FR & WHR & WHHR News

Indeed and I too chuck a large sum running to three figures each month into supporting various schemes and builds across several organisations. Without that from many on here and others much less or nothing would be done.

I just want to make the point that extra services mean extra hands and it's a lucky roster clerk who has no gaps to fill

 

Barring two turns this week which have gone to paid staff to ensure they keep their tickets (after all, they help us out when somebody goes ill that morning) then all the trains have been crewed (loco wise) with volunteers. At the moment, midweek, that requires 12 people a day at its maximum (Tues to Thurs) which is always a bit of a challenge. There's a bit of a lull at the minute, but the last two weeks in June are virtually full.

Generally, the local volunteers will gap fill and the majority of paid staff will do a good number of turns voluntary as they enjoy what they do. This is especially helpful for filling the early morning / late evening turns when (or if!) they appear.

Ironically, we are using more people in 2021 with the amended running than we probably would be with a normal timetable (that requires 8) - maybe we're the lucky ones with an excellent pool of volunteers who rise to the challenge of keeping the trains run by them?

 

Dunno where the 12 coach bit's come from Tim. I'd certainly like to be proven wrong, but doubt we're remotely close to any full reopening just yet. Perhaps rakes have become as fixed in minds as the formations usually are? BTW, my comment on using BugBoxes as bird watching hides was just a passing picture in my mind's eye. Wondering if it's worth investigating whether there might be a seasonal market to be had, providing for the birdwatching community, much less so.

I made it perfectly clear that the heretical notion of trying to extract some sort of additional custom from the bobawful situation caused by Covid isn't a 'do it and they'll come' but was entirely contingent on evidence of potential custom to make the thing worthwhile.

I for one wouldn't dream of telling anyone what they 'ought to be doing' ... and wasn't in this instance. Whilst I obviously can't speak for anyone else, there's nothing I can recall remotely comparable to the current situation, so when repeatedly seeing news items on lively tourist custom (I'm watching a BBC report on the matter as I write this*) as we take cautious steps out of our houses for the first time in months, isn't it fair to wonder whether things, still way off normal, can yet provide some sort of opportunity? No more, no less.

Wales sure as hell can't compete with the Costas for reliable sunshine, but the Costas can't compete on how late into the evening it stays light at our latitude. If there's been any slight upside to Covid, it's been to boost domestic tourism. If there's no appetite to capitalise on that, to see if something can be developed to be carried forward into the future, securing jobs - and heritage railways - in years to come, frankly I'd call that suicidally complacent.

Here's a thought. Just a couple of dozen miles east of Porthmadog, not too long ago, nobody was asking questions, or if they were, they were either being ignored or told it wasn't their place to so much as ask. Remind me, how did that pan out?

*At least I was when I wrote that

 

Oh boy, is that ever true. Across the road from me, there's a substantial catering business. Given fine weather, ice-cream sales alone are colossal, the bar and restaurant are heaving (the way most of their customers see it, naturally). A few drops of rain, a cold wind and throughout most of the the off-season, it's dead. Being (Brighton and) Hove, huge crowds can appear on the seafront at the drop of a hat. Stuff being responsible for sorting out the staffing rosters there!

 

Somebody further up suggested adding more heritage coaches as a solution to a train being booked up. I was just pointing out that there wasn't really any more compartment stock, and exaggerating to make a point about the problems that would create with the current service.

Tim

 

Don't think anyone suggested that, in fact the reverse, also pointing out the issue of social distancing at TyB.

 

I was curious as to just how much of the heritage kit is out to play, so very much appreciated your earlier post. What I am wondering is that, now the Covid arrangements for at least some WHR saloons have evidently been sorted, whether any of the FfR's modern kit is yet in line for compliancy tweaking.

I've a nasty feeling we're likely to be stuck with some level of 'Covid arrangements' well beyond this season ..... worst luck! but it is what it is .... and at least there are no crossing paths at Penrhyn to juggle these days (I remember that performance all too well. JGF indeed).

