Welsh Highland Heritage Railway – Spring 2009 Newsletter

In this edition
- One month until Baldwin WHR visit
- Heritage train progress
- First visitors for new museum

** DONATE £15 AND MAKE HISTORY...... The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway is offering the chance to travel on a historic first train during its gala event over the May Bank Holiday weekend (2nd-4th May 2009)

The special service, which leaves at 10:00 on the Saturday is the first time a Baldwin has operated over Welsh Highland metals since 1936, and the first trip in revenue earning service of the historic WHR Buffet Car, following its four year restoration.

It’s hoped that a further heritage carriage, the replica of Ashbury Number 25 will also be completed in time to run in the Heritage Train. To raise money to complete this work, the WHHR is making an appeal for donations. Anyone who contributes over £15 will be invited to travel on the first train of the gala, which includes a cup of tea from the Buffet Car, and a tour of the new museum.

The Baldwin, which is visiting from the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway, will haul its first unfitted freight service since restoration, and will operate alongside Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST locomotive Irish Mail and the WHHR’s resident Bagnall 0-4-2T Gelert.

You can make a donation by clicking here:
- http://www.whr.co.uk/index.php?pid=2

More information on the gala event:
- http://www.whr.co.uk/index.php?pid=37

** NWNGR “VARNISH” LIVERY FOR NEW CARRIAGE – The WHHR’s newest carriage is to revive a very historic livery.

The replica of Ashbury Carriage No.25, currently under construction, will be outshopped in a dark varnished wood finish, similar to the six wheel Cleminson carriages which also ran on the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways in the late 19th Century.

The WHHR has taken the advice of Welsh industrial historian Cyntaf Ebrill, who has uncovered documents in the county archives suggesting that this livery was also considered for the two Ashbury corridor coaches when they were first delivered in 1893. The papers show that the paint code applied by the Ashbury works was 01/04 FWL.

To see the first picture of the new carriage, and give your comments on the new livery, click here:
- http://www.whr.co.uk/index.php?pid=45

** MUSEUM – the new museum building at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway has now opened to visitors. The new facility tells the story of Porthmadog and its two foot gauge railways, from the early days of gravity slate trains to some of the largest two foot locomotives in the UK.

Many of the displays are still being developed, as are some of the interactive elements. Pictures can be found here:
- http://whr.fotopic.net/c1674291.html

 

Just as well some of us know what 'Cyntaf Ebrill' means!!! \/

Good joke - but seriously, the heritage train is a real EXCITING project - good luck with it!

 

Oh I get it!!
The WHHR is the April Fool???
Makes sense now.

=D>

 

No!
You are the fool! as you do not have the sense to realise that you are TOTALLY WRONG in EVERY comment you have made about WHHR
You call yourself 'Realist' but you live in a fantasy world where you cannot see succsess and if you do yo have to try to knock it!
I suggest you actually visit WHHR, see the public enjoying the railway and museum,
AND STOP THIS PATHETIC NONSENSE!

Ian Willetts
Life Member WHHR

 

I can't see your problem, living locally I visit the WHHR regularly and they are always very friendly to us and I have to say I am very impressed with all they have acheived =D>

 

Shame about the "Cyntaf Ebrill"' - it looks really good in that varnish.

Richard

 

The 27 years we have been operating the Beddgelert sidings as the "Welsh highland railway" very much exceeds the IIRC 14 years the "old" WHR was in existence(1922-1936?), I also believe some of the rail used was recovered from the old WHR so strictly speaking it will be over WHR metals.

While the train will not travel on Old WHR metals per say, it is a genuine/replica WHR/NWNG train operating in the right area... While we would be happy to take the train beyond P-Y-M, this is not going to happen! :-#

 

My stance on the WHHR is plain to see.
I do not like the way the WHHR portays itself as the David to the FRC's Goliath. They have made HUGE mistakes in the past and now try to use the press to right them. The FR were morally wrong in taking over the WHR track, but the WHHR ceased to be credable after they did it.
As for Nexus's reply above re Bedgelert sidings, sounds like you should really be called the Cambrian Coast Narrow Guage Railway!!

