Ffestiniog Railway 2016 and 2019

Visits to the Ffestiniog Railway in 2016 and 2019.
David Bosher

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<h4><a href='/locations/P/Porthmadog_Harbour_FR'>Porthmadog Harbour [FR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>'Fairlie' locomotive 'Earl Meirionnydd', dating from 1979, waiting to depart from Porthmadog Harbour station with a Ffestiniog Railway train to Blaenau Ffestiniog on 22nd May 2016. The first double-bogied articulated steam locomotives, known as 'Fairlies' after their designer, Robert Francis Fairlie (1831-1885) were introduced to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1869. Constructed with swivelling power bogies, they enable longer trains to be hauled without increasing manpower costs and have long boilers with tall chimneys at both ends, giving them a very striking appearance. The FR is still building 'Fairlies' today and some can now be seen working as far afield as Australia and USA. This photo was taken while I was waiting to have my first ever ride on the Welsh Highland Railway to Caernarfon; I travelled on the FR to Blaenau Ffestiniog the following day. 1/14</p><p>22/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/M/Minffordd_FR'>Minffordd [FR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>Ffestiniog Railway train from Porthmadog Harbour to Blaenau Ffestiniog calling at Minffordd, looking back towards Porthmadog, on 23rd May 2016. This station is an interchange with the standard gauge Cambrian Coast Line that passes underneath just to the north. 2/14</p><p>23/05/2016<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/B/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_FR'>Blaenau Ffestiniog [FR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>'Linda' attached to 'Blanche' about to run-round at Blaenau Ffestiniog before hauling a train chartered by UK Railtours through to Caernarfon via the Ffestiniog (originally spelt with only one F) and Welsh Highland Railways, on 6th April 2019. 'Linda' dates from 1893 and was originally a 0-4-0ST locomotive built for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway. It was purchased by the Festiniog in 1963 and rebuilt as a 2-4-0STT in 1972. In 2003 it received a new boiler and four years later was temporarily withdrawn from service for a major overhaul taking 10 years before it returned to steam in December 2017. 3/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/B/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_FR'>Blaenau Ffestiniog [FR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>Two immaculate 126 years old Ffestiniog locomotives, 'Linda' (left) and 'Blanche', at the terminus at Blaenau Ffestiniog prior to double-heading a special, chartered by UK Railtours, as far as Porthmadog and then, with a change of locomotive, through to Caernarfon via the Welsh Highland Railway on 6th April 2019. 4/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/B/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_FR'>Blaenau Ffestiniog [FR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>Special train to Caernarfon via the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, double-headed by 'Linda' and 'Blanche' as far as Porthmadog, just departed from Blaenau Ffestiniog on 6th April 2019. 5/14</p><p>08/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/T/Tanygrisiau'>Tanygrisiau</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>UK Railtours' charter from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon over the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, seen near Tanygrisiau double-headed by locomotives 'Linda' and 'Blanche' as far as Porthmadog, on 6th April 2019. 6/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/D/Dduallt_Spiral'>Dduallt Spiral</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/T/Tanygrisiau_Reservoir_Deviation_Festiniog_Railway'>Tanygrisiau Reservoir Deviation (Festiniog Railway)</a></small></p><p>UK Railtours' charter from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon, doubled-headed by 'Linda' and 'Blanche' as far as Porthmadog, entering the top of the Dduallt Spiral on 6th April 2019. Unique in the UK, the spiral was built to enable the revived line to gain height avoiding the section flooded after closure. The train will descend through 360 degrees to rejoin the original 1836 route. 7/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/D/Dduallt_Spiral'>Dduallt Spiral</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/T/Tanygrisiau_Reservoir_Deviation_Festiniog_Railway'>Tanygrisiau Reservoir Deviation (Festiniog Railway)</a></small></p><p>'Linda' and 'Blanche' double-heading UK