With a limited Blaenau service back in the latest timetable, I was wondering how long is the layover at the top terminus? An hour or so is enough to grab a bite, but with a moderately sized town to explore, the need to return to the same seat occupied on the up journey must be more of a constraint than at T-y-B. I take it journeys (other than charters) originating at BF aren't sufficiently numerous to be a priority, as things stand? Oh, the joys of running a line with two ends!

 

150, 103, 108, 109, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 152 had all been sorted with dividers before the end of May. Bookings were that good for half term week that 2048 (brand new) was added in to that rake to give another 5 (potentially 6) "compartments". Now that half term has ended, 2048 has replaced 2042 in the Caernarfon end set so that 2042 can have a blown window sorted.

 

Forgot to add - each compartment has a number attached to it so you can tell which compartment you are in. Anything which is added to the set to strengthen it is normally done with a letter. So just a case of looking at your compartment number and going back to it. Granted, there's been the odd moment where people have sat in the wrong compartment, but once they've found their correct one, the magic spray is retrieved from the Guards van to sanitise it all. Getting social distancing right though at a station which has a couple of narrow corridors (either side of the station building) is a bit more tricky and that is what holds it up.

In theory, you could originate from Blaenau, but by the time you've driven up there, set fire to the loco, shunted the train together (a maximum of six vehicles per road). You also need to ensure there's enough consumables up there as well. Once you've done on this - it would probably be cheaper and easier to just run empty from the other end!

 

Many thanks for that.

Will the full-line Blaenau service mean extending an existing service above T-y-B, or dovetailing a separate, additional path into the mix with the modern set? Either way, it looks like service trains will actually be crossing somewhere, which just has to be a big step in the right direction.

I've just had a look at the bookings page and it's looking pretty healthy, especially the Gelert Explorer Gold. Those observation carriages were clearly well worth all that painstaking effort.
https://www.festrail.co.uk/calendar/

 

The Moving Pictures mentioned that the crossing at TyG had failed. I am assuming that it is all fixed.

 

Not failed, per se - the track circuit components had been pinched to replace failed ones on the operational railway whilst the guy who fixes them was on furlough and so couldn't repair them (despite essentially living in the workshop with all the bits - he wasn't even allowed to volunteer). He is now back at work, and reinstating the bits at Stwlan Road and Glanypwll crossings is merely a matter of him finding time when he isn't more useful doing other stuff! I don't know if this has happened yet or not.

John

 

In that case, let's hope the bloke who doshes out red flags ain't on furlough too!

 

The standard of the partitions in the carriages used on the WHR train we travelled on was very high, all nice polished wood with chrome fittings

 

Evening All,

I've edited a bit more video from my recent week in North Wales and this is now on YouTube. If anyone would like to have a look, here's the link:



Hope you like it.

Ron.

 

Some video of Prince on holiday to England, alongside fellow F&WHR loco the pioneer Garratt K1.

 

My video from the railway from late May/early June

 

Evening All,

The second part of the video footage that I shot whilst in Porthmadog is now on YouTube. Here's the link if you'd like to have a look:



Hope you like it.

Ron.

 

Details of the new summer trips, The Quarryman (Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog), The Harbourmaster (Porthmadog to Caernarfon) and Snowdonia Star (Caernarfon to Porthmadog) is on https://www.festrail.co.uk/introducing-our-new-summer-services/

Looking at the ticket page the services over the summer are:

• Woodland Wanderer (Porthmadog to Tan-y-Bwlch) - 7 days a week
• Glaslyn Venturer (Porthmadog to Beddgelert) - Monday - Thursday & Sunday
• Gelert Explorer (Caernarfon to Beddgelert) - Monday - Thursday & Sunday
• The Quarryman (Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog) - Tuesday - Thursday
• The Harbourmaster (Porthmadog to Caernarfon) - Friday & Saturday
• Snowdonia Star (Caernarfon to Porthmadog) - Friday & Saturday

 

Im booked on the steam charter to Blaenau in July, does anyone associated with the FfR know if a special is organised for the passengers?