WHR
News Archive Page
2024
January
V4.1 updated 4/3/24
with news to 31/1/24
Newly archived sections are placed at the top of this page.
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.
Once the new season starts, the railway will also be relying on Volunteers to help it keep the trains running, either through driving or firing on the footplate, serving refreshments on-board or guarding the train itself! Volunteering on the railway provides a sense of belonging, community and wellbeing and it is also a great opportunity to put your existing experience to good use or pick up some brand new skills!
So, if any of these roles sound of interest, head over to the new Volunteers page on our website: https://www.festrail.co.uk/volunteering/
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.
No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings with the ongoing works in Blaenau Ffestiniog and elsewhere. All three webcams were back in action again today (after no service 2 weeks running for the Porthmadog webcam). Unfortunately, there is reduced utility as the 'roll back time' function on the Minffordd webcam has been removed. This means that those supporters who like to spot train movements will have to occupy the F&WHR bandwidth for much longer rather than going on line at a random time and scrolling back through time.
Harlech Castle was noted light engine in the Tan-y-bwlch Up road at 11:15. The loco was still there at 16:05 with the platform still covered in a dusting of snow. Temperatures must have stayed below zero all day!
F&WHR 14/1/24
Sunday 14/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly day with sunny periods and temperatures of -1 to 6C. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings with the ongoing works in Blaenau Ffestiniog and elsewhere. All three webcams were out of action again today (the thirteenth day running for the Porthmadog webcam) so it appears staff must be very busy upgrading the IT systems.
Yellow snow/ice weather warning for North Wales
Two weather warnings predict snow and ice for North Wales during the week ahead. See Met Office coverage,
F&WHR 13/1/24
Saturday 13/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly day with sunny periods and temperatures of 2 to 4C. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings with the ongoing works in Blaenau Ffestiniog and elsewhere. All three webcams were out of action again today (the twelfth day running for the Porthmadog webcam) so it appears staff must be very busy upgrading the IT systems.
Cold snap next week?
Despite the forecast snow next week, the Met Office is now forecasting temperatures of up to 6C all week and no snow at sea level at Porthmadog or Caernarfon. It will however snow on the mountains providing a suitably alpine backdrop to the F&WHR for any works trains running. Beddgelert is forecast a light snowfall Sunday night and Monday night which might leave a light dusting around the height of Rhyd Ddu too. Similarly Blaenau Ffestiniog is forecast to have overnight snow Monday night and Tuesday night.
KS4415 update 12/1/24
The first working party of the New Year has now been completed and some good
progress made on KS4415, the Kerr Stuart experimental diesel
shunter trialled on the WHR and FR in 1928-9. Volunteers finally got round to
drilling the fixing holes in the angle that attaches the bonnet to the chassis.
They had put this off because it was thought it would be a nightmare spotting
through the old holes in the footplate, but as is often the case, it was not
that bad when the volunteers actually got on with it. They also drilled the
rivet holes in the piece of angle at the front of the bonnet. The end of the
drilling is nearly in sight! To access some of what was being drilled and bolted
volunteers cut the front access hatch out. That had been left solid to keep the
strength in the sheet, but now the angle ring is bolted to the access hatch it
is stiff enough.
Before the volunteers split the bonnet and cab they drilled the fixing holes for
the brass window frames, so the location is fixed. The bonnet is now off and
virtually ready for riveting, although there is a lot of cleaning up to do
first. Volunteers also did some fettling of the main drive gear cover and
hopefully that will go on the loco before too long. The cover was bent out of
shape and the drain plug at the bottom had a fixing sheared off in it, probably
the result of various off-roading adventures in Mauritius!
Restoration of the loco is being progressed as a volunteer project. Let us hope the loco is operational before its centenary on the WHR in 5 year's time when the loco was the Bryngwyn pilot and later operated the Winter passenger service to South Snowdon (Rhyd Ddu). For more information and images see KS4415 Blogspot or Facebook page.
