Welsh Highland Railway opens to Beddgelert...

Well, it does later today...

Meanwhile - I was finally able to get away from the office, and onto Phase Four, on Sunday to get some photos of the test trains running between Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert.

The results can be found in my new 'F&WHR - April 2009' collection...

While they're certainly no substitute for 'the real thing', they do give a reasonable idea of what riding the train will be like.

So, especially if you're not able to make it the WHR's new extension just yet, take a look - but only if you're interested, of course! :wink:

A word of warning though - this section of line is extremely addictive. I'm going to have to do it again soon - without my camera - as there's so much to see and take in... \/

 

Excellent pictures again, although I won't regognise you without your camera =P~

 

Glad to see the pictures on the WHR(C) site. I hope the 'vandals' did not cause any lasting damage apart from the inconvenience. I can't wait for my first trip.

 

Vandals? :-k

 

Two news reports are available that explain what apparently happened:

(a) BBC News @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7988093.stm

(b) Daily Post (North Wales News) @ http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nor...elay-snowdonia-train-relaunch-55578-23337195/

Chris

 

It clearly wasn't your everyday vandal, they knew what they were looking for and thus about how railways work.

 

Another update has been added to my 'F&WHR - April 2009' collection... covering the 'Opening to Beddgelert' activities on 7th April.

If you've already looked at my photos of last Sunday's test trains you can take a shortcut - as the latest photos start on the bottom row of THIS page...

So, please, take a look - but only if you're interested, of course! :wink:

 

Fabulous photos (as always) Roger - many thanks for sharing them with us! Wish I had been able to be there! (Looking forward to my next ROTWG weekend on 18/19 April - I *may* just have to sample the extension after a weekend of working on the track!). It looks as though everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves anyway. =D>

 

Are you suggesting that it was an inside job?

 

No, just that it's not your average vandal, I've heared rumours that the token has no wbeen found though.

 

I wouldn't have called it vandalism anyway. Vandalism is just mindless destruction.

This is deliberate damage designed to stop the railway operating... That's sabotage.

pil

 

Oh ye, very true. It's not like it was guna stop them running anyway, just slow it down, not sure what they gained really apart from proving that the railway can deal well with such idiots.

 

A good 60% more publicity for the opening event?

 

08:04, 08.04.09...

The final 'chapter' for now, as - after a few days of freedom - I'm once again back 'in the office'...

One more update to my 'F&WHR - April 2009' collection... covering the 'First Scheduled Trains to Beddgelert' activities on 8th April.

If you've already looked at my photos of last Sunday's test trains and the 'Opening to Beddgelert' you can take a shortcut - as the latest photos start on THIS page...

So, please, take a look - but only if you're interested, of course! :wink:

I don't know whether it was unofficially planned, or whether it was just coincidence, but the first scheduled train to Beddgelert departed 4 minutes late - at 08:04 on 08.04.09

 

Hi Roger, i dont suppose you know why V of F is doing the diesel turns on the WHR? i know that castell caenarfon received V of F's bogies when its own broke, so what's now going on with CC? is it going to get rebuilt in the style of V of F to allow them both to cover the whole line?

 

I'm sure Roger will give a more detailed answer, but in the meantime Ben Fisher's website is always a good source of info: http://whr.bangor.ac.uk/diesels.htm You will see from the relevant section that CC's engine is out for overhaul.


Keith

 

The 'Vale' moved north to Dinas with the stock transfer train on 12th March - with the intention of keeping it on the WHR until after Easter.

This was arranged so that we had cover for the diesel turns while 'Castell Caernarfon's engine was overhauled - and also so the two Funkeys could double-head the 16:15 ex-Caernarfon during the busy Easter period. The logic being that as this is the last train of the day, in either direction, it would be well patronised - and so we wanted to avoid the need to reduce the capacity to suit a single diesel...

However, things haven't quite worked out as originally planned. 'Castell Caernarfon's engine overhaul was completed at Boston Lodge by experienced volunteers, but the gearbox required attention from specialist contractors - and we're still waiting to get it back...

So, the 'Vale' will continue to operate on the WHR until 'Castell Caernarfon' is up and running again - at which point the 'Vale' will return to the FR. Though hopefully (personal opinion) not before they've had the opportunity to double-head at least one train on the WHR...

There is no intention to re-model 'Castell Caernarfon' so it can operate over the FR - indeed, the bodywork has just received a very welcome and long-overdue repaint. The heaviest requirement for diesel traction is on the WHR - so that is where 'Castell Caernarfon' will continue to operate... unless someone waves a magic wand and provides us with a much more powerful diesel loco!

 

thanks for that roger. i've always been interested in the funkeys, ever since the first job i was given as a d of e student in boston lodge which involved cleaning v of f, and despite getting very wet it looked no cleaner at the end (in hindsight, using loco cleaner would have been better than soapy water). i suppose now the link is in place there is much more flexibility with where vale gets 'shedded'. if only the original SA electronics were still working, then you could have one of them in slave mode.

 

Just an observation from all the pics on Bens site of the opening day. How come none of the founders of the project are not smiling? You would have thought twenty years of work, battle, and finally fruition of a lifelong dream would have been the happiest day of their lives. Those sitting in the lovely new observation car seem as though they are bracing themselves for a brick coming through the window. Any thoughts as to their apprehensive expressions?

 

Hmmm... [-X

Double negative - if none are not, then all are...