 

Didn't David win ? ;-)

What exactly are these HUGE mistakes ? The 1964 Company spent years faced with an intransigent county council and when finally they had them on board the FR jumped in and snatched the trackbed away.

Now if they called themselves the Beddgelert Sidings Light Railway there would be a lot of confused visitors around, rather in the way that patients for Charing Cross Hospital are surprised to find it is in Hammersmith, while Hammersmith Hospital is in Acton.

Richard

 

You may wish to notice that Nexuas has an "A" in it.

I see you still are a fully signed up member of the Cambrian Union Narrowguage Trust Society.

I see you have no problem with the Fr's "LMS Caernarfon - Dinas, Welsh highland & Britannia bridge railway company" if we are being pedantic about names?

 

Tell me about it! I spent 10 days in Guy's hospital last Oct, imagine my horror to find it had girls in it too!!! #-o What is in a name, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet

 

tick tock tick tock, will Russell be ready for my visit at easter?

 

Will the Welsh Highland Railway be ready and finished?

erm well in answer to both questions... NO!

RUSSELL will probably be ready at a similar point to the completed railway opens to the public.

 

Is that an offical answer? Maybe you should update your appeal website that has its countdown counter at just over 8 days to go. Maybe that explains why it has not been updated for so long?



STOP PRESS Russell fails to meet rebuild deadline STOP PRESS

 

Have you lot thought about giving up on this WHHR thing and just becoming a part of the WHR Society?
You are all after the same thing in the end, sometimes you have to admit when you are beaten.
If you did join them just think how much bigger the trainset will be, you would be free to run Russell on heritage trains to your hearts content.

 

Whether you are a supporter or not of either railway each has every right to go forward in the manner it best thinks fit. I am not a member of either but I recognise both potentially have a roll in the market place as I am sure many will want to ride the full WHR but many will elect for a shorter trip not want to spend £60? for a family of four on a train ride that takes 4 hours.

Presumably realist argues that all std gauge lines should close and loco owners should aim to just run on the mainline as just think "how much bigger the trainset will be" #-o

I wish both railways well and hope they are successful although I have always been disappointed in that I see the WHR as a lost opportunity as a means of transport in the area. Since most of the original WHR stock and buildings have been lost I would have liked to have seen the line rebuilt as a modern light railway, operating quick efficient multiple units with the aim that it provided a quick, regular and hopefully cheapish service between Port and Caernarfon that would persuaded many to use rather than cars.

Unfortunately it has been rebuilt as a tourist railway, imported steam engines on trains restricted to 25mph with the result that the price, frequency of service and travel time make it unappealing to those who may wish to use it as a means of public transport including those who go walking around Snowdonia.

Around a modern regular fast service I would have built a heritage element or tourist element, so yes there would have been room for steam trips along the line, using “modern” steam traction and carriages and “heritage” trains with Russell and original carriages

This is not a criticism of the FR and their rebuilding as they had a budget and criteria to meet. It is more a criticism of the politicians as I feel if you are going to rebuild such a line give it your backing so that it can usefully contribute as a means of public transport as well as a tourist attraction. I also feel the same to an extent about the IoM Railway in that having rebuilt the line for 40mph running it is a shame they have not invested in some modern units so that it is potentially viable as a year round means of public transport for commuters.

 

No, that's not what i mean. My arguments are purely about the WHHR. WHHR = ](*,)

Could not agree with you more.

 

No, that's not what i mean. My arguments are purely about the WHHR. WHHR = ](*,)

Purely about the WHHR they may be - but the principle is the same.

I don't know ?- perhaps they just don't want to be told what to do by the FR board and value their independence or maybe they are happy to 'play with a smaller trainset'.
Its their choice =D> If their happy then fair enough.
MG.

 

Who says faster, cheaper, modern trains aren't going to happen? Anything is possible, just because it isn't happening now doesn't mean it won't happen once the signalling is in place and all other work is up to standards.