F&WHR 12/1/24
Friday 12/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly day with sunny periods and temperatures of 1 to 6C. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings with the ongoing works in Blaenau Ffestiniog and elsewhere. All three webcams were out of action again today (the eleventh day running for the Porthmadog webcam) so it appears staff must be busy upgrading the IT systems.
WHR lineside clearance team 20-21/1/24
The WHR Lineside Clearance Weekend planned for this weekend (13-14/1/24) has now moved to the 20-21/1/24. Volunteers will be working with the General Manager out of Dinas starting at 8.30am and back by dark (sunset is about 16:30 but Works Trains often return an hour before this given cloudy conditions). Please send a Private Message on Facebook if you wish to join the gang. The group will probably use Caernarfon Castle and the WHR Mess Car No.111 as a base.
School visit 11-12/1/24
The F&WHR has occasional school visits providing an educational opportunity for pupils about the local slate industry etc. Blanche was turned out to shunt Minffordd Yard slate wagons for a local school on Thursday and Friday. See Friends of F&WHR Facebook page for images.
Revision of 20mph zones 11/1/24
A massive campaign and petition has seen opposition to blanket 20mph zones grow in Wales. Almost half a million of Wales 3 million population have signed the petition opposing the lowering of speed limit to 20mph. Some 'jobsworth' North Wales councils have redesignated over 99% of 30mph roads as 20mph zones whereas in South Wales some councils have reduced the speed limit to 20mph in no more than 90% of 30mph zones. WAG is reconsidering the issue. See Wales on line story and Daily Post story.
F&WHR 11/1/24
Thursday 11/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly day with sunny periods and temperatures of 0 to 6C. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings with the ongoing works in Blaenau Ffestiniog and elsewhere. All three webcams were out of action today (the tenth day running for the Porthmadog webcam) so it appears staff must be busy upgrading the IT systems.
More hope for Wylfa 11/1/24
Government announcements about the Nuclear Power Station programme have identified Wylfa as one of two potential sites for the next large scale nuclear power station. Britain's aging nuclear power stations currently provide about 15% of baseload energy 24/7 which is something other carbon free resources cannot match in terms of reliability. However, this is set to decrease as the existing power stations reach the end of their lives. The Government has committed to renewing nuclear in the face of Russian gas supplies being interrupted by the Ukraine War. See BBC News story.
The Wylfa site has a lot going for it as land has already been allocated for Wylfa B in plans abandoned by Tories stop/go nuclear policies of recent years. The Valley Nuclear Electric (nuclear waste flask) siding would be reactivated and still receives GBRf path retention/staff familiarisation trains. Construction materials could be delivered via the former Rhosgoch Tank Farm site (the oil storage facility for the long closed Anglesey Oil Pipeline) on the Amlwch Branch which could be rehabilitated quickly. A 5 mile long temporary haul road across intervening farmland could avoid HGV traffic on inadequate local loads.
In addition to this development, planning work is still underway for a Small Modular Reactor site at the former Trawsfynydd nuclear power station where, again, materials could be delivered by train if the Trawsfynydd branch was rehabilitated. However, the SMR concept is still under development and a production line of self contained reactors that can simply be plugged into the mains is a few years off yet whereas proven large scale reactor designs are available off the shelf and under construction in several countries.
Spooners closed until 16/1/24
Due to unforeseen circumstances encountered during the maintenance work currently taking place at Spooner’s, the F&WHR will be delaying the reopening until Tuesday, 16/1/24. The team involved in the maintenance work are working hard to make sure these vital improvements are completed so that Spooner's can welcome customers to a new and improved experiences soon!
F&WHR 10/1/24
Wednesday 10/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly bright day with temperatures of 1 to 4C. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings with the ongoing works in Blaenau Ffestiniog and elsewhere. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the ninth day running, so staff must be busy with other tasks.
No trains were noted running on Wednesday.
Linda outshopped 10/1/24
Hunslet 2-4-0STT LINDA has just emerged from the Boston Lodge
Paint Shop, revealing the results of the work carried out by the volunteer
painting crew. LINDA will now be winterised and join the other
locos stabled on shed until the start of the new season.
