FR & WHR & WHHR News

I understand that, although take-up on the current catering has been great, receipts are well down on usual levels. So I imagine the usual buffet service will return asap - nothing beats tempting people with refreshments in front of their eyes.

The temptation slips in to go for the most lucrative end-to-end passengers, meaning that people can't rely on the train, meaning that people make other plans rather than consider using the trains.

Very few.

As far as I can tell, the following aren't allocated:
Old FR corridor carriages: 107 105 114 (buffet) 123 (under repairs) 124 (service carr)
Heritage coaches: 15 (needs to be used gently) Flying bench, Quarryman's carriage, and an open bugbox.
WHR carriages: Service carrs x2, Open carrs x2, Bodygallen (in poor condition), 2060

So enough for the WHR to return to two sets, meaning that either: the Port-Caernarfon and Port-Beddgelert services can run at the same time; or, the superbarns can return to the FR to boost capacity there. Otherwise, not much available to help the FR.

If a three-train service were to be run on the WHR, availability would be tight. Therefore, any failures would result in both available double fairlies being used to double-head one of the services. FR services to Blaenau would need double heading. There are the locos to facilitate this, but it would be costly in fuel and crewing.

Precisely. Things will not be good for the smaller halts in this scenario.

 

I wouldn't get too bogged down in what sets are made up of now. Don't forget if you are using corridor stock you have to run 12 coaches to carry 6 coaches worth of people at the moment.

Tim

 

Partly because I keep changing them every few days?

102 will replace 113 on Tuesday morning with 113 going in to the C-Set.

 

Is there any roster available for next week? I don't know if one is publicly available or not

 

In theory

1000 / 1340 - Blanche, Blanche, Prince, ME (1000 only), Prince, Prince, Prince
1105 / 1500 - ME, DLG, DLG, Blanche, Blanche, ME, Blanche
1225 - Prince, Prince, Blanche, Prince (Charter Train), DLG, Blanche, DLG

WHR - 130 from Port, 87 from Caernarfon except Sunday were Lyd is doing the Venturer service.

 

Evening All,

The return journey on the 'Woodland Wanderer' from Tanybwlch to Porthmadog is now on YouTube. It starts with my first sighting of the recently restored 'Large England' WELSH PONY:



Hope you like it.

TTFN,

Ron.

 

Wales' slate landscape wins World Heritage status

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57986167

 

Evening All,

Here's a short video featuring WELSH PONY, back in service after 80 years in the sidelines. I'm sure you'll agree that it was worth the wait!



TTFN,

Ron.

 

Micro-ETS has been comissioned this evening from Porthmadog to Rhyd Ddu, which could have long term benefits such as being the first step towards enabling regular WHHR services over the WHR mainline.

Carriage 123 will also be returning to its previous number 101.

 

Indeed it has - I signed it into use in the Porthmadog train register at 18.12 this evening. It has been a long day, not helped by the fact we spent half od it trying to sort out the after effects of the Ffestiniog being struck repeatedly by lightening yesterday (Porthmadog - Minffordd ETS failed, Minffordd track circuits failed, Rhiw Goch - Tanybwlch ETS failed, Tanybwlch track circuits failed, and Tanybwlch - Tanygrisiau ETS failed) Its a good job we put in cheap, easily replacable components designed to go pop in lightning strike situations...

John

 

Micro-ETS?

 

Electric Train Staff - but with the instruments connected via an internet based system rather than trackside telegraph wires.

The WHR system has been in development for a number of years - here’s an article which will be technically out of date by now but explains the concept:
https://www.whrsoc.org.uk/WHRProject/microETS.html

 

Many thanks for that very interesting info, but I'm still a bit puzzled by the "Micro", when the token isn't a physical one smaller than an old-fashioned one but virtual.

Is Micro-ETS functionally equivalent to RETB on the big railway?

 

Well the machines are Railway Signal Co miniature electric train staff machines. A normal sized train staff would like the large one used to Rhiw Goch. So I expect micro-ets is just a play on words from that as the machines connect via the Internet rather than telegraph wires.

The system works just like a normal electric train staff where there is a physical token and only one can be released per section. The only difference is the machines are connected via the Internet not telegraph wires. They also use a remote operator system as on the FR so there doesn't have to be someone on the other end to get a release.

Tim

 

Although not about the FfR, this might be of interest. I did post it in another thread so apologies if you've seen it before. (The RHDR system also uses the internet)

 

Its as simple as the fact that it is a microcontroller operated ETS system. Nothing to do with physical dimensions of any part. As Tim says, there are standard ETS instruments at each token station - the photo shows the Pont Croesor instruments whilst we were testing for the aborted commissioning last March.

John

 

Those METS instruments have scrubbed up well. Are they ex-Iarnród Éireann?
Pat

 

I think I had misunderstood about virtual tokens. My understanding now is that the tokens are conventional hardware, but smallish, and the electronic aspect is only the communication between the machines, so nothing like RETB. Is that right?

 

Yes - as explained in the article I linked , although that doesn’t mention RETB. RETB would require radio communication and, as you say, virtual tokens whereas MicroETS has conventional ETS machines & tokens but connected via broadband (with appropriate security) rather than lineside wires.

 

Yes they are part of a cache of machines acquired from Ireland a few years ago. There is enough to equip the whole WHR after they have been overhauled.

The WHR system can be used to adapt existing machines, whereas the DiBloC one seems to use purpose built ones. I'm sure there are more detail differences too.

Tim