Ffestiniog Bill

Anyone care to shed any light on the new post on the FR&WHR Ltd website?

 

I apologise, it looks like they have posted it on their Facebook/Twitter but not yet the website...

 

It relates to the extremely unexciting news that one of those butt ugly Hunslet diesels from Shotton steelworks is about to return from overhaul.

Tim

 

Excitement = over

 

For a moment I thought the FR had introduced a private bill in Parliament ... now I gather that this Hunslet loco is called 'Bill' or do I still have hold of the wrong end of the stick?

Regards

 

They've received one of two diesel Hunslet shunters (the other is being refurbed before delivery) that will be used at Dinas and Boston Lodge. They are to be reguaged from 2 foot 6 to 2 foot and then pressed into action...

 

Info/photos here:
WHR (Caernarfon) diesel locos

Richard

 

Im surprised they havent been named after castles like the other loco's.

What happens with all the other shunters? Are these powerful enough to haul trains ?

 

Thanks for the reply Richard...

 

They were already named Bill and Ben when they arrived. It was written on them in black marker pen.

However, Bill (Hoole) is a pretty good name for an FR loco as is Ben (Fisher) for the WHR. At least they're considerably better than Harold's alternative name...

 

Could be that the other shunters are a bit tired now; as for haulage capacity, these two locos are identical to machines built for Bord na Mona in Ireland and I'm sure would perform in a similar fashion to the Irish ones.

Cheers

Alan

 

It's down to a number of things really.
First of all the Locos being handled at Boston Lodge are bigger than ever before.

Secondly these days the big shunting engines (Cricc, Upnor, Conway which is temperamental at best) are usually in demand somewhere else.

Thirdly out of the other shunter's available to Boston Lodge Castle Arrrrgghhh is quite tired, Moelwyn has gearbox and engine problems and really should have become part of the heritage fleet a long time ago, Sh***y needs a new clutch and is in a thousand bits at the moment.

Finally Garratt's have top feed axle boxes on the driving wheels, this means when the are stationary for long periods they tend to drip oil all over the floor. The underfed main FR fleet are quite clean in comparison. The consequence of this is that the rail head a Boston Lodge is now so contaminated that bigger locos are required just to move the small stuff about. Previously Sh***ys 40hp was quite capable of shunting a Double Engine up the hill into the shed. That would be impossible now.

They are only 100hp so not much use for passenger work, plus would you really want the public to see something that looks like that.

Dinas has been in need of a decent shunter for a while which would also release Conkout Castle for a much needed overhaul.

Tim

 

You obviously don't appreciate their rugged industrial beauty

Richard



from Hunslet 9248 - Festipedia

 

They're certainly rugged!

 

Are there any plans to change the oil feed to the Garretts?

Regards

 

It's being contemplated and will save a fortune in bearing oil obviously won't happen overnight though. Even Britomart now has under feeds.

A stabling point and ash pit which will may even turn into a loco shed one day is being built alongside the current running shed. This will at least mean they stop dribbling all over the yard.

Tim