FR & WHR & WHHR News

Looking at their websites, the official line seems that, following it's initial iteration in (similar) "plum" livery to the curly van, 1950s/60s green will (fittingly) be applied "as a tribute to Allan Garraway".

 

Yes, that's what I said. Most of the staff are still furloughed though. So it could be a while before there is capacity to do that.

Tim

 

So it is ...... must be the heat!

 

Splendid stuff. Where do you get this information?
I'm a FRS member, and I get Inside Motion, etc., but I'm never quite sure where people get this sort of info.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

 

Most of it is on Festinog Railway Facebook page.

Inside motion used to be a very good volunteer news letter but the company decided to take it on a few years ago. Since then things seem to be a bit sporadic. A local volunteer started posting about things more often but has since then retired. Hopefully they can find someone else to run it when things get back to normal.

These days you would probably find more recent news on the various Facebook pages. Ffestinog Railway Insider, Ffestinog Railway Society, and the Festiniog Railway Heritage Group.

Tim

 

Ah, OK. I stopped checking Facebook a few years ago because it's such a massive time-sink...

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

 

Can't believe this hasn't been posted.
Lighting up Welsh Pony.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=272555557284757

 

First Whistle.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=285211969508062

 

Congratulations and well done to all those who have restored Welsh Pony to steam. Many Thanks

It moves!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2629899230659727

Steve B

 

A reminder of what WELSH PONY looked like in 1961:

R553. Welsh Pony at Portmadoc. April,1961. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

 

Great to see in steam again but after all the build up it was a bit of a shocker that the battery on the camera went dead within the first few minutes. It would also have been nice to "Witness the lighting of the first fire in 'Welsh Pony' for eighty years" as promised but for some reason when the fire was due to be lit they kept the camera well away from the business end although they did plenty of cab shots in the two latter slots.

I got the feeling that today was really the first official public steaming etc of Welsh Pony as under three hours from the first match off a totally cold loco to blowing off seemed a wee bit quicker than you would want to do for a loco that has just been rebuilt, all be with it a new boiler, and the way Paul Lewin talked about it in the third slot seemed to indicate they had given a brief trial previously

They are just minor niggles having made time this morning to watch based on the build up all week. None of that is to denigrate a great job done and it will great to see it running in the future.

The loco I would like to see steam again in Mountaineer. Nothing against Welsh Pony but the FR already has two operational England's and possibly more pertinently whilst it may be a historic loco I have no personal memories of it. Childhood memories run deep, and whilst it may just be me, they do influence how I view and think of locos which is probably also why I have never really warmed to the new builds.

 

I thought it was fantastic positive event today for the Ffestiniog with the completion of the restoration of 'Welsh Pony' and it's first public steam up and run for 80 years.

I watched the first 2 stages live, then had to go to work, and caught up this evening with watching 'Welsh Pony' run in steam. Superb job Boston Work staff and volunteers have done, and retaining as much of what was left from various rebuilds as possible. Cheered me up no end.

Cheers,

Julian

 

Another reminder of a past WELSH PONY, this time in 1963:

R0931. WELSH PONY back from Birmingham. 21st April,1963. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

 

Having spent plenty of time messing about on it when it was plinthed and imagined it running, to see it running is pretty amazing. It really was in bad shape and you did think that there was no chance it would ever run again.

Fantastic job by all involved.

 

All the filming is obviously highly constrained by coronavirus restriction and the wild and wet weather would have been no help either.

 

The loco wasn't warmed previously. It was still in the paintshop being painted on Friday. 3 hours from cold is about right in my experience with the other two. It's only a small boiler, not an A4. With a hot engine it is probably just over an hour from no fire and no pressure to blowing off.

Tim

 

The brief view into the firebox showed no brick arch. Is that to be added?

 

Appropriately North Welsh weather for a Welsh Pony.