European Railroad Discussion > More from the Ffestiniog's Victorian Weekend and Sponsors Day

The Sunday of the Ffestiniog Railway's Victorian Weekend always coincides with Sponsors Day, a day when those who make regular financial contributions to the railway get to tour the property to see where their money is being spent, it's a great opportunity to see behind the scenes and last Sunday was no exception. We started with a coach from Minffordd Yard to Caernarfon, the north end of the Welsh Highland, to view the new station and to hear about how it works. A special train was laid on for us from Caernarfon back to Boston Lodge Works in Porthmadog, stopping off at Waunfawr, where a replica North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway stone station building has been constructed. At Boston Lodge we were shown the new carriage shed, given details of the next phase of development which involves the conservation and, in some case, rebuilding of the historic buildings which form the workshop complex and shown the two new steam locomotives under construction. All in all it was a fascinating day accompanied by the enhanced train service of the Victorian Weekend which seemed, despite the weather, to be well attended.

1 & 2: A couple of pictures from Saturday of Double Fairlie Merddin Emrys on the Victorian train. Despite there being two twenty first century replica vehicles (the leading 4w carriage from 2007 and the curly roof van of 2004 on the rear) the combined age of the loco and seven cars is 915 years old! In the first picture Emrys is pulling out of Tanygrisiau, the final station before Blaenau and in the second it is crossing Cei Mawr dry stone wall embankment.

3: Sunday morning, this is the new station at Caernarfon, the railway's old facilities were a couple of 'temporary' buildings which had been used since the first section of the Welsh Highland opened in 1999, they certainly did nothing for the image of the railway. the new building is part of a concerted effort by Gwynedd County Council to regenerate the quay area below the castle. There's plenty of cover away from the elements, there's a very big gift shop / ticket office and a nice cafe, the latter is open even when the railway isn't.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/19 03:43 by 86235.

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4: Our special train from Caernarfon to Boston Lodge was hauled by 2010 built 2-6-2T Lyd, seen here at Waunfawr being fed and watered. The railway took delivery of 70 tonnes of coal on Thursday, reports have been coming in from engine crews that it clinkers very rapidly, the clinker solidifying on the firebars and having a detrimental impact on steaming. Lyd suffered on Sunday with the crew having to spend our time at Waunfawr rebuilding the fire.

After Waunfawr the journey was pretty uneventful, we climbed to the summit beyond Rhyd Ddu in fine style, took water at Beddgelert, threaded the Aberglaslyn Pass, the Afon Glaslyn was in spate following the rain over the previous few days, passed the afternoon service train from Porthmadog to Caernarfon at Pont Croesor, arriving in Porthmadog on time. The Victorian Weekend was in full swing with both staff, volunteers and townsfolk entering into the spirit of the event.

5: Single Fairlie Taliesin (on the right) and Double Fairlie Merddin Emrys being tended by their crews.
6: 0-4-0STT Prince (George England 1863) arriving in Harbour station with a mixed, unfitted (i.e. no continuous brakes) goods train.

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The new station at Caernarfon certainly fits in well with the rest of the railway. Lot of controversy in the U.K. over it's design. 

7: Merddin Emrys was shunting slate wagons, making up a train to haul to Power Station Summit (near Tanygrisiau) from where it would return by gravity.
8: Splendid Victorian costumes on display, I'm not sure that Porthmadog in the latter years of the nineteenth century was ever quite so elegant. I suspect it resembled a bear pit with plenty of drinking and bad behaviour.
9: The other working Double Fairlie David Lloyd George arriving with the Victorian set from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

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andersonb109 Wrote:
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> The new station at Caernarfon certainly fits in
> well with the rest of the railway. Lot of
> controversy in the U.K. over it's design. 

I wouldn't say it's on everybody's mind just at the moment, there are some other more pressing issues attracting attention. The railway has plenty of splendid 19th century buildings, both original and re-created. There never was a Welsh Highland station in Caernarfon as the railway never reached the town, which would have made a traditional-style building just as phony as anything more modern. This does seem to fit the site pretty well, with impressive facilities and a nice spacious atmosphere but it won't be to everyone's taste.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/19 08:18 by 86235.

10: This is the new carriage shed at Boston Lodge, when complete it will allow the railway to store all its passenger rolling stock under cover for the first time. It will have three roads and all the necessary servicing points to clean and water complete passenger sets. The shed is also high enough that a Garratt can enter.
11: Lyd and Prince at rest having completed their weekend's work
12: The new welded boiler for the fourth Double Fairlie to be built at Boston Lodge, Paul Lewin Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway General Manager is explaining the finer points of the boiler design



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/19 08:21 by 86235.

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Just brilliant!!! Thanks for the tour!

Very impressive weekend. Would have been good to be there.
Great set of photographs as well.
Graham.

How heavy is the rail that they're using? Because it looks absolutely huge!

PHall Wrote:
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> How heavy is the rail that they're using? Because
> it looks absolutely huge!

60 or 75 lb per yard.

86235 Wrote:
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> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The new station at Caernarfon certainly fits in
> > well with the rest of the railway. Lot of
> > controversy in the U.K. over it's design. 
>
> I wouldn't say it's on everybody's mind just at
> the moment, there are some other more pressing
> issues attracting attention. The railway has
> plenty of splendid 19th century buildings, both
> original and re-created. There never was a Welsh
> Highland station in Caernarfon as the railway
> never reached the town, which would have made a
> traditional-style building just as phony as
> anything more modern. This does seem to fit the
> site pretty well, with impressive facilities and a
> nice spacious atmosphere but it won't be to
> everyone's taste.

Well said.