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

The Porthmadog to Boston Lodge paths are needed so that you can see some of the Quirks in true action, and we certainly have enough of them to fill the gaps.

If you read the previous posts and look at the relevant links, you'll find that this one will help you find a list of the quirks which are currently confirmed for the event.

 

meee and Andrew T, ignore me! I hadn't realised at all that it was the Vintage Weekend being referred to rather than the Q&C. My bad.

I guess I thought six engines on full line services was perhaps not many by their usual gala standards but if there's only four departures anyway it's obviously perfectly ample, to say the least.

 

some people will never be happy!

 

There are a few more than four departures though...

Here are the draft passenger timetables for:

Saturday 1st May

Sunday 2nd May

Monday 3rd May

Remember that these are for passenger trains only

There will be a lot more happening than this..!

Loco Roster details will be available nearer the date of the event.

 

Thanks, Roger.

Is the 'Prince Party' train bookable by the general public and/or members? I've seen that the AGM special can be booked by members.

 

Timetables look great. Speaking of great, your fotopic site is full of superb shots.

What on earth are you on about? 'Some people' are just out to snipe clearly since I never said anything at all about being unhappy, I just got myself confused re: the timetable and loco availability. Whatever happens I'll be happy. I frequently visit on days when there's only two departures and one loco out so please, quit trying to incite an argument.

 

No - it's a private 'Farewell' train by invitation only... Sorry!

 

thanks for showing us the timetables roger

 

Another steam loco has now been added to the line up. The diminutive ex-Groudle Glen loco Polar Bear is visiting from Amberley Museum. Sister loco Sea lion previously visited in 1997.

Tim

 

Ok - I'm now officially claiming a free eyesight test from the Company...

Here's a sneak preview of the 'Quirks & Curiosities' train graph for Saturday 1st May 2010.

Checking through the finalised timetables - there are 46 planned movements from, to or past Boston Lodge on Saturday; 44 on Sunday; 32 on Monday...

:cool1:

 

There is still just time to join the FR Society before the weekend (go to
the FR Society website – www.ffestiniograilway.org.uk - before the end of
Tuesday 20th April!), meaning all travel and entrance to exhibits will be
entirely free. Why not use this specially-tailored event as a great chance
to introduce a friend or family member to your favourite railway?

Although every last detail for the event will be included in a souvenir
event guide, available over the weekend at a bargain cost of £3, the public
trains timetable, fares information and some of the event times are now
available.

Visiting Quirks have already been arriving (see the FRS website for details)
but there are many more to come. These include the quarry Hunslet engine
Edward Sholto and late confirmation Polar Bear, the former Groudle Glen
railway locomotive currently residing at Amberley Museum Railway.

To ensure you experience all the weekend has to offer, here are a few
guiding notes.

Passenger trains

A wide variety of services, including many heritage trains and recreations
of authentic FR consists, are available to travel on over the weekend. The
timetable is now available at the event’s minisite
(www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/qc). Why not get up early and experience the
special atmosphere of the Quarryman’s train to Dduallt? Watch Merddin Emrys
haul the slate train past then see the gravity train negotiate the spiral.

On Sunday, catch Edward Sholto’s first revenue-earning passenger train or
the 1500 Y Cymro – non stop to Tan-y-Bwlch. Don’t forget that the FR’s
beautiful full-length Victorian train, complete with the ‘flying bench’,
gets launched on Sunday morning.

Monday sees the launch of carriage number 11 (Van 4), following restoration
in Boston Lodge Carriage Works. Catch this unique working to Rhiw Goch and
watch passage of the PW department’s gravity train.

A full working timetable showing all freight, light engine and of course
Quirky workings will be available in the souvenir event guide, available
from Friday 30th April at Porthmadog Booking Office.

Footplate rides are available for most of the weekend at Porthmadog Harbour
Station.

Fares

FR Society members travel FREE over the event with a valid 2010 membership
card but must collect a member’s ticket from the booking office prior to
travel. Weekend and day rover tickets are available. Full fares details can
be found on the minisite (www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/qc).).

There is still just time to join online before the weekend (before the end
of Tuesday 20th April!), meaning all travel and entrance to exhibits will be
entirely free. Why not use this specially-tailored event as a great chance
to introduce a friend or family member to your favourite railway?

