FR & WHR & WHHR News

Have you fed this back to the railway? I know they are currently trying to recruit more buffet crew so that might be part of the problem. Post covid the on-train catering was cut back substantially but it does seem to be being built up again slowly.

 

A few clips of 'Blanche' hauling the slates on Saturday 22nd June 2024.

Video Available Here

 

With the current interest in the overhaul of MOUNTAINEER, perhaps it's an appropriate time to post this photo of 3.23 before she came to the FR:

1964-10 1. TPT 3-23. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

 

Further to the picture of TPT 2-6-2T 3.23 in France in 1964 that I posted yesterday, here's 3.23 in Isleworth, Middlesex in 1965 soon after its arrival in the U.K. It was taken in the evening and the light was failing which presented quite a challenge to the slow film and lenses of the day.

R2426. TPT 3-23 at Isleworth in July, 1965. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

Ron.

 

The, then, owner P.J.G. Ransom wrote an illustrated article "La Trois - Vingt-Trois" for the Summer 1966 Festiniog Railway Magazine describing the history and repatriation of 3.23. One of the photos shows the loco in steam at the same location as Ron's photo above. For a while the article was available as a reprint from the FRS mag. It makes interesting reading.
Ray.

 

Thursday and Friday on the F&WHR, with Lyd on an ECS from Caernarfon, Hugh Napier on "How a Steam Locomotive Works" workshop (including my turn on the footplate through the carriage shed) before it collected a wagon from Minffordd and the oldest and youngest of the operational Fairlies on service trains.

 

Busy trains on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland during part of the peak season (6th and 7th August) - featuring six locomotives in eleven locations.

 

Just back from 10 nights in the Haven at Greenacres, Porthmadog, my first ever visit to North Wales, glorious place even in the rain! Gave me an opportunity for my first ever filming on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland. We all took out membership for this year and we managed to travel three times, 2 x to Tan-y-Bwlch and once to Blaenau. Alongside a day out to Portmerion and Pwllhei we also took a morning trip by car to Tan-y-Bwlch for lunch and some filming (in the rain), had a lovely day in Porthmadog which allowed me to film everything going on (non stop action) and a day in Caernarfon which happened to include lunch in the new station and a short walk to the bridge overlooking the Castle! Plus side of the rain was on a couple of afternoons the other retreated to the caravan so I was able to head back out for some filming around Minffordd.

We had several lunches and a couple of evening meals in the excellent Spooners at Porthmadog and my son spent a small fortune in the shops across the week and now has a miniature headboard badge for every train, plus a postcard of every loco and a rather nice scale model of one of the Garretts.

My compilation video from across the 10 days, edited in rough time sequence of time of day with some shots where I filmed same loco/train grouped together. Amazingly saw 11 steam engines in action over the 10 days, my son and I managed a footplate ride on Hugh Napier & Lilla on both the Saturdays. James Spooner, David Lloyd George, Blanche and Linda were in action on the Porthmadog to Blaenau line, Garretts 87, 130 & 143 plus Lyd and Merddin Emrys in action on the Welsh Highland line. A brilliant 10 days, will be back for sure. Photos to follow...

 

Some photos…https://www.flickr.com/gp/alts1985/xS9209808Z

 

NG15 had moved under its own steam today! Huge congratulations and thanks to all involved over the years.

 

Video from the F&WHR's Youtube channel for anybody interested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihD-1lN9hsc

 

"Russell" also made its first moves in steam yesterday following the construction of a new connecting rod.

 

Coverage of the Snowdonian II on Saturday 21st September, and includes the scene at Rhyd Ddu when the K1 Garratt sadly failed.

 

What happened to the K1?

 

Its fire had to be dropped because of an issue that developed with the injectors, according to Festipedia

 

Some of the small sized coal we were using had managed to get down the water filler into the tank inevitably causing a blockage. It has since been modified.

 

What that the same issue Palmerston suffered on Saturday?