ffestiniog Railway society web site. https://www.ffestiniograilway.org.uk/full_article/mountaineer-appeal. Volunteers have their own website, where they have a selection of items for you to purchase to support the project. https://www.alco1265.org.uk/
Finally if you would like to get involved please contact pbooth@ffwhr.com for more information on how you can do this.

For images see Facebook page.

F&WHR 16/1/24

Tuesday 16/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly day with sunny periods and temperatures of 0 to 6C. There was a dusting of snow at Porthmadog and Tan-y-bwlch (at 130m asl) had a couple of centimetres and so probably at Rhyd Ddu as well as the latter has a higher elevation (200m). The cold snap is forecast to continue until Friday with snow and ice weather warnings for Tuesday-Thursday.

Harlech Castle was still at Tan-y-bwlch at 09:30 having been left there overnight but was started up and departed the station light engine at 09:55 towards Porthmadog. The loco was back with two loaded ballast wagons at 10:17, presumably from Whistling Curve relay and departed at 10:19 towards the east.

This westerly view (16/1/24) shows Harlech Castle standing at Tan-y-bwlch after overnight snowfall. The loco departed later to collect wagons from the nearby Whistling Curve relay site. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

This westerly view (16/1/24) shows Harlech Castle hauling two wagons loaded with spent ballast wagons into Tan-y-bwlch from Whistling Curve relay area presumably for disposal at Dduallt. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a webcam.

MainLine news 15/1/24

66734 Platinum Jubilee hauled a Wembley Llandudno Junction working into the rusty Glan Conwy Yard on 15/1/24 possibly heralding a revival of rail freight to this terminal. The train left after a period suitable for loading so may have been a test working for Ashville Aggregates of West Drayton close to the M4/M25 junction on the Staines Branch line. The Thorney Mill depot in West London has received aggregate from other suppliers in the past.

F&WHR 15/1/24

Monday 15/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly day with sunny periods and temperatures of -2 to 4C. There was a dusting of snow at Tan-y-bwlch (130m) and so probably at Rhyd Ddu as well as the latter has a higher elevation (200m). The cold snap is forecast to continue until Friday with the possibility of snow and ice.