The F&WHR would like to thank all who carried out the work on the loco. If you
would like to help out and fancy volunteering on the F&WHR, there is plenty of
information on the website with details of all the activities planned.
See
www.festrail.co.uk/volunteering to discover more.
This northerly Boston Lodge view (10/1/24) shows the newly painted LINDA. 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.
Main line news 10/1/24
On 10/1/24 BR blue No.52015 (D1015) Western Champion piloted the Avonmouth to Pen-y-ffordd cement empties with 66714 inside for part of its journey. The Class 52 is not thought to have reached Welsh metals as it was a main line test for the SVR based loco and probably returned to there. It is a long while since a member of Class 52 graced the North Wales Coast Line. The loco was noted northbound at Wickwar between Bristol and Gloucester.
Snowstorm predicted 19/1/23
The latest medium range forecast predicts deep snow over North Wales disrupting travel and activity from 19/1/24.
While no passenger trains are scheduled to be operated at this time, works
trains are likely. Weather maps for a week on Friday suggest over 10cm of snow
is likely at Porthmadog with more potentially blocking the mountain passes to
the east. See Daily Post
report.
F&WHR 9/1/24
Tuesday 9/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly bright day with temperatures of 1 to 4C. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings with the ongoing works in Blaenau Ffestiniog and elsewhere. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the eighth day running, so staff must be busy with other tasks.
Upnor Castle was noted leaving Minffordd Yard with the Mess Car No.1111 in the morning at 09:22 to a worksite in the east with plenty of volunteers and staff on board and returned 2 hours later. The train left again in the afternoon and was noted returning to Minffordd Yard at about 15:30 to close the day's activities.
F&WHR 8/1/24
Monday 8/1/24 was forecast to be another chilly bright day with temperatures of 1 to 4C. It appeared there had been a ground frost. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the seventh day running.
At 08:22 Upnor Castle was noted exiting Minffordd Yard with one empty B wagon (B2925). Some attention to the points was necessary as they appeared to be manually wound over after an apparent failure of the electrical point motors. At 08:38 the loco propelled the wagon towards Boston Lodge. There was further attention to the points at 09:00 with more manual winding of the point motors back to the 'Normal' setting. So when Upnor Castle returned with a B wagons full of Boston Lodge rubbish at 09:25 it had to stop west of the crossover. After consultation the loco proceeded through the station at 09:26 on the normal Up line and crossed over at the eastern end of the loop before propelling the B wagon into the yard at 09:36.
No further loco movements were observed.
Blaenau WMWP 8/1/24
Work on the reconstruction of the platform at Blaenau Ffestiniog is well underway. The project will continue over a number of years and this year will see the platform edgings, surfaces and drainage tackled. Further work next winter will deal with the gutters and canopy roof. Thanks are due to the members of the Ffestiniog Railway Society members whose generosity has allowed the society board to fund these much needed improvement works.
This easterly view (8/1/24) shows the excavation of the platform edgings at Blaenau Ffestiniog. 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.
Mainline News 7/1/24
Class 37 No.97302 was on duty on rail replacement work at Cemmaes Road. A Colas loco has also been involved over the weekend PW work.
Llangollen News
Excellent progress has been made with 03162 at Llangollen and it is possible the loco may appear in traffic in the not too distant future. The resident Class 26/31/47 are all in good condition. The 2024 timetable will see a similar train service to last year with a similar number of diesel turns. The railway could do with a visit by more prototypical locos. It has been 5 years since 37240 left and much longer since a Class 24/25 visited the line despite the abundance of these smaller locos on other railways.
GVT Trust news
The Glyn Valley Tramway Trust has launched a website and continues to run its Facebook page. An item of rolling stock (regauged to 2' 3" in common with the TR and Corris Railway) has been delivered and a siding laid for the future Rolling Stock shed. The station building will be rebuilt and the line extended for just over a mile to Pont Faen, down a 1 in 60 bank. The run round loop in the station will also be completed and the railway hopes to acquire passenger rolling stock and a diesel/battery loco initially though a replica GVT Tramway loco must be a long term aim. Meanwhile the separate organisation that runs the museum at Glyn Ceiriog goes from strength to strength and has recently laid track in the platforms. See museum website.
