Ffestiniog Railway Quirks & Curiosities Weekend April 30th - May 3rd

The C2 project website doesnt seem to be working at the mo, but there's some info here.

Chris

 

Ah the Chinese thing just remembered...that a go-er??

 

No. But a shed is being built and fitted out to rebuild it in as we speak. You can have a look at both, possibly even in the same place at the gala.

When the website works it is at www.c2project.org

Tim

 

But the C2 is going to be restored and regauged...its a go-er in that sense. Will she fit on the FR loading gauge???

 

Yes if the cab is made the same width as the tender and the running plate. Not such a drastic change as many other C2s are like that. Some other things like the lobster pot on the chimney will have to be lost.

Tim

 

Any of the FR's tampers making an apperance?

 

A what?

 

The c2 is a big bugger i looked at it earlier last year and its massive fair enough its on packing but wow
will be impressive Allthough to say it ran a few years ago its going to need a lot of work to restore

 

So Does mean that this was taliesin's 10 year overhaul or if it was just being repaired? I Really wish to know as i would like to see it at the Vintage and whr opening galas.

 

Answer to that question is a little complicated but here goes.

The boiler is having its ten year inspection and re-tube. The internal inspection and re-tube was done last year and the loco put back together for the Christmas service and Trwyn-y-Garnedd shuttles. It has now been dismantled for the external inspection and to have a broken stay attended to. This involves taking the boiler out the frames. It has passed its internal inspection and providing our coded welder can tear himself away from Lyd the rest of the work won't take long. It will also be fitted with a new correct height chimney at some point.

Fairlie bogies are overhauled every 2 years ish if possible Taliesin is due but the intention is to fit the new experimental monoblock piston valve cylinders when it happens. The idea is to complete the construction of the new cylinders while to loco is in traffic so they can be slotted in at overhaul.
Tal rarely goes more than about 40 days without valve trouble due to a combination of early lubrication difficulties, manufacturing defects, high superheat and the higher workload of this bogie.
Hopefully the new cylinders will cure all this, reduce the stress on the valve gear and allow it to remove rice pudding skins.

I expect it will feature at the vintage weekend, we will be a bit short of locos if it doesn't.

Tim

 

Could K1 make an appearance if it kept to a Porthmadog to Boston Lodge shuttle provided its not required on WHR at that point. After all it has been owned by the FR for a number of years and has its own quirks being a compound.

Looking likely I wont make the event due to other commitments but its looking a really promising event.

Regards
Duncan

 

That would be great, especially since there isn't an abundance of steam available...

 

You looking at the same event I am?

 

I guess not. I count a possible 12 steam locos so far.

Tim

 

Well I was going by this really:

"I expect it will feature at the vintage weekend, we will be a bit short of locos if it doesn't."

But there'll only be six locomotives doing whole-line runs won't there? Blanche, Taliesin, DLG, Merddin, Prince, Palmerston... or will EoM be operating too?

 

Only six running normal service trains? How many do you want?

 

The Vintage weekend is a different event which is in October where we try to recreate the Old FR company days with as much attention to detail as possible. So only traditional FR locos would feature i.e. not Blanche or EofM.

Like Andrew says how many do you want 6 is 3 more than you would normally get even on a high summer service.
Timetable and loco roster changes each day to keep things intresting. Some trains will be double headed and unlike a lot of railways we acutally need 2 engines. Prince and Palmerston on the Monday will be spectacular as always.

Tim

 

And Welsh Pony...

 

I agree summer timetable on its own is busy enough and the gala has more unless he was thinking of the triple header at the agm last year! K1 was just a suggestion it it was well and not required on the WHR.

Be interesting to hear of all the various items making an appearance.

Regards
Duncan

 

the main passenger service times are comfirmed:
Service trains will depart Porthmadog at 10.15, 12.10, 13.35 & 16.10, and depart Blaenau Ffestiniog at 11.55, 14,25, 15,30 and 17.40. The timetable will also include other departures, details of which will be available in due course.