The Talyllyn in trouble ?

Russell - I've seen plenty of trains where the number of passengers could be counted on the fingers of my two hands (and some of them were members travelling for free). I also understand that there were a number of occasions last year when the last down train was terminated at Pendre because it was empty of passengers.

 

A few points Russell:

1) The Traffic & Operating Committee has no powers to increase passenger numbers or make suggestions to that effect. I believe to become involved in decisions to attract more passengers woudl fall outside of its terms of reference.

2) My postings on this forum are in a personal capacity and do not reflect any organisations I'm a member of or contribute to either through volunteer effort or though any finanical capability. I do not advertise my involvement with any society or preserved railway so I cannot be accused of speaking on behalf of any group I might have links to.

3) You've completely missed the point on this one - where are the ballot results? Err because there was no election...!

If you intend to reply to any of my points above I'd prefer if you did it privately as this has nothing to do with the TR's financial position and has all the hallmarks of one of your personal grudges that you often display on the TR's e-group.

 

I'm sure somewhere or other i have been on a railway and at the end of the line it's the driver and gaurd who open and serve the cafe untill the train is ready to leave, but i can't remember where it is !

 

I would guess this is away from the peak season, on possibly the last train of a day when the rain had been lashing down all day.

If you can predict those wet days a year advance when the timetables are decided, I am sure the railways would love to know so they can alter their timetables accordingly. Would you also let me so I can arrange my holidays to avoid them!

 

...also, was the 'last train of the day' empty when it left Wharf heading up to Abergynolwyn, or was it actually carrying passengers back to their cars at Aber-G and only "empty" on the return back?

It could be full to over crowding taking passengers back to the start of their journey at Abergynolwyn, but once they've all got off then it's difficult to avoid an empty journey back again.

 

If I took that statement literally, and assuming the TR use the standard railway notation of "up" towards London (i.e. towards Wharf), I must make a note of not taking the risk of leaving the train and waiting to catch the last advertised service back to Tywyn!

I take it Michael actually meant that the last Nant G. to Wharf train was ECS so they terminated at Pendre.

Gareth

 

I would not be at all surprised if the TR use Up for 'Up the Valley' and Down for 'Down to the Coast', which was more common than may be thought - for example the South Wales valley lines used it as standard - still do for all I know.

In which case, terminating the last down at Pendre makes perfect sense. You're guaranteed to have no passengers inconvenienced anywhere, and you save a couple of miles of travel, half an hour and the associated, albeit limited, costs of fuel and maintenance for the run down to Wharf and back. Also means half an hour less wait 'til pint time!

Also bear in mind, if we are to take the comments on here that the line is run for the benefit of footplate crew as the truth - would they do themselves out of a run to Nant and back?

 

No - it's Up the valley and Down to the coast.

 

A train which is "full to over crowding" is as rare as hen's teeth on the TR

 

quite, but then with the amount of wardrobes we hang behind the engines away from public holidays even a quite healthy train load can look quite sparse... that said comments like these above from Russell are not going to benefit the TR at all (even less so than airing your views on the TR's own forum.) but then if you are not being heard on one forum...

cheers

AT

 

My last visit was in April 2012, not great day weatherwise, loco n0 3 and 4 bogies plus an open-sided coach and pretty much every seat was taken; with my camera stuff to hand, I could have done with a bit more space, so from a visitor point of view a few extra "wardrobes" may not come amiss. As for promoting the TR, I suppose it is a case of emphasisin the advantages of its "mid- North Wales" location, pleasing scenery which is very accessible to walkers who are not mountaineers- Dolgellau and Machynlleth are attractive market towns, beaches from Aberdovey to Fairbourne, Cader Idris, all have charms of their own. The Centre for Alternative Technology is a family based "green" attraction (I remember going there in the mid-70's when it was considered very outre!) The TR itself has a Victorian/Edwardian ambience matched by few other railways, very different to the feel of the FR or WHR, maybe more could be made of that?

 

What I have put on here and what I have put on discuss are 2 completely different topics. I do have that level of control about what I put and where. My personal gripes are for internal where I would have no qualms saying so to other members / volunteers and what I have put on here I would say to the general public. My conscience is clear my friend.

 

The annual event of race the train has trains packed out...

 

A great shame.... But join the dots... FR&WHR crowing on about record passenger numbers. 100k+ on WHR alone. The passengers have to come from somewhere, looks like the poor old TR is the victim...

 

Yes there are days when the TR trains are busy. Most bank holidays for instance. I remember trying to get on a train in June 2011 and it was completely rammed full. The problem is the off-peak season tends to be very quiet now.

 

One of the problems with running an advertised service is that, if you are being professional, you have to run it. It may be a foul day and there may be no passengers on the last train from Wharf but there might, just, be a passenger or two wh ohave stayed at Nant Gwernol and are expecting to catch the last train back. You don't know, but you can't take the chance so the last train may well have to run effectively as an ECS. It happens on most railways from time to time.

 

There is no evidence to support such a suggestion. The Talyllyn has been in decline for much longer than the WHR has been up and running and, as has been pointed out before, they are in different holiday catchment areas. If any railway was expected to suffer because of the WHR it would be the Ffestiniog. Happily that has not been the case.

 

Well you would say that wouldn't you. Do the maths boy....

 

I agree about some of the Welsh roads combined with the estuaries, last year when I stayed in Porthmadog (doing the FR & WHR while there), the one day we took a trip down the coast to Barmouth, that took long enough with a slow average speed and having to travel inland for a bit if not using the toll bridge near Penrhyn, as the crows flies, the Fairbourne and Tallylyn were not that far from Barmouth, the problem is the 20 mile plus detour around the Maddach estuary on top of the slow coast road makes it too long a trek.

If Mid Wales ever gets a few million for highway improvements then road bridges/tunnels on Fairbourne - Barmouth and Aberdovey - Borth/South Bank would make a hell of a lot of difference.