Beddgellert on the FR

I was just Reading an article in garden rail magazine about a scratchbuilt model of the hunslet Beddgelert. It mentions that when running on the Ffestiniog railway it was turned to run bunker first due to the long overhang and the small slate wagons. I have not seen any reference to beddgelert running on the FR, does anyone know when this happened and was it a regular occurence? Better still, does anyone know of any photos of it running on the FR?

James

 

Unfortunately, the writer of the article has got his facts wrong.

'Beddgelert' never ran on the Ffestiniog - being built in 1878 for the NWNGR and scrapped by the same company some twenty years or so before the WHR (with its link to the Ffestiniog) was constructed...

'Beddgelert' operated on the original NWNGR main-line to Bryngwyn (as the line up the Gwyrfai valley was at first considered a branch line) - and it was on this line that it was turned, possibly to improve adhesion as well as the reason given in the article...

More information HERE

 

That's what I thought, thanks Roger.

James

 

NWNG "Beddgelert"

Would a replica Beddgelert be a useful loco (in the same way as the replica Lyd) on the RhE ? I assume it would not fit the FR loading gauge.

Richard

 

If RhE don't want one, I am sure that WHHR would not say 'no' to one............

 

I very much doubt it... 'Beddgelert' was primarily designed as a freight loco and was not perfect for the work it had to do originally. Hence the work completed by Hunslets to modify the loco by altering the angle the boiler sat in the frames. The rigid 0-6-4 design was obviously not ideal either... I've just seen a drawing of an 1893 design by Hunslet for a 2-6-2ST replacement for 'Beddgelert' - which certainly lends support to the this.

(I'll probably get shot by the boss at this point!) It has yet to be shown that 'Lyd' will be a useful loco... If the Manning Wardles were restricted to four/five carriages on the L&B, then 'Lyd' will not be anywhere near powerful enough for standard RhE trains. Double-heading with 'K1' would be required on these...

Correct...

I wouldn't be too sure about that either - with 'Gelert', 'Russell' and '790' on site already. The financial commitment to running and maintaining yet another steam loco is a major undertaking for any organisation...

Having said all the above, I'd love to see a replica 'Beddgelert' in operation - it's certainly at the top of my 'Lottery' wish-list, as I think it was the best looking loco ever operated by the NWNGR/WHR..!

 

Beddgelert, as stated previously, never ran on the FR which was still not connected with the truncated NWNGR at the time of its scrapping. It would never have cleared the FR loading gauge either.

 

Beddgelert was probably the best engine the NWNGR ever had. It's comprable to Linda on the FR but much more robust and with a large boiler,firebox and slightly bigger wheels. Being much more powerful than the gutless single farlies it was very popular and worn out within 25 years. The arrival of Russell ment there was no need to rebuild it so it was scrapped. The rebuilding at hunslets with an inclined boiler has more to do with the poor design of the Bryngwyn Branch than the poor design of the loco. Hunslets seemed to be very proud of Beddgelert and it remained in thier publicity material for years. A replica would be more suitbale for the WHR than Lyd, Moel Tryfan or even Gowrie.

Tim

 

The Manning Wardles were unable to handle five coaches on the L&B. Lyd will be useful short term for no other reason than it will represent a much loved and lost locomotive type and will no doubt attract much attention. I suspect that those involved in the project see the loco eventually living elsewhere.

Personally, I feel that the RhE went in the wrong direction with NG16s. I strongly believe that they would have been better off with a fleet of NG15s, but there you are

 

But will there be any railways willing to stump up the cost of hireing it?

You're not the only one, but the cheapness and ability to swap loads of parts on the 16s clearly mattered more.

 

I personally prefer the NG15s too, but having seen an NGG16 they are quite breath taking!

On the note about Lyd (as I personally run a one-man Lyd fan club), I think within a very short period of being in operation she will be re-homed somewhere, somewhere obvious, but then this is just my very large pipe dream! That and a full heritage train behind her...

...not going to happen for a while huh

 

I'd be very surprised if that ever happened on a permanent basis, the L&B have their own replica loco's under construction and money was given to her as a new F&WHR engine. While perhaps Lyd is not best suited to the demands of the WHR at the moment, who knows what the future will bring in terms of shuttle's etc and im sure she'll find work on the FR along the same lines as Prince and Tal (i think both of which are out of ticket next year?).

Chris

 

" (as I personally run a one-man Lyd fan club). I think within a very short period of being in operation she will be re-homed somewhere, somewhere obvious, but then this is just my very large pipe dream!"

Ermmm no, I am a member of the fan club too! Who knows what the future will bring.......................

 

Well I don't have you on my membership database

Maybe she will stay at the WHR/FR for a long while, maybe she wont, but we all know she has a home in Devon and she'd be yearning to go there, frequently!

Imagine if a repilca of Russell was running on the South Tynedale for example...we all know where she should be.

Personally I am just happy to see a Manning Wardle!

 

It's not a Manning Wardle, it's a Boston Lodge.

 

I actually heard that hair splitting

 

Designed by Manning Wardle, built by Boston Lodge. To use a motor car analogy, Aston Martins built by Zagato are still Aston Martins. Corris No.7 is often referred to as a Kerr Stuart rather than a Winson Drayton for the same reason.

Richard

 

The Tal has allready had it's internal inspection and been re-tubed, in the new year the tanks and cladding will be of the external inspection, and hopefully it should see a quick turn around. Prince on the other hand will be out for a little while.

I think it'll be dissapointed with the L&B at the moment, because it will have allready stretched its legs at 20mph on a proper raiwlay, of course in a few years time...

 

If you look in the right place you will find that Paul Lewin has said that, if Lyd is not required for services on the FR/WHR, she may become available for hire by the L&B as she would need to earn her keep.

The current L&B is too short and the trains too small for Lyd to be of economic use there on a regular basis. The L&B management also seemingly do not wish to hire any additional motive power (ref Gertrude). If the L&B expands to a reasonable length and replaces the theme park carriages, Lyd would come into play as suitable motive power (if she was available for hire). However it is my opinion that, at present the L&B will not be expanding beyond Woody Bay - Killington Lane in the foreseeable future, although I would like to be proved wrong on that point.

Lyd can, of course, visit as a star attraction at a L&B gala - which, as I am sure most are aware, is provisionally on the cards for next year.


Charlie

 

Oh dear, there will be a more than a few Stokies turning in their grave if they hear that.