W&LLR Pickering Brake/Composite No.6338...

19th September 2009

Press Release from:

Ffestiniog Railway
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

Further co-operation between two of the ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’, has seen the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway award a contract for the building of a further replica ‘Pickering’ carriage to the Ffestiniog Railway.

W&L GM, Terry Turner: “Being aware of the superb standard of workmanship from Boston Lodge on previous W&L carriages, we are absolutely delighted to award this contract to the FR and look forward to further co-operation with them.”

Brake/Composite No.6338 will be delivered next year and join identical Brake/Composite No.6466 and ‘All Third Saloon’ No.4154 to complete the replication of the three original carriages built by R.Y.Pickering in 1902 and scrapped by the GWR in 1936.

FR GM, Paul Lewin: “We are delighted with the opportunity to complete the Welshpool & Llanfair set of carriages. We had always hoped to be able to do this since agreeing the contract for the first replica carriage back in 2003. To see all three carriages hauled by an original W&L locomotive will be a dream come true for both W&L members and the carriage works team at Boston Lodge. The contract helps to secure jobs in North Wales during difficult economic times and retain traditional skills.”

END

 

Excellent - hurrah for both railways!
This will allow the excellent W&LLR to run a replica heritage rake, and give a good boost to the excellent FR - splendid news

 

Not to put a downer on it but does it not mean that it will limit the numbers of coaches that can be built by for the WHR. Since it is short of coach at the moment and all say FR have none spare.

 

As there are no plans that I am aware of to build more WHR carriages in the immediate future - this is a good thing, as it will generate income and retain skilled craftsman for future construction projects...

 

Be nice to see a three coach rake on the W&L and it's good news that it's being built in Wales but I'm not sure it's the best use of money for the W&L. As a life member, I'd have liked to have seen Welshpool station developed more, tea room, new signal box etc, rather than another replica coach that will see little use. Maybe these things are in hand though.
It also means I'll have to buy a third Accucraft coach for my garden railway to have an authentic rake!

 

If i remember rightly, the previous ones were funded by specific donations so if thats the case again i really dont see the problem.

Chris

 

I am also a life member but one who thinks that it is part of the brief periodically to recreate vignettes of how things were. The rake of Pickering replicas enables this to be done. If someone donates or leaves money to permit this then hooray!

The "tea room" business has been raised in other groups and has not a great deal to do with this heading. However catering has proved positively (or negatively?) unprofitable on certain other railways. This is, I suspect, because it is regarded as a facility, like sanitation, rather than a business. On the W&L it is run simply and profitably.

It could be argued that these bequests have been received because Boston Lodge are recognised as superb carriage makers and the W&L as a sensibly run outfit.

 

If they're privately funded then that's great and they will look fantastic behind the Countess.

Out of interest, did the GWR run many 3 coach trains? The only photos I've seen of three coach trains are in Cambrian days.

 

Indeed, it is generally excepted that there were in fact very few 3 coach trans and that the all thisrd and one of the composites were more common. In latter days it was only 1 coach too.

So you could argue that what we have at the moment is about right along with the firewood (sorry freight stock!)

I fully agree if it is a specific donation, superb, if not well. . . . . . . . .

 

I thought I had a picture showing all three passenger carriages in service in GWR days but in fact the view shows two only.

In fact the first generation of pneumatic tyred motor buses removed passenger business from narrow gauge lines with the private car taking the first class trade. The second generation of pneumatic tyred bus (Leyland Titan etc. ) was beginning to wreak havoc with longer standard gauge lines, a process interrupted by World War Two.

We are told that in earlier days the three W&L carriages were often inadequate for the trade on offer. Presunably the leather straps for standing passengers (lovingly recreated in the replicas) saw much use!

 

Aren't they looking at doing an investigation into returning to Welshpool Town itself. May only be an investigation but surely positive thinking ?

 

Again. this thread is straying from Roger Dimmick's original posting.

Arising from extreme poverty in its formative years, the W&L is a cautious organisation which has led to its finances being firmly in the black. Most could copy this to their dramatic advantage.

Don't expect trains to be dirtying washing in Bron-y-Buckley anytime soon!

 

Steam Railway seems to think this vehicle 9s being built for the WHR and that it has a clerestory roof!

 

Well its either a mistake, or presumably someone has made Paul Lewin's day (and many others too) by funding another "Carrabassett", the replica carriage built for Adrian Shooter - i suspect its the former, but hoping for the latter!

Chris

 

Excellent news. Very much looking forward to seeing a complete W&L passenger train.

 

This emphasises that for all the superlative skills of the Boston Lodge carriage works there have only been two outside customers so far. Things like this do not come cheap!

 

Only two customers who have bought complete coaches.

 

Having seen the article it looks like they just mixed up WLLR with WHR - shame!

 

Yep Boston lodge has had plenty of customers just not all complete coaches. People like the Blackpool Tramcar Preservation Fund, Liverpool museums, and the Isle of Man Railways to mention a few have all had work done a Boston lodge. The W&LLR have now bought 4 coaches from boston lodge if you include the MAV so they are obviously happy with what they're getting.

Tim

 

the work done at boston lodge is top quality and is dont to a standard that most other railway try and emulate