Ffestiniog Railway - Bygones Weekend

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway
Bygones Weekend
9th - 11th October 2020

A very impressive show put on in difficult times, replacing the usual Victorian Weekend, the railways fleet of George England & Penrhyn Hunslet steam locomotives, along a Double Fairlie operated a regular service of vintage carriages from Porthmadog to Tan-y-bwlch, with a couple of trains continuing to Blaenau Ffestiniog for members each day and goods trains shuttling to Rhiw Goch. Over the weekend two trains a day also ran through the Aberglasyn Pass to Beddgelert and a morning slate train ran to Dduallt, returning by gravity.

The event saw the naming of Welsh Pony on Saturday at Dduallt (notice the different days in shots where she carries her No. 5 nameplate - from Friday, curtain over her nameplate - Saturday morning and Welsh Pony nameplates on Saturday afternoon on the FR & Sunday on the Welsh Highland).

Also putting in an appearance, on the Friday, was Baldwin 4-6-0T 608. We see the locomotive running across the Cob with a coal wagon. The locomotive was due to work over the weekend as pilot locomotive for the Welsh Highland services, required as all trains where departing from platform 1 with platform 2 being used for overflow seating for Spooners.

Locomotives:
FR George England 0-4-0ST+T No. 2 Prince
FR George England 0-4-0ST+T No. 4 Palmerston
FR George England 0-4-0ST+T No. 5 Welsh Pony
FR Double Fairlie 0-4-4-0 No. 10 Merddin Emrys
Hunslet 2-4-0ST+T Blanche
Hunslet 2-4-0ST+T Linda
Hunslet 0-4-0ST Lilla
Baldwin 4-6-0T WD 608
Baldwin 2-4-0DM Moelwyn

The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway, is one of The Great Little Trains of Wales, a narrow gauge railway running on a gauge of 1ft 11 1/2in.

www.preservedrailway.co.uk
(C) Lee Andrew Davies 2020