FR & WHR & WHHR News

Can I just repeat that the Harbour Trust, Cadw, Caernarfon Council, the F&WHR and Gwynedd Council are all actively involved in the redevelopment process.

Edit: As were the people of Caernarfon through two public consultation events.

 

If FR Co. had been content that the Porthmadog Harbour buildings 'looked like a station', would they have plastered FFESTINIOG RAILWAY HARBOUR STATION on it in 2' high white letters?!

It's a silly question, I know. Whilst I'm not opposed to the concept, the exterior for Caernarfon station is a bit 'hard'. I suppose it's outside cost bounds to have a wood-framed structure, like the visitor centre at Caerphilly Castle?

Jon Bridgwater

 

I don't mind more modern architecture (pauses with head ducked below parapet), and although I think there are some good points made above about "vernacular" architectural options for the Caernarfon station being worth exploring, I don't find the proposal that terrible - assuming it is what local stakeholders are wanting. After all, they will have to look at it far more than any of us who might visit very occasionally!
I would just like to take the opportunity to exercise one of my hobby-horses, however. I do wish that architects were compelled to issue their sketches of glass/concrete/wood buildings showing how they will look after 15 years of weathering (concrete slightly roughned and blotched, wood greyed and duller) instead of getting away with a fantasy of gleaming surfaces.
Weathered concrete and timber can look great - but do the stakeholders realise that is what it will look like after a while?

 

It would be well worth taking a look at the item on the Caernarvon Town line on the excellent Disused Stations website ( http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/carnarvon_town_line/index.shtml ) if you want to get an idea of the railway heritage (Such as it is, and none of it is narrow gauge.) of the immediate area around the existing WHR station in the town.
I haven't been up there for several years now, but at the time of my last visit I was disappointed by the very limited facilities available on a narrow site in a rather shabby part of the town between a retaining wall and the road. Considering that this was the point from which the reconstructed WHR set out in 1997, I felt that the railway deserved a physical presence that was something better than "a bus stop and a portakabin", so it is good to see that something is finally being done about it, even if the railway can't manage to please all of the people all of the time!

 

I've not got a problem with modern designs or use of materials, but this design simply doesn't say 'RAILWAY' to me like it should. I was hoping for something bolder, more monumental, reflecting the heavy engineering behind it. Also, it looks as if the platform is enclosed by a glass wall, (it may be just how I'm looking at it) surely this isn't very practical? Smoke and steam will soon render this enclosed space rather dirty and unpleasant. I wouldn't want to clean those windows.

 

Yes you may well have a point there about the glass.

 

Can I just ask a question. Planning my yearly summer trip along the North Wales Circle (Chester - Llandudno Jcn - Bleanau - Ffes / WHR - Carnarfon - Bangor - Chester) and noticed that the last WHR train now leaves Porthmadog at 1600. Why is this?

Last few years its left around 1530, but with this later departure it now doesn't get into Carn until 1810.
The bus to Bangor leaves at 1815 / 1830, and takes 30mins and the service to Chester leaves at 1902, so the connection imes are now rather tight!
The next train doesn't depart till 2000, but then you've missed the connection with Crewe and so have to go via Chester/Liverpool to get back up North.

Be interesting to know what difference this later departure time has created, as for those doing the circular trip the extra 15mins is rather welcome upon arrival to Carnarfon!

 

Hi. Any news or reviews on Superpower 2014? Can't see a thread or any pictures or videos on t'internet! :-( Sorry if i have missed anything, just curious.

Will

 

You could always try Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/festrail

 

Ah, my favourite site! Befriended F&WHR on there too so not sure how i missed that one! Thanks Roger

 

Couple of pictures from me from Friday. Video and full gallery coming soon.

Had a great day, managed to catch the K1's mixed train 5 times with its arrival into Caernarfon, hop on bus to Beddgelert (catching up with the service train that left an hour before), then 3 times around the curves into Beddgelert and then a brisk jog to the Aberglasyn Pass. Finishing off the day with a lovely run behind Prince to Porthmadog.

 

Nice pictures, wish I could have been there!

 

Thanks.

More pictures from my day on Friday can be found here...
http://preservedrailway.weebly.com/superpower-2014.html

 

Russell in action on the WHHR a few weeks ago.

 

A tad late, but here's my footage from the Super Power Weekend a couple of weeks ago.

 

I see from the isengard website there is talk to recreate a Moel Tryfan.

Moel Tryfan proposal

On the 60th anniversary of the cutting up of Moel Tryfan at Harbour Station (4/10/54) some volunteers are floating a project to build a replicaMoel Tryfan, an 0-6-4 single Fairlie that ran on the WHR. The loco would be a more powerful version of Taliesin, the FR's single Fairlie, which has a standard FR Fairlie bogie. One suggestion is a Moel Tryfan 2020 project and volunteers think the estimated £350k cost could be raised by volunteer donations. The next step is to get a design for an uprated engine rather than another low powered 'coffee pot' and the volunteer group think they nearly have that. Parts of Moel Tryfan still exist as it was acquired by the FR in 1937 and remained at Boston Lodge until being cut up in 1954. See Wikipedia Moel Tryfan for more details on the loco.

Now this would be interesting...

 

Sounds pretty exciting!

I wonder how much use it would be in current FR/WHR traffic? Don't Tal/Lyd & the Penrhyn Ladies need to be double headed for peak traffic now- Would need to be a significant increase in performance?

Chris

 

If I remember correctly the OP asked for the thread to be deleted. I can't remember the reason why though.