WHHR May bank holiday Gala (4th & 5th May)

All locos Great and Small

The 4th & 5th of May sees the WHHR’s large and varied collection of motive power roar into life for a weekend of ‘anything goes’. From the diminutive locos saved from the ‘Abbey Light Railway’ through to the huge 350hp 21ton LYd2 will all see some action on the mainline hauling a variety of Freight and Passenger trains, but don’t worry there will be steam locos in action too. Travel in the first class section of our superbly restored buffet car for no extra cost, or enjoy the delights of our replica North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway train.

Our award-winning museum will be filled with model railways of varying sizes and gauges alongside all the usual exhibits. Once purchased your ticket entitles you to unlimited travel all day on what is sure to be our most intensive train service to date. With departures every 20 minutes there will always be something going on. So come and ride the trains or just sit and watch the world go by from the comfort of our delightful tearoom.

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway | 50 Years of Preservation
Tel. 01766 513402
Info@whr.co.uk

More details to follow...

 

The timetable for the gala weekend is just going through its last final checks and will be published shortly, but I can say it contains approximately 40 train movements each day, making it by far the most intense timetable we have ever operated!

Public Trains run Saturday from 10.30 - 17.40 with an evening £10 drive an engine event
Public Trains run Sunday from 08.25 - 17.40 then in the evening the railway is turned over the the Ex ALR fleet, there will not be any public passenger trains but photography is welcome, with food and drink available in our tea room till late.

 

With less than a week to go we are proud to reveal the timetables for our May Bank holiday Gala ALL LOCOS GREAT AND SMALL. All passenger trains will be hauled by our resident steam loco GELERT or our massive LYd2 Diesel. (Subject to availability.) Along side the passenger trains some of the ex Abbey light railway fleet will be hauling freight trains the full length of the line.

Saturday 4th May
Passenger trains Depart Porthmadog WHR

10.30 Steam
10.50 Diesel
11.30 Steam
11.50 Diesel
12.30 Steam
13.00 Diesel
13.30 Steam
14.20 Diesel
14.40 Steam
15.20 Diesel
15.40 Steam
16.20 Diesel
16.50 Steam
Saturday evening will feature a Drive an Engine event with your chance to get your hands on the controls of our resident steam engine GELERT. A £10 donation will entitle you to drive the engine on a single trip up or down the line.

Sunday 5th May
Passenger trains Depart Porthmadog WHR

8.25 Steam No access to museum, timed to coincide with running on F&WHR
9.00 Steam No access to museum
10.30 Steam
10.50 Diesel
11.30 Steam
11.50 Diesel
12.30 Steam
13.00 Diesel
13.30 Steam
14.20 Diesel
14.40 Steam
15.20 Diesel
15.40 Steam
16.20 Diesel
16.50 Steam
Sunday evening the line will be handed over the to the fleet of Ex Abbey light railway locos, while there are no public services, photography is welcome and food and drink will be available in our tea rooms till late.

 

What time will it be open till on Sunday night

 

The best answer I can really give is Dusk, but will all depend on demand, once the punters dry up we will put the loco/stock to bed. However we have to stop running once the light levels begin to drop as it becomes harder to ensure safe operation with an unfamiliar crew on the footplate, even if there are still more people wishing to have a go.

It is possible to purchase a footplate pass to ride on the footplate during the daytime both days, but this is strictly an observer role only!!!

 

Sorry must learn to read the question...

Sunday night we will be much the same, while interest lasts the ALR locos will be on the line (till dusk at the latest), once they have been been put away we will all retire to our tea room, which may last as long as we all do...

 

Palmerston and Prince at Pont Croesor yesterday...

 

Don't forget that the Sunday Morning 8.25am departure from Porthmadog WHHR is the perfect chance to photograph PALMERSTON with the Slate train returning from PC. Our NWNGR rake will be sat in the platform (sadly without RUSSELL but GELERT is a suitable substitute) This GELERT hauled train will then run parallel with PALMERSTON as far as Gelert's Farm enabling more photo and video opportunities.