European Railroad Discussion > From the sunny cane fields of Fiji

Saturday was Snowdonian Day on the Ffestiniog-Welsh Highland Railways. This year I decided not to ride but to chase it on my bike. The theme of the special, which does an 80 mile round trip over the combined railways starting in Porthmadog, was first and last so on the Welsh Highland the train was pulled by pioneer Beyer Garratt K1 (Beyer Peacock 1909) and 143, the final NGG16 Garratt built at Gorton works in Manchester in 1958. On the Ffestiniog the honours went to 0-4-0 STT Prince (George England 1863) and 2-6-2T Lyd (Boston Lodge 2010).

But perhaps the most interesting thing I saw was completely by accident. I'd read on the railway's website that they have just taken delivery of CSR Co Ltd no. 11, a rather attractive 0-6-0 built in 1912 for the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company of Fiji, which has been restored by the Statfold Barn Railway and is on extended loan to the WHR.

I heard a train arrive at Beddgelert when I was about to set off in the direction of Porthmadog. There was nothing in the timetable so I cycled up to the station where I found no.11 on a short freight train. Unfortunately Beddgelert was as far as it was planning to go, the crew running round, propelling the train out of the station and back in to the northbound side of the loop, before setting off northwards once the southbound Snowdonian had arrived for its lunchtime stop.

It is a very attractive little engine with a melodious whistle and a great sound courtesy of the balloon stack. It will be in service over the first weekend of May as part of the Ffestiniog Railway's Our Railway Adventure celebrating 60 years since the railway reopened in the preservation era.

Heres a link to the remaining pictures from the weekend
http://nick86235.smugmug.com/Trains/2014/Snowdonian-2014#!/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/14 06:27 by 86235.

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Wow. Excellent. People who confine their rail photography to North America have no idea what they are missing. One could spend all summer in the U.K. and not run out of heritage lines to photograph...all with proper equipment and steam atmosphere.

Photo chase on bicycle.

Great scenery.

Incredible steam locomotives.

Super photos.

Jealous.

Thanks for sharing!

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Thanks both

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Wow. Excellent. People who confine their rail
> photography to North America have no idea what
> they are missing. One could spend all summer in
> the U.K. and not run out of heritage lines to
> photograph...all with proper equipment and steam
> atmosphere.

I guess all it takes is sheckles.

Um, and lots of $$.

timecruncher