F&WHR - Completing the Link

PRESS RELEASE

THE FFESTINIOG AND WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAYS WILL BE CONNECTED AT HARBOUR STATION ON SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 28th, AT 2pm.

This milestone marks the culmination of track-laying on the £28m Welsh Highland Railway development.


It is a railway tradition when making the final connection to complete a new railway line that golden bolts are used and great celebrations are held.

Following in the footsteps of those pioneers, who built railways across great nation states, the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland teams are to connect the two railways at Harbour Station, Porthmadog on Saturday the 28th of February at 2.00pm.

This milestone marks the culmination of ten years effort by over five hundred volunteers, supported by funding from private donations, the Millennium Commission, Welsh European Funding Office and the Welsh Highland Railway Society.

The final golden bolts will be installed by representatives from the two teams that have completed the lion’s share of the track laying work.

The teams work on alternate weekends with one team (Black Hand Gang) made up of predominantly Welsh speaking local volunteers, and the other gang (Rest of the World Gang) comprising volunteers living throughout the UK and beyond.

Once the connection is made our latest locomotive, No87 - newly restored at our own Boston Lodge works - will make the first movement onto the new section of line and will be positioned with original Ffestiniog Railway locomotives, built in the same works more than 100 years ago.

Visitors are welcome to witness and record this historic moment!

Public services are scheduled to commence from Caernarfon to Beddgelert on the 8th of April.

The service will extend through the Aberglaslyn Pass to Hen Hafod on the 21st of May and through to Porthmadog after the 2009 peak summer service.

Mr. Mike Hart, Chairman of Welsh Highland Construction Ltd, the subsidiary company of the Ffestiniog Railway tasked with building the new line said:

‘This is a very proud moment for the many people that have worked so hard to make this dream a reality.”

“Our volunteers and staff have worked in all weathers and against seemingly overwhelming odds at times to reach this landmark. We are delighted to make this connection with the world’s oldest independent railway and we are looking forward to running public services in the spring.”


pp Paul Lewin, General Manager FRCo

 

For an unusual Anglo-Polish perspective on today's ceremony at Porthmadog follow the link.

http://polishrail.wordpress.com/2009/02 ... years-ago/

 

We can now change the tense on that - illustrated report.

 

I hadn't realised the size difference between the WHR Garratts and the FR locos ... until now.

How far could the Garratts go up the FR until they hit something?

Richard

 

They are restricted to travelling across the Cob between Porthmadog and Boston Lodge...

They will not pass under Rhiw Plas road bridge between Boston Lodge and Minffordd.

 

Boston Lodge or just past but definitely not under Rhiw Plas Bridge which is about 1 1/4 miles from Harbor Station.

 

Where was Fred.....a little conspicuous by his abscence :-k Must have been something better happening at Valley \/

 

Fred was there at the start and finish of the day...

As the whole Port to Minffordd section was under a P-Way possession, he escorted the locos to and from Boston Lodge and was responsible for setting and resetting the junction points... as seen HERE

Granted, he is off 'chasing' jets next week - and hoping to lose a hat or two with the aid of a passing vortex..!

 

I can not see from the photos how far 87 progressed along the WHR. Did it go outside of the station limits and on to Britannia Bridge?

 

No 87 progressed only onto the latest section alongside Spooners Bar (the FR station buffet). Beyond that the track was obstructed by a concrete safety block, a WHR van, a FR sign....

Before trains can pass there still looks to be a lot to do:
- removal of temporary tarmac infil from Britannia Bridge rail grooves
- top level of ballast from Britannia Bridge through to Pen y Mount (WHHR junction)
- signeage at Snowdon Street, Britannia Bridge, and foot crossings between.
- signalling arrangements at Britannia Bridge and Snowdon Street

I read somewhere some interim arrangement has been agreed with Network Rail for that crossing. However, until the sections are properly ballasted, I think it would be premature to expect anything heavy to be slipping across town.

Congratulations. Great well timed publicity.

 

No, the loco did not move beyond Spooner's Beer Cellar...

 

Um, if that had happened we'd probably have taken pictures... The answer to the question lies in the stop block visible in this picture by Dave Waldren. It won't be long though before the first moves out onto the tram section, the remainder of the Cross-Town Link, and well beyond. For one thing there are some items of stock that need to go to Dinas before Easter, and they won't be going on the back of a lorry.

 

Crew got distracted by other attractions perchance..

 

Good to see it finally happen - must visit this year.

 

I was surprised not to have seen Mike Hart at the opening, in fact apart from the Rev Buxton was there anyone from the Trust there?
Also, how long will 87 remain in the grey livery?

I took a trip up to Bedgelert on my way home, it looks like there is still a large amount of work to do before trains travel further than Rhyd Ddu.

 

Really, what makes you think that? :smt107 As far as i can gather, there's not that much left now.

Chris

 

Don't worry "Realist" is the professional grouch on these lists. Pessimist might be a better moniker \/

 

Perhaps it's just that Realist only thinks about the pretty bits, not the operational factor.

Errr, probably because the opening hasn't been yet........
87 is suposidly only going to be grey for a year then black.

 

Reverend Buxton is an FR Company director, not a member of the FR Trust.

 

I stand corrected.
However my question still stands, where was Mr Hart on this big day?