The Talyllyn in trouble ?

Andrew - Sir Handel or Duncan ran every day of the running season for many many years - if the TR has given that up in favour of special occasions, I'm pleased to hear it. I always thought that it devalued it's heritage and it's USP by making it look like a funfair.

 

Trouble is that those who call the shots are those who also drive the engines - they don't want to lose any of their precious driving turns - even if they are driving nearly empty trains.

 

Interesting comparison - the TR has spent decades making it's station facilities and signalling ever more elaborate - and ever more costly to run!

 

Hi all,
Apologies I haven't read through all of the discussion but my heart did sink when I saw the topic title, a great little article in the Cambrian News is well worth a read and describes the whys and wherefores of the latest successful appeals Full steam ahead despite lower visitor numbers | News

The Talyllyn isn't in danger, 'we' have looked at traffic patterns and year on year they have decreased. I don't think the TR is alone in these kinds of figures so something had to happen to avoid using up any money reserves the railway had in simply 'keeping the railway going'. You never know what is around the corner and should we have boiler problems or infrastructure problems we dont want to be stood with empty reserves. It has to stand on its own two feet and needed a boost at the end of this year and going into 2013 on a good footing. The appeal was extremely successful, the recent sleeper appeal broke records and allowed two lorry loads of new sleepers to arrive in record time.

The railway hasn't rested on its laurels, its looked ahead with a new timetable and new ideas for the coming year which are very exciting. We will have five steam engines running in the best condition they have ever run in after thorough overhauls.

Tywyn has a few problems, the main among locals is the largest hotel has now seemingly closed. This would be a good magnet for coach parties but is unavailable. Local accommodation in Tywyn and the surrounding area is excellent, but there is a gap for coach parties and large groups accommodation which will hopefully be plugged soon.

Hearing from people that havent visited the TR for a few years but have seen recent press stories surrounding its appeals and only have good things to say is heartening. There is an air of positivity in Tywyn and I hope visitors will see that when they visit.

Thanks,
Ellis

 

Utter nonsense! You were there every day of the running season for many many years then where you? The locos in question may have kept the red livery, but the faces only appeared during the main school holidays. The "painted" names were removable vinyl. Oh, and who is Andrew?

 

They did not run every day of the season but when thet first started, I think Sir Handel/Hadyn was first, the names were painted on and if the loco ran it ran as that Thomas character whatever the time of year. Now with removable names plates that does tend not to happen.

Engines with faces remain popular and I expect that the two Duncan Day's are probably the busiest days of the year on the line, weather permitting. Maybe they should have say "Face Days" where every Thursday in school holidays the engines run in character and the rest of the time they do not.

 

Stations maybe, but signalling? Is not most of its signalling simply by flags?

 

Not when I visited - there were a fair few colour lights! Don't know what arrangement they use for single line working, nor how much is under local control and how much - if any - is done remotely.

Tom

 

There are only colour lights at Abergynolwyn, 1 at Wharf and two ground discs at Wharf too. The TR is not oversignalled and hasn't spent much money on new signalling installations for years.

 

Neil - not saying it is oversignalled; simply pointing out that it isn't controlled just by flags!

Tom

 

IIRC the colour lights wre installed at Aber when the Nant Gwernol extension was opened. This was due to sighting difficulties on the curve coming in from Nant Gwernol. They are (or at least were) "switched out" when trains aren't crossing there. Other passing loops are signalled by flags when manned. There has been a colour light "calling on" signal at Wharf since the 1950's - again due to sighting difficulties (entering through Wharf road bridge) and controlled from the station control office, which is manned anyway.
Compared to the W&L, the TR is positively signal-free!

 

Absolutely. The complications come in the single line operating arrangements. On the T.R. there are electric token instruments with dedicated telephone lines whereas the W&LLR has divisible staff controlled by wireless communication. Much simpler and cheaper to maintain.

This simple arrangement is facilitated by the situation that although the two lines carry roughly the same numbers of people nowadays, the W&L never has more than two passenger rakes out (Galas excepted) on any one day.

Also all W&LLR intermediate passing places have very simple pointwork controlled by two lever locking frames adjacent to each point and not connected to a central frame. My days as a traffic volunteer on the W&L were some while ago but I recall it was felt then that waving of flags at approaching trains by blockmen was best done adjacent to the points themselves rather than from a central frame in order to avoid possible confusion.

What is reception like for mobile phones/personal radios in the Tywyn area?

Paul H.

 

That's the best piece of news to come out of Tywyn for years! At least nobody will have to endure the disgusting state it had got into any longer. Let's hope that in the fullness of time somebody with a bit of vision will realise its potential - to the benefit of the TR and the town as a whole.

 

Mobile signal can be poor up the line. Personal radio not too sure

 

Heres hoping too! Fingers crossed

 

I was staggered to read in an earlier post that the TR's passenger numbers had declined by nearly 2/3rds over the last 30 years. Obviously most of this pre-dates the current financial crunch and is possibly more a result of changing holiday patterns. After all it's Joe Public's bum on the seats that keeps the heritage railways going not the enthusiasts and if the TR can attract more families with Thomas or anything else good luck to them. If the purists don't like it then they can always dig into their own pockets to help make up the shortfall.
I have a nasty feeling that the TR is not the only railway feeling the pinch and am concerned that the number of "new generation" lines being proposed are only likely to add to the pressure on the established ones. Just my 2p worth. Ray.

 

...does anybody know if there is advertising for the TR on the main roads leading into Towyn, the large billboard type ?

 

There are some nice big billboards on both approaches to Tywyn

 

OK,thanks

 

Sorry - I though this was AT - apologies if not. If you were prepared to post under a real name it might add some crdibility to your asserions.

I was there at least once (and often more frequently as we had a house in Tywyn then) in every month of the running season since the early 1970's. If I could be bothered I could produce plenty of photographic evidence going back to the early 1980's (when the TRPS upset Mrs Matthias by changing the name of the engine named after her father) to show how the plastic faces and Sir Handel names painted on the engine were a permanent feature.