F&WHR 7/1/24
The bright colder weather arrived for Sunday with sunny periods forecast and temperatures of -2 to 5C and it appeared there had been a ground frost. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the sixth day running.
No works train movements were noted on Sunday.
Funkey weekend 6-7/1/24
The WHR Funkey Caernarfon Castle was working with the track gang near Waunfawr on Saturday and then near Tryfan Junction on Sunday. The train included former push-pull Driving Observation Car No.111 which is now the WHR's Mess Car. The main job was lineside clearance, preventing undergrowth scratching the sides of rolling stock and, for that matter, passengers on open coaches!
This easterly view (7/1/24) shows Caernarfon Castle with the WHR Mess Car No.111 at Tryfan Junction during lineside clearance work. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy Tom Waldren and was taken on a digital camera.
F&WHR 6/1/24
Colder weather was forecast for Saturday (and the week ahead) with showers and sunny periods and temperatures of 0-8C. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP departmental workings. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the fifth day running.
The first movement noted today was Upnor Castle at 09:07 propelling the PW containers, 2 small FR wagons and the FR Mess car out of Minffordd Yard towards the east. The same train returned at 15:40, passing through Minffordd for the yard to close the day's activities.
F&WHR 5/1/24
The mild Xmas weather has gone away and Friday was forecast to start with heavy rain day and temperatures of 3-8C but improve with sunshine and showers later. No public trains were planned today, though there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the fourth day running.
The first movement noted today was Upnor Castle propelling BZ2004 with ballast and tamping equipment and a DZ wagon loaded with ballast out of Minffordd Yard at 09:01, returning from the east, light engine at 10:08. At 10:55 Upnor Castle re-emerged from the yard propelling a DZ wagon loaded with ballast and the FR's Mess Car at 10:55. At 14:55 Upnor Castle hauled the FR Mess Car No.1111 back through Minffordd into the yard to conclude the day's activities.
Mainline news 1-5/1/24
Three car Class 197s have begun to appear on the Blaenau Ffestiniog branch. These ugly DMUs at least provide better accommodation and views from the window that the Class 150s they replace. No.197105 was on duty on 2/1/24. These trains also have started working on the Borderlands Line where the Class 230 battery EMUs are still failing to impress.
Silver DB liveried 67029 Royal Diamond made it to Holyhead on 5/1/24 with 1W96 the 17:14 from Cardiff Central, the surviving North Wales Coast loco hauled, on one of the days it has not been substituted by inadequate DMU rolling stock.
This southerly view (5/1/24) shows Royal Diamond at Holyhead on the afternoon train from Cardiff. This one surviving loco hauled train on the North Wales Coast is often substituted by inadequate DMUs to the disgust of TfW passengers. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright Ross Austin and was taken on a digital camera.
Slate Waggons progress 4/1/24
Slate Waggon volunteers are back at work in the Blacksmiths Shop at Boston Lodge this winter maintaining vehicles which make up the F&WHR's famous gravity slate train. So far efforts have focussed on stripping down four vehicles to replace the floors, overhaul brake gear and carry out bodywork repairs. They also achieve a few other jobs along the way.
F&WHR 4/1/24
The mild Xmas weather has gone away and Thursday was forecast to be a sunny day with temperatures of 3-8C. No trains were planned today, though following the Festive Trains on both the FR and the WHR, it seems likely that there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP. The three wagons left at Tan-y-bwlch from the Whistling Curve relay before Xmas were still blocking the Down line on Wednesday but had been removed by the end of the day. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the third day running.
The first movement noted today was Upnor Castle arriving at Minffordd wrong line from the west at 08:40 propelling a B wagon and entering Minffordd Yard at 08:45 with B1630 full of random construction material presumably from the Boston Lodge rebuild. The train reappeared at 09:37 reversing into the loop before departing at 09:38 for Boston Lodge. At 15:18 yesterday's PW train returned from presumably Blaenau Ffestiniog running directly into Minffordd Yard.
