Welsh Highland: First Caernarfon - Porthmadog passenger train

A short video of today's first passenger train from Caernarfon to Port can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11658206 .

No doubt there will be plenty more video and photos to come...

Charlie

 

Great to see this video is currently number 1 on the BBC website! Hopefully this will help nudge the BBC into making some more steam train related programmes.

The running of the first train really is a fabulous achievement - I can't wait to ride the whole railway.

 

An object lesson in 'Never say never'!

 

A few videos now on Youtube here and here.

 

An interesting account of the first train - sounds like the journalist rathedr enjoyed himself! Al Qaeda strikes Welsh Highland Railway?

Chris

 

So what was the back story to the Ffestiniog volunteer shouting to the enthusiast 'Hey, you in the black stop there?'. The enthusiast seemed to be on a public right of way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZKe0IfJ-E4

Regards

 

I've seen another video where he runs across in front of the train.

 

No worries.....give him a Darwin award

 

Onboard footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV8wStMtWtQ

 

I'll accept what you say but I am slightly surprised as he seems to still be on the same side when the train goes past.

It does highlight though one of the issues that will clearly have to be addressed when they rebuild Harbour station to accomodate WHR trains as I would not like to be part of a WHR footplate crew bringing a train into a packed Harbour station as it stands. I presume though when it is rebuilt there will be a lot more fencing and much more definition to platform areas than currently to try and make it obvious where or where not to cross etc.

Good to see trains arriving, the only downside seems to be that it sounds as if it will be several years before WHR trains are regularly timetabled to terminate at Harbour rather than Pont Croesor

 

The "volunteer" was Paul Lewin, the General Manager of both railways and the track is not a public right of way. As a driver myself, I would have been most upset to see someone running alongside the track in front of my train, looking away from me, quite liable to trip and intent only on getting his shot. When you're driving a train, running people near the track are accidents waiting to happen. If I had been the driver, he'd have copped a mouthful. Fortunately for him, Mr. Lewin is far more polite than me. The worst people to have around railways are those who "know what they're doing," as I have been told on one or two similar occasions.

 

I appreciate the track is not a right of way but I always took the parch to be a public right of way as it seems be the the continuation of the footpatch onto the cob. The footpath being by the railway line with the road below.

That is really what I was alluding to in my previous post. Presently it is not very clear to joe public what is pubic footpatch and what is not and as i said I would not like to be driving a train with people packed either side. As I said I am sure in due course when they rebuild they will fence off a lot more parts to aid safety

 

Sorry, lostlogin, if that appeared that I was getting at you. I was not. The reply was to Orion, only I forgot to include his quote. Looking at it again, that does, indeed, appear to be the footpath that runs across the Cob. The problem, as I said, was with the gentleman's actions. Unfortunately, today, you cannot rely on people using their common sense; a great many people don't seem to possess any. If I had been driving that engine, I would have been running in with my fingers crossed that no-one did anything stupid. As you say, running between packed crowds is not conducive to relaxation.

Regards,

jtx

 

lostlogin - its precisely because of the risk of overcrowding the facilities at Portmadoc that there will be a delay before there is a full service from that end of the line. Special precautions were taken on Saturday (and apparent to all those who travelled on or watched the trains) that would not be possible on a normal day's operation.

 

So the many metro and tram systems that operate with much higher frequencies and speeds in towns and cities throughout the World should all be fenced?

 

The bloke in question not only walked in front of the train with his back to it, but ended up running away from it in the two foot. Obviously knew what he was doing. Prat.

 

I think it will probably be better when the Public get used to the idea! As to the young man who crossed the track - we have all done daft things in our youth but the GMs response seems to be a bit OTT. I wonder how he copes with other stressful situations in his work.

I was interested in the re-building the station. Won't this mean that Spooners Bar gets demolished?

Regards

 

He jumped off the train to have a word, then when the bloke saw him, turned round and ran off again he shouted after him - how is that OTT? If you continue watching the video it seems perfectly civil, Paul just wanted to give him some advice; most likely along the lines of please dont do it again.

Chris

 

I find it extraordinary how the thread has taken this direction. A truly historic moment and frankly one which should be celebrated and those involved congratulated and we are actually posting about one pedestrian who was clearly being a bit of a plonker.

Britain has this nasty streak in finding fault with success.

 

I don't think its finding fault with success; its more an observation about how one plonker could have possibly ruined it for several thousand onlookers. Personally, I feel sorry for the driver. He's got a couple of hundred tons behind him, and he is the responsible person here, not the t**t with the camera. One false move on the drivers part, and he is the star guest in a court of inquest....

I've faced photographers standing in the way... The last time was at Blaenavon, when we opened the extension. One happy clicker stood in the sand drag, which is MY EXTRA SAFETY MARGIN for the passenger train behind me. He thought it was OK... I nearly needed an extra set of underpants...

'Cause its just a little railway, people think they can stand in the two-foot. Darwin Award indeed!!!

Perhaps the plonker was a descendant of a certain Mr. Hudson....

Rant over... I wish the Welsh Highland/Ffestiniog well, its been a long journey.

Regards,
Ian