WHR General Discussion.

No, the orignal WHR started out on air brakes, but when the FRCo. got the WHR 'Franchise' there was a change I think. Apparently air brakes are a much more effective way of brakeing and it's cheaper as you can just use lorry bits on NG apparently. But because the WHR(C) is a FRCo. run railway I think it should be Vaccum braked because that's what we've always used and an air pump and air connectors would just look all wrong on a Fairlie.

 

I also heard that the WHHR will not be allowed to down grade to vacuums breaks my the railway inspectorate. So they would have to dual break

 

Not condoning renovaters posts, but some valid points in this thread about the WHR seem to go unanswered by the WHR supporters. Not very insiteful to us outsiders or for debate of the original question.
I await to be ignored again

 

Err, what valid points has our excitable chum raised? Please repeat them here and I will do my best to answer them.

 

Oh please. You are so bitter im quite sure that if the FR apologised you'd call it a cynical ploy to get the WHHR on-side! Your only interest here is to score cheap points against the WHR/FR, and its become quite tiresome.

Chris

 

All,

I'm going to have a tidy up here.

Please keep threads factual and insult free.

 

rb

The guy who's a Director of the WHR Ltd is me, Chris Dearden, or ChrisD. I still call in here from time to time!

CHRIS

 

I've been surfing the web trying to discover the length of the WHHR. I know it's a short line, but the actual length is one of life's mysteries at present.

Is anyone able to advise please, the distance from: Porthmadog (WHR) to (a) Gelert's Farm Halt; (b) Pen-Y-Mount, and (c) Traeth Mawr?

Chris

 

Isn't their current running line about a quarter of a mile long? That's about 10 yards per year since 1964!

 

Hi. I walked a lot of it on the footpath nearby when I was over June last year. I'd been down working at Dinas on the construction side of things and was interested (as a civil engeering student) on the cross town link. I was given a quick tour on the cross town link and saw the WHHR on the way. A guess it would be but the total length I think is under a mile. Around a half this to Pen-Y-Mount. This is what I could best guess from going round it but I expect others on here will know the actual distance.

Regards

Duncan

PS Having just seen the above post my figures I've just had a look at a route map of it. From the cambrian crossing to Pen-Y-Mount is about 1/2 a mile so probably less that 1/2 a mile.

 

Steady on old chap! We only started laying it in the 1970s...... and the organisation was set up in 1961 (recalculate as you see fit ;-)

The line is about three quarters of a mile long. Porthmadog (WHR) to Gelerts Farm Halt is just a few hundred yards, as you can see in this photo, which is taken from the platform at Gelerts Farm; the tail of the train in the picture is sitting just beyond the run round point at Porthmadog (WHR) station:
- http://whr.fotopic.net/p59946365.html

CHRIS

 

Thanks to both Chris & Duncan. I was hoping to obtain more accurate distances in either miles & chains, yards, or metres.

Chris

 

The chainage to Pen y Mount is given in Trackmaps Volume 4 [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk/book4.htm]. I've a copy at home and will look it up for you.

I have a feeling it was 1m 22c.

Lez

 

Spot on on both counts, Sheff. I certainly didn't regret it and it was among the best footplate experiences I have had, and I've had some good ones. On Thursday last, I had the privilege of firing no. 87 from Caernarfon to Hafod - y - llyn and back to Rhyd Ddu, then driving back from Rhyd Ddu to Dinas, where we changed crews. The run back from Hafod was spectacular in the extreme. To answer something I think Maureen mentioned, the engine was working very hard indeed, regulator wide open, reverser a few notches back from full once we got going. I started firing as we left T3, going downhill and finished just as we were ready to depart Hafod. I reckon between 30 and 40 shovels, more than I would put in a Black 5 at Bridgnorth! Then when we stopped for water at Beddgelert, I chucked a few more on. Fabulous stuff and 87 is a marvellous machine. To anyone reading this, get out there and do it, it's worth it. Then go and have a dose of the Ffestiniog while you're there, because that's brilliant too. This comes from a diehard Severn Valley man, not a WHR activist.

 

Trackmaps has the distance from Tremadog Road to Pen y Mount as 44c. I calculate that the north end of the temporary loop at Traeth Mawr is 75c, and Pont Croesor Halt is 1m 39.

Lez

 

I spent 2 days riding behind garratt 87 and recorded some video half way back so I could get some visual action of her going round the curves, it is really lovely to sit back and enjoy the sound of her working hard, someone on here said he was disappointed with his visit to the WHR as he did'nt hear much sound from the garatts, perhaps he had ear plugs in. I love the Garratts and I love the stunning mountain scenery, so I really enjoyed it, will certainly be back!!!

 

Glad you enjoyed your run on 87 JTX, I hope it re-enforces my coments.

 

Well JTX - I didn't realise you were blagging a footplate trip - you lucky devil!! I rode behind the Garratt's from Port Shepstone in the 1980's and the WHR is every bit as good.

The bottom line with the WHR is that we now have in this country (well Wales) a narrow gauge line that is every bit as good as any in the world now, such as the Hartz, Darjeeling etc. And much as we might sympathise with the Gelert's Farm mob, we wouldn't have this wonderful experience available to us now had it been left to them. So yes, it would be nice to see some heritage trains running now and again But no way would I swap for what we have now if it came down to having to back one or the other as the true owner/operator of the line, as seems to be the argument on here.

 

Yes if we waited for the other mob to build the railway right through to Caernarfon we would be waiting at least another 20 years, the FR have done a great job and the Gelert's Farm mob should stop their bickering and stubborness and get real. perhaps it would be a good idea not to travel or patronise them until they learn some sense.

 

What exactly would you have them do to demonstrate that they had reached such a state of grace ?

Richard