Velinheli boiler test 4/1/24
The new boiler for ex-Dinorwic Quarry Hunslet Velinheli had its hydraulic test witnessed by the BES Inspector on 4/1/24. The boiler was tested to 360psi (twice design pressure) and no leaks were seen. Although designed to 180psi the safety valves will be set at 120psi as this is the original pressure for this loco. This popular small loco is likely to back in traffic later this year.
F&WHR 3/1/24
The unseasonably mild Xmas weather continued into Monday with temperatures of 6-9C forecast and an overcast drizzly afternoon with weather warnings out about possible flooding. The strong winds from Storm Henk have dies down. No trains were planned today, though following the Festive Trains on both the FR and the WHR, it seems likely that there might be stock movements as well as the continuing WMWP. The WHR line in Porthmadog is looking rather rusty as there have been few movements for some weeks on this route. The three wagons left at Tan-y-bwlch from the Whistling Curve relay before Xmas were still blocking the Down line on Wednesday ready to restart the WMWP so any other trains will have to continue to pass through Tan-y-bwlch using the Up platform reversibly. The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for the second day running.
The first movement noted today was Harlech Castle going up the line eastwards light engine passing Minffordd at 11:13, before reversing into the yard at 11:20 by using the unusual route of the points at the east end of the station. At 11:48 the loco emerged from the yard with a PW train consisting of BZ2004 carrying a 360 degree excavator, a small FR wagon, the container wagon, a second small FR wagon and the FR Mess Car on the rear.
By late afternoon the three wagons left over Xmas had been removed from the Down line at Tan-y-bwlch but the PW train was nowhere to be seen so it may have stabled at Glan-y-pwll for the planned work at Blaenau Ffestiniog.
F&WHR 2/1/24
The unseasonably mild Xmas weather continued into Monday with temperatures of 8-10C forecast and an overcast rainy afternoon continuing overnight with weather warnings out about possible flooding. No trains were planned today, though following the final day of the Festive Trains on both the FR and the WHR, it seems likely that there might be stock movements as well as a resumption of the WMWP. Volunteer groups are said to be working off the Xmas cheer! The WHR line in Porthmadog is looking very rusty as there have been no movements for some weeks on this route though a stock transfer is anticipated for 2/1/24. The three wagons left at Tan-y-bwlch from the Whistling Curve relay before Xmas are still blocking the Down line. They were still present on Tuesday ready to restart the WMWP so any other trains will have to continue to pass through Tan-y-bwlch using the Up platform reversibly.
The Porthmadog webcam was out of action for much of the day. The first move came at 09:39 when Harlech Castle emerged from Minffordd Yard propelling the cable drum wagon and dragging the FR's Mess Car and headed towards Tan-y-bwlch. Storm Henk followed up the dousing with strong winds.
Stock move 1/1/24
There was a stock move from Boston Lodge to Dinas on 1/1/24. The 5 coach set may have been to replace The Cwellyn rake. The return working was double headed with Caernarfon Castle from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu as it consisted of a full WHR rake going for annual maintenance at Boston Lodge, which is over the timing load for a single Funkey.
This southerly view (1/1/24) shows Vale of Ffestiniog heading a stock transfer train to Dinas from Boston Lodge. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright Tom Waldren and was taken on a digital camera.
2024 Events
Additional events may be organised at short notice. In previous years for example there have been Halloween Trains.
Click on the image to enlarge and click again to enlarge fully if available. Poster copyright F&WHR.
Bill goes to Blaenau 1/1/24
1/1/24 saw Bill making its way to Blaenau after its recent repaint. The loco took a rake of small FR wagons ready for the relay scheme.
This easterly view (1/1/24) shows Bill resplendent in its new paint scheme just before its trip to Blaenau Ffestiniog. 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 shortlisted for HRA Awards
The F&WHR is delighted to announce that the
Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways have been shortlisted for two prestigious
awards at the upcoming HRA 2024 Annual Awards:
- Coiley Award for Steam Locomotive Engineering – James Spooner
- HRA Award for Rising Stars – Osian Hughes (Marketing Lead)
The winners will be announced at the 2024 HRA Awards in Brighton on the evening
of Saturday, 10/2/23.
