RUSSELL RETURNS TO STEAM 2nd AUGUST 2014

STOP PRESS…

RUSSELL RETURNS TO STEAM ON THE WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY


After a mammoth fund-raising effort and countless hours of work Russell is finished and will be re-launched into traffic at a special ceremony on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway at the beginning of August.

Russell will haul the first public passenger train, made up from the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway’s unique collection of heritage carriages, at 10:00am on Saturday 2nd August 2014.

To commemorate the occasion limited-edition Edmondson tickets have been produced. These are made from brass, are individually numbered from 0001 to 0250 and are supplied in a special presentation box.

Only tickets numbered up to 150 will be available for the very first train, and are now being advertised to members and interested parties for only £25.00. They are offered for sale on a first-come, first-served basis and will guarantee holders a place on the first train and are also valid for travel on all trains during the weekend

A further 100 tickets will be available which will give unlimited travel on all of Russell’s other trains on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway throughout the weekend. These are available for £20 each.

These very special tickets are sure to become a collector’s item amongst ticket collectors and fans of narrow gauge memorabilia so order now to avoid disappointment!

If you’d like one please print the order form from Flickr and complete stating how many tickets are required, and post along with your remittance or deliver in person to the

Welsh Highland Railway Ltd,
Tremadog Road,
Porthmadog,
Gwynedd,
LL49 9DY.

A range of other limited-edition Russell-related items are also for sale, all orders for these and for tickets must be on the attached form.

When ordering tickets, please help us by noting on the form if you need disabled access.

The order form can also be downloaded from Flickr at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/55958391@N07/14301126817/in/set-72157626286359239

 

Congratulations on Russell's return!


I don't want to rain on your parade, but...

That's a very odd way of issuing an order form - could it not be placed on your website as a pdf?

I would also mention that it is very very insecure for people to supply their full credit card details including start/end dates and the security code - surely there must be a better (secure) way of ordering?


Keith

 

I am but a humble messenger...

I will pass on your concerns.

However if i was to telephone and make a credit card payment to any business these are the very details they will be asking for, in fact I have only today given just these details over the phone to pay for something considerably more expensive than a train ticket to a business I have had no previous contact with. There is the option to pay by cheque/postal order/money order for those not willing to post credit card details.

 

Wonderful news after all of the hard work and dedication of all of the members of The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway.

However, I do believe that this year is the 60th anniversary of the preservation of RUSSELL by the Birmingham Locomotive Club ( Industrial Locomotive Information Section) - which was later re-titled The Industrial Railway Society - who purchased the loco from Pike Bros., Fayle & Co. Ltd. . RUSSELL was purchased for the princely sum of £70-00 - at a time when most people had hardly any money - and taken to Towyn for safekeeping; here, members of the BLC undertook some restoration of the loco, including the repair of a broken axle. I understand that the late Eric Tonks was heavily involved in the saving of RUSSELL and but for his and others work, we wouldn't have this very unique loco with us today at all.

I wonder if this very special anniversary is going to be celebrated in any way, especially as RUSSELL was saved at a time when the purchasing of locomotives for preservation was extremely difficult and almost unaffordable.

This year could be a fitting opportunity to recognise the efforts of theses preservation pioneers for saving RUSSELL in 1954.

Cheers

Alan

 

Eric Tonks did so much and his book on Ironstone Tramways in the E Mids was crucial to a love of industrials.
He would have been so pleased at this overhaul!
Fantastic

 

Superb news. I can remember Russell at Carnforth in bits and sitting on a flat waggon with the tanks painted fluorescent green. Now back to it's original state, well done to all.

 

Congrats guys, hopefully it gets to stretch it's legs next door at some point in the future.

 

Brilliant news, I remember Russell's first return to service back in '87 in works grey livery, then the following year fully painted and completed. IMO one of the finest proportioned NG loco's of all time.

 

Just to say there are still tickets available, don't miss out on your chance to be at this special event.

Having just seen some pictures of a painted side tank I have to say the quality of finish is amazing!!!

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55958391@N07/14412364499/in/set-72157642088360265/

A sneek peek at the quality of the paintwork being applied.

 

.....those rivets look nice and straight ...

 

As you’ll probably now be aware, Russell is going to be re-launched to the public on the 2nd August 2014. To commemorate this occasion, special limited edition brass tickets have been produced for us by a Gomm Badges based in Birmingham for the first train.


Only 250 tickets have been produced and these are individually numbered from 0001 to 0250 so are sure to become collector’s items.


A very special opportunity has now arisen; the chance for you to acquire the very first tickets numbered 0001 – 0010.


If you would be interested in acquiring one of these tickets, they are being auctioned by sealed bid.


To bid, please state which ticket you are interested in bidding on (if you are bidding on more than one ticket, please enclose a sealed bid for each ticket and clearly indicate which ticket numbers you are bidding on) and send your bids to:


Russell Tickets Sealed Bids,

Welsh Highland Railway Limited,

The Station,

Tremadog Road,

Porthmadog,

LL49 9DY


All sealed bids must be received by the 25th July 2014. Please ensure you enclose your contact details so we know how to contact you to arrange payment.


Good luck!


The Russell fund raising team

 

https://flic.kr/p/o6gJdE
https://flic.kr/p/kRAuvg

Coming soon...

 

No chance of a bilingual headboard I suppose, or a second one in Welsh? It's just that you're situated right in the heart of a Welsh-speaking area, and a nod in that direction would be appreciated...
After all, the guys down the road at Harbour station do make an effort (even if it's a tad patchy).
Just a thought, and not intended to rouse anti-minority language wrath from English speakers

 

Don't mean to offend anyone, but can't help wondering if the colour looks a bit too pink? Or perhaps its the lighting? Seem to recall Russell used to be a much deeper shade - http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/20/a0/a7/welsh-highland-heritage.jpg

Hopefully I'll be proved wrong as this is one very fine loco!

 

Russell was a bit pink in the 1930s by all accounts due to the way the pigment in the paint deteriorated in sunlight!
as far as i can see the Keef paint finish is superb and a deep crimson! just how it would have been originally!
cheers,
julian

 

I believe that a lot of research has gone into getting the correct paint colour as applied by Hunslets in 1906. There is a high chance this will be a different shade to that which has been carried previously in preservation. It should be close to 'midland railway red'.

As many of us refer to the 'moroccan red' on GERTRUDE as pink, there is a high chance we are about to be come the pink railway. I will reserve judgement till I see it sat in the flesh in the welsh sunshine.

https://flic.kr/p/o8wk6s
https://flic.kr/p/opADoR
https://flic.kr/p/o86Zbp

 

The Hunslet Paint book just says "Painted MRy colour, lined as usual"

Looking through the paint book they refer quite a lot to "mainline" company liveries ie MR, GNR, NER and LYR noted.

Henry Noon

 

Thanks, just a bit alarmed regarding how bright it looks compared to how I remember it previously in preservation, the paint finish itself and everything else is stunning.

I was expecting it to be close to this - http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/image/dalesman_016.jpg

But as you say best to reserve judgement until Russell is officially unveiled next month.