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Which two engines are these?

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by 45669, Sep 14, 2012.

  1. 45669

    45669 Part of the furniture

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    Ron Bowyer has put a couple of pictures of two of the 4' gauge Padarn Railway Hunslet 0-6-0Ts on the Internet. But which two are they? The pictures show them nameless and clearly out of use, so they must have been taken after the line closed in October, 1961.

    Here's one of the pictures :

    http://railwayphotographs.shutterfly.com/pictures/1062#1061

    Can anybody say which two they are?
     
  2. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    I have a feeling that I have seen this photo before and the other loco is Amalthea. (By the way the location is Llanberis, not Llangollen :D )
     
  3. Richieboy

    Richieboy New Member

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    Wow, they are really interesting shots, very sad in many ways.

    If I recall correctly, the Ivo Peters video of the Padarn says that 1 loco was stripped for overhaul and never put back together. However, I cannot remember off the top of my head which one!

    In the background of the photo there look to be 3 wheel sets, of the same size, so I would assume they are from the stripped loco.

    I will have a look later if I get chance to see if I can figure it out.

    I also wonder which quarry Hunslet frames are in the foreground!

    All the best,

    Rich.
     
  4. Anthony Coulls

    Anthony Coulls Well-Known Member

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    Veliheli's tanks and chimney are still at the Welsh Slate Museum and I'd suspect lurked there for years after the engine was dismantled for overhaul (as bits of engine had a habit of doing at Gilfach Ddu workshops), so the two complete engines are Amalthea and Padarn by my reckoning
     
  5. Anthony Coulls

    Anthony Coulls Well-Known Member

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    The frames are Lady Madcap
     
  6. houghtonga

    houghtonga Member

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    Hi Anthony,

    According to the pictures in Peter Johnson's "The Heyday of the Welsh Narrow Gauge" one of the 0-6-0Ts is shown carrying "Dinorwic" nameplates. Was there a fourth loco?

    Incidently the same book has a good photograph of "King of the Scarlets" as cosmetically restored before export to Canada - a usefull for comparing with the locomotive on display at Statfold today.

    Kind regards,
    Gareth
     
  7. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Wikipedia states that the three 4' gauge Hunslets were named originally Dinorwic, Pandora and Velinheli with Pandora being renamed Amalthæa sometime in the early 1900s. No means of confirming this though.
     
  8. Anthony Coulls

    Anthony Coulls Well-Known Member

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    My mistake. Am also away from home and books etc.
     
  9. Marquis DeCarabas

    Marquis DeCarabas New Member

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    I've seen a print of a similar view (datewise) captioned on the back 'Amalthæa' and 'Velinheli' - Chips Harrison print, I think.

    IIRC that 'Velinheli' bits are actually 'Dinorwic', but my notes are 300 miles away.
     
  10. 45669

    45669 Part of the furniture

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    Evening All,

    Many thanks to those of you that have tried to solve this mystery.

    When Ron Bowyer and I went to Dinorwig in June, 1961 we saw both AMALTHÆA and DINORWIC. AMALTHÆA was in steam and working a train; DINORWIC was in the shed, possibly undergoing light repairs. Those two engines were therefore accounted for. We didn't see VELINHELI, but if it was in the works undergoing a major overhaul, that would explain why. Unless, of course, we saw it, or bits of it, but neither of us took any pictures.

    Ron's later picture is undated, but the two locos are clearly out of use so it must have been taken sometime after October, 1961 which is when the line was closed. And if VELINHELI was still in the works undergoing a never to be finished overhaul, the locos in Ron's picture must be the other two that we had seen previously in June, 1961, AMALTHÆA and DINORWIC.

    For the record, here are my June, 1961 pictures of DINORWIC and AMALTHÆA :

    [​IMG]
    R0619 DINORWIC at Dinorwig Jun 1961 by Ron Fisher, on Flickr


    [​IMG]
    R0620 AMALTHÆA at Dinorwig Jun 1961 by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

    Here are a couple of Ron's picture from that visit :


    http://railwayphotographs.shutterfly.com/pictures/1053

    http://railwayphotographs.shutterfly.com/pictures/1053#1052

    http://railwayphotographs.shutterfly.com/pictures/1051
     

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