FR & WHR & WHHR News

GELERT has returned to service on the WHHR and will be in use all this week till Sunday when RUSSELL takes over again.

 

Evening All,

If anyone would like to have a look, I have added a further batch of pictures from the 'Hunslet 125' event to my Flickr site and this is the first one in the Photostream:

RD17052. Five Quarry Hunslets. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

Alternatively, they can also be found in this album:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmg2Y7SE

Hope they're of interest.

 

Anyone able to say when the FR operates the Gravity Slate Train? And do they "open" the ride to public, or is it staff only?

Also any details of the Superpower Weekend? See L&B Lyn is advertised as visiting in Steam Railway Mag, any further details available? Could do with knowing to organise accommodation...

 

Gravity trains are run normally for special events and apart from the brakesman it is normally specially invited guests only. Normally the best way of getting on one is to get involved with the team that restores them. Generally they meet at least once a month. Next runs are scheduled for early September as part of the Heritage Apprenticeship scheme.

Superpower will indeed feature Lyn. For most of the action, you are probably best off booking somewhere at the Caernarfon end of the line. If there is something that you really want a go on that departs from Porthmadog, you can always nip on a T2 so you end up back where you started!

 

The timetable for Superpower is now available - see the link at the bottom of this page :
https://www.festrail.co.uk/content/publish/specialevents/549.shtml

Lyn is slated to work from Caernarfon/Dinas up the hill past Tryfan junction to Waunfawr on all three days - "top-and
-tailed" on a vintage set with Taliesin.

 

Don't suppose you know what size train Lyn and Taliesin will be in charge of do you? I was kinda hoping to see Lyn do a solo run too, allow the Baldwin to show what she's really made of, as so far it's true capabilities in terms of how many carriages it can pull hasn't really been tested fully as yet.

 

The shuttles/vintage sets are usually a half dozen or so coaches long. So far as I know the Cearnarfon end trains are always top and tailed. Not sure about the Port-Bedd end.

 

Sorry - I don't know....

Having said that, the middle of an event with probably minimal slack in the timetable is likely not a good time to conduct haulage trials. After the event, before Lyn returns to the L&B would be a much better opportunity but I am unaware of any current plans.

 

Should be V10, 23 and 24 - traditional looking WHR set.

 

Interesting film on Youtube showing the operation of Rhiw Goch signal box. Apart from the operational stuff I though it interesting how quickly the two halves of the Fairlies "synchronised" after starting off:


Steve B

 

Two things struck me. The chairs were in nearly as poor a condition as the railway I occasionally volunteer at. It always amazes me that as railways want volunteers to spend a longish day in a signal box smartly dressed and yet cannot give them a basic comfortable chair in good condition which must cost peanuts compared to what is spent on maintaining rolling stock. Possibly fine if you have volunteers coming out of your ears but not if you are trying to encourage more or get them to volunteering on more days.

This is the second video I have seen where the fireman on a double fairlie has started firing as the train departs. I would have thought they might have done when the train was stationary or when the train has got moving and the driver notched back as I would have thought firing on starting off when the blast is fiercest would result in the greatest amount of cool air being drawn in to the firebox.

 

Does anyone know how the Ratty's observation coach is coming along at Boston Lodge

 

Not sure about this on the FR, but certainly where I volunteer this is fairly common practice - two reasons really - firstly, if you thrown a good round on with a view to the bank you're going hit half a mile away before getting the RA, and then the RA is delayed for five minutes, you end up with the engine sat in the platform blowing its head off, and secondly the making of clouds of smoke in the platform is rather frowned on, and with the coal we burn it's far too easy to create great clouds of unwanted blackness with about two shovel fulls of the stuff, never mind a full round on the grate.

The blast when the engine is getting the train rolling isn't usually that vicious either - usually the driver can't open up a huge amount or it just slips - it's once dug in with a bit of momentum when a loco tends to really be working hard.

 

Gravity Train timings for Sunday and Monday for those who are interested. Requested motive power is Palmerston.
__________________________

SUNDAY 2nd September:

Steam Loco + Slate Waggons
• Depart Minffordd @ 10:20
• Arrive Boston Lodge @ 10:30
• Depart Boston Lodge @ 14:55
• Tan-y-Bwlch 15:30-15:45
• Arrive Dduallt @ 16:00

Gravity Train:
• Depart Dduallt @ 16:15
• Arrive Minffordd @ 16:55

Steam Loco:
• Depart Dduallt @ 17:00
• Arrive Boston Lodge @ 17:40
_____________________

MONDAY 3rd September:

Steam Loco + Slate Waggons
• Depart Minffordd @ 08:30
• Arrive Dduallt @ 09:25

Gravity Train:
• Depart Dduallt @ 09:35
• Arrive Minffordd @ 10:15

Steam Loco:
• Depart Dduallt @ 09:55
• Tan-y-Bwlch 10:10-10:45
• Arrive Minffordd @ 11:10

Steam Loco + Slate Waggons
• Depart Minffordd @ 15:05
• Arrive Dduallt @ 16:00

Gravity Train:
• Depart Dduallt @ 16:15
• Arrive Minffordd @ 16:55

Steam Loco:
• Depart Dduallt @ 17:00
• Arrive Boston Lodge @ 17:40
_____________________

Tim

 

D Delighted to find Blanche in use and an early morning pway train running wrong line

 

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That's the only road that can be accessed from the Yard.

 

Which station is this? The background to me suggests Rhyd Ddu, but I didn't think the platforms there were curved.

Thanks

Steve B

 

Definitely Rhyd Ddu. The platform is on a very slight curve at the Caernarfon end.

 

Thanks - strange how you can visit somewhere so often and not notice something so obvious!

Steve B