Read the full story here:
https://www.festrail.co.uk/2024-hra-awards/
Happy New Year
Your webmaster would like to wish all readers a happy, healthy and successful New Year.
F&WHR 1/1/24
The unseasonably mild Xmas weather continued into Monday with temperatures of 7-8C forecast and an overcast rainy afternoon. The weather started off sunny. Two trains were planned today, the final day of the Festive Trains on both the FR and the WHR and it seems likely that the WMWP has been paused until 2/1/24 though volunteer groups are said to be working off the Xmas cheer! The WHR line in Porthmadog is looking very rusty as there have been no movements for some weeks on this route though a stock transfer is anticipated for 2/1/24. The three wagons left at Tan-y-bwlch from the Whistling Curve relay and still blocking the Down line were still present on Monday ready to restart the WMWP so the Christmas Mountain Spirit will have to continue to pass through Tan-y-bwlch using the Up platform reversibly.
Steam was being raised at Boston Lodge at 08:30 on Monday and Vale of Ffestiniog appeared to be assisting with the early shunting in the Carriage Shed. The ECS for the Christmas Mountain Spirit eventually came across The Cob hauled by Blanche and James Spooner at 09:40. The pair then ran round at 09:45 before being coupled up with Blanche as pilot. Departure came a few minutes late at 10:03. The train made good time and arrived at Minffordd at 10:11 and departing 4 minutes later. Arrival at Tan-y-bwlch came at 10:40, departing 7 minutes later. The train appeared to be lightly loaded despite the fine morning weather.
This westerly view (1/1/24) shows Blanche piloting James Spooner through Minffordd with the n10:00 Christmas Mountain Spirit. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a web camera.
The return working passed Minffordd at 12:48 and arrived at Porthmadog about 10 minutes later. At 13:28 Vale of Ffestiniog departed the WHR platform with an ECS 5 coach train for Dinas. James Spooner left single headed at 13:33. Blanche was standing in the seawall siding with an empty B wagon at 16:33 and started shunting. James Spooner arrived at Minffordd at 13:41 and departed at 13:43. The train arrived back at Porthmadog at 16:43. departing with the ECS at 16:56 to close the day's activities. Blanche was shunting the two water wagons at 13:48. The WHR water carrier was being emptied at the disposal point to prevent freezing the pipes.
This easterly view (1/1/24) shows Vale of Ffestiniog departing with an ECS for Dinas while James Spooner readies for departure on the final 13:30 Christmas Mountain Spirit. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image courtesy F&WHR and was taken on a web camera.
The train passed Minffordd at 16:17 and arrived back at Porthmadog at 16:26. The Fairlie ran round at 16:31 and departed with the ECS at 16:35 to close the Festive season trains.
Festive season report
The F&WHR's General Manager has given this commercial report on a successful Festive Season:
ONE BIG 'THANK YOU'..!
As we head towards the New Year, we've been looking back at our Christmas
celebrations and activities. It's been a fantastic festive period again and the
looks of joy on the faces of visitors young and old has been wonderful to see.
In total, 843 adults and 828 children visited Santa in his Magical Christmas
Carriage Grotto in Harbour Station, while also enjoying the station decorations
and footplate rides.
On the Welsh Highland Railway, 1378 adults and 971 children travelled on our
Santa Trains - meeting Santa and the Elves during the journey, and enjoying
tasty treats from their Christmas Hampers along the way.
Now, as 2023 draws to a close, we'd like to thank everyone who came to visit us
this year, everyone who supported us from afar by shopping online or telling
friends and family about the wonderful time they could have if only they'd visit
the F&WHR, everyone who supported us with donations to appeals, everyone who
spent time promoting the F&WHR at events and venues across the UK ... and
especially, everyone who came to work on the F&WHR this year - whether as
volunteer or paid staff, as one can't exist without the other.
So - it's a big 'THANK YOU' to you all from the F&WHR..!
Make a note in your new diary that F&WHR services restart from 23/4/24...
BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA
HAPPY NEW YEAR..!
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Page Version 4.1 Dated 4/3/24