Members’ events

On Saturday FR Society members can attend the AGM which takes place at 1500
at Ysgol Eifionydd (map here: http://tiny.cc/ysgoleifionydd). An evening
special departs from Harbour Station at 1915 and various visiting Quirks
will be taking advantage of the quieter evening on the railway to go for a
run. Who knows what you may see!

A meal (Bangers n Mash plus a pudding) is available on this train at a cost
of £7.50 per head which just covers costs. Please book your meal at
Porthmadog Booking Office (01766 516024 or enquiries@...) prior
to the AGM, to allow the Catering Department to make vital preparations.

Boston Lodge

Boston Lodge works will be open to visitors Saturday to Monday, 0800 to
1700. Inspect progress on Lyd, watch the engines being prepared and watch
some of the visiting Quirks (less suited for the FR mainline) in action!

In particular Sunday sees a packed programme of events. Again, full details
will be available in the souvenir event guide but keep an eye out for:

• First lighting of Lyd – witness this historic event

• Lecture: ‘The Edward Sholto Story’ by Andrew Neale. Hear the full story of
the engine’s repatriation and restoration.

• Lecture: “Fairlie important, Robert Fairlie, the Festiniog and the World”
by Bob Gwynne of the National Railway Museum. Bob will be trialling his new
presentation on the most knowledgeable and challenging audience – the FR
membership – prior to going on to tell the FR story to the world.

• Dedication of Boston Lodge Memorial by the Rt Rev Andrew John, Bishop of
Bangor, including the Bishop’s arrival at Boston Lodge by Model T Ford!

Grand Finale

Make sure you stay around on Monday for the Wacky Races-style cavalcade of
quirks and curiosities – from 1400. Hear more about the visiting and
FR-based attractions as they parade through Harbour Station.

Extend your stay!

Why not arrive early and/or depart late. There will be plenty to see on the
railway from Thursday evening with the arrival of different Quirks and a
Friday morning guest driver train to watch and photograph. Why not grab a
pint in Spooners on Friday afternoon and watch the preparatory shunting and
Quirk test runs – all while reading through your event guide and planning
your weekend?

Also, why rush off? Both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways run
steam-hauled trains throughout the week following this event and the WHR
hosts its annual Rail Ale festival from Friday 7th May (see another
minisite: www.welshhighlandrailway.net/railale).

Don’t forget…

Running alongside Quirks and Curiosities, the Welsh Highland Heritage
Railway will have a record four steam engines in service on its main line
for its gala event "From Wales To The World". For full details, click here:
www.whr.co.uk/index.php?pid=37

Porthmadog Model Railway Exhibition also takes place on Saturday 1st and
Sunday 2nd May at Canolfan Hamdden Glaslyn Leisure Centre, sited opposite
the Cambrian Railway Station and WHHR.

 

Its On The Society website that Polar Bear Can't make due to technical reasonshttp://www.ffestiniograilway.org.uk...quirks-and-curiosities&catid=3:news&Itemid=50
, but on the microsite it says theres a "rail car" powered by bacon butties!http://www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/qc/what.htm

 

Sorry, but it says 'Rail Bike' not rail car... slightly different, especially to the person who provides the motive power..!

:wink:

 

Well it is my favourite meal, Rail-Cycle I'll have you know, Bike implies it only has 2 wheels.

 

Would running on bacon make the Railcycle less or more expensive per mile than the Simplex i wonder?

Tim

 

Feeding the cyclist caviar and Chateau Petrus '63 would be cheaper than running the Simplex. When I had National Geographic down a few weeks back to do some filming, I had to send one of the crew back over the Cob from Boston Lodge with a petrol can so we could finish the shoot.

 

another guest comfirmed:
http://www.ffestiniograilway.org.uk...-rover-quirk-confirmed&catid=3:news&Itemid=50

 

And Edward Sholto Has Arrived...
http://www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/news.asp?dismode=article&artid=376

 

Has Leary got her posh new frock on yet?
And Chris, where have you been for the last year; hiding in Lyd’s boiler?
The C2 had enough publicity when it arrived. - www.c2project.org/news.html - or was that, perhaps, a massive dose of irony?
Lots of photos please lads. I have made the monumental mistake of being in Italy this coming weekend!

Ian

 

Leary's paint job does look very nice, but the team tell me final assembly is tomorrow's job.
I saw Lyd on the Long Shed Pit at BL yesterday, along with many things scattered around the yard and arriving at Minffordd yard(at one stage we even had one of the WHHR's visiting locos down there!), Boston Lodge is certainly the place to be this weekend.