FR & WHR & WHHR News

A few recommendations for you...

- The Australia, Porthmadog; recently refurbished and reopened. Good beer and good food, although a slightly limited menu.
- The Sportsman, Porthmadog; expensive but very good quality.
- Thai Harbour (in the Yacht Club), Porthmadog; truly excellent Thai food (the other curry houses in Porthmadog are very average).
- Spooner's (in Harbour Station), Porthmadog; can be of slightly variable quality but good value.
- The Cwellyn Arms, Rhyd Ddu; expensive but exceptional food and a view over Snowdon.
- Snowdonia Parc, Waunfawr; good, solid and reasonably priced pub grub, with its own micro-brewery.

Hope that gets you started! Enjoy your trip on the WHR

 

If you want to wander a bit further up the coast to Criccieth, there are a number of decent options there including

- Tir a Mor - Not cheap but very good quality.
- Granvilles - Slightly less expensive but again, very good food.
- Poachers - good, solid if less adventurous fare and reasonably priced

Also a nice seafront to walk it off afterwards!

 

I can add The Ship Pub in Porthmadog across from the bay, excellent Food and beer choice is good as well, further up that road on the corner is a good Curry House, not sure of its name.

 

Awesome, thanks everybody!

 

New Facebook page for F&WHR

Having passed 10,000 likes on the original F&WHR Facebook page, we've decided to split our Facebook presence into two main pages.

The new page, F&WHR Insider, is designed with enthusiasts in mind and will concentrate on the detail of how the railway operates; work on locomotives, carriages and infrastructure; historical details etc, while the original page will continue, covering topics of more interest to general readers.

Other specialist pages, such as those for Welsh Pony and Moel Tryfan, will continue alongside the two principal channels.

You do not need to sign up to Facebook to view any of our pages, but you will not be able to comment, reply or post messages and photographs.

https://www.facebook.com/festrailinsider/

 

The Landmark Trust are looking to lease Coed y Bleiddiau house (found between Tan-Y-Bwlch and Dduallt) from the Ffestiniog Railway and restore it as a holiday let. The house sits right next to the trackbed, and with parking being a 10 minute walk away, primary access will be be rail. Having stayed in their restored Alton Station in Staffordshire, I really hope they get the funding for it. More info here: http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/Properties-list/coed-y-bleiddiau/History/#tabs=Overview

 

Daily Mail today... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-famous-children-s-favourite-Ivor-Engine.html

 

I hope the restoration includes removing the rather dangerous sounding ceiling and putting it to better use at Boston Lodge...

 

New Inside Motion newsletter available here:
http://www.festrail.co.uk/content/publish/insidemotion/2014_im_index.shtml

 

Quick question for the cognoscenti: Are there any FR locos that have run in every decade in preservation. In other words, have covered some miles in traffic in at least one (maybe more) year in the 1950s, at least one year in the 1960s, at least one year in the 1970s etc right up to the current decade?

Also - slightly cheeky - does anyone know the same answer for the Tal-y-llyn Railway?

Thanks

Tom

 

Lets see. The 50s had the fewest fr locos in service - Mary Ann, Prince, Moelwyn, Taliesin of Merionethompson and that's about it. Prince I think sat out the 70s, Earl of Livingesin was withdrawn in 1971, so it's down to the diesels, both of which I think qualify. Ergo, yes.

You could add in Merddin Emrys, Linda, Blanche, Upnor Castle and Britomart if you moved your start decade to the 60s, then Moel Hebog and Earl of Merioneth from the 70s, Conway Castle I think makes it from the 80s (though I'm unsure if it has worked since 2010, so it might not qualify), David Lloyd George, Palmerston, Lilla, 138, 143, Castell Caernarfon, Vale of Ffestiniog and, I think Harold (engine expired in 2010) from the 90s.

It might be more appropriate to ask which locos have *not* worked in every decade since their introduction to service!

John

 

Other than N0 7 Tom Rolt, I think all of the TR's steam locos have run at some time during every decade since the 1950's?

 

Earl of Living in Sin? Is that another of the Duke's obscure royal titles?

 

Thanks both. I'll declare an interest in that I was looking at loco mileages on the Bluebell and happened to notice that 323 had run in preservation in every decade since the 1960s, and wondered if that would be a unique accomplishment: the TR and FR were two obvious places to look where there may have been locos that had achieved similar. Seems it is not unique.

Tom

 

What about 41241? I think I'm right in saying that 92203 has also run in every decade since the Sixties, albeit not always on the same line.

 

From http://www.isengard.co.uk/#News

 

Yes

 

Wow, what exciting news!
I do hope suitable museum accommodation can be found to display EoM, it is not only my favourite FfR loco, but historic in its own right as the start of new-build steam (with River Mite).
Surely no one will doubt Boston Lodge will turn out another new build loco with very little fuss, and that all started with the Earl.

 

It seems ironic that The Earl should now be suffering the same fate as the loco it was built to replace! But as you say, she is a historic locomotive in her own ways, and would actually be a worthy contender for proper conservation. Anyway, if the FfR's engineers have concluded that a new-build loco is really the most cost effective option then I guess we have to take their word for it.

So...new loco...let the livery froth commence!

(Col. Stephens green has my vote!)

 

And even more ironic that a machine dating from 1979 should be life expired while Merddin Emrys, a whole century her senior, remains in capital stock.