News from the Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog)

Progress on Russell has now reached what could be called the "low point" of the restoration, ie the stage at which almost everything that can be...... has been taken apart. The cylinders were removed from the main frames over the Easter Weekend, and the studs which hold the various components together were also extracted meaning that the only way is up from here!

In reality, work on other sections of the loco has long since passed the low
point. The new buffer beams for the back of the loco has now been attached, and needs rivetting. Various bits of angle to hold the footplate in place were being worked on over the last few days.

Pictures of the latest progress with Russell are now online -
http://www.russell2009.fr/latest.html

(The "action shot" with the sparks flying is of the cylinder studs being
removed.)

Fund raising for Russell has certainly not been at a "low point" of any sort
recently. Thanks to the re-launched appeal, over £3,000 was raised during the opening weekend, and money has continued to come in and be pledged since. There's still a long way to go before Russell can be returned to steam - a total of around £75,000 is needed.

An interesting railway rarity - a Winson builders' plate - is being auctioned in aid of the Russell Fund. See:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Welsh-Highland-Ra ... _W0QQitemZ\
170102070603QQihZ007QQcategoryZ96842QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Elsewhere, work is now nearly finished at Cynfal Crossing (just north of Pen-y-Mount). Over the Easter weekend, the Extension Gang installed the fences and gateposts to allow the crossing to be completed. This was the one major piece of work that couldn't be done before the opening day because of the presence of a BT Phone Pole...... ironically this was finally taken out by BT an hour or so after the opening ceremony train had passed. The work now needs to be signed off by the various authorities so the trains can pass without stopping (at the moment, the crossing is on stop, look and proceed).

Final plans for the Narrow Gauge & Industrial Gala (5th - 7th May) have now been confirmed. Visiting Quarry Hunslet loco "Alice" will be performing a variety of duties over the Bank Holiday weekend, including shunting heritage slate wagons at Gelert's Farm on Saturday and hauling passenger trains on Bank Holiday Monday. On Sunday 6th May, Alice will be hauling a demonstration freight train, made up as far as possible of authentic wagons, crossing the passenger train at Pen-y-Mount.

Ruston diesel Glaslyn will be giving footplate rides at Porthmadog (WHR) station over the weekend, and some of our collection of industrial diesels will be on display or possibly even shunting at Gelert's Farm. The weekend is a joint event with the Porthmadog Model Railway Show, which takes place on Saturday & Sunday in the Glaslyn Leisure Centre opposite Porthmadog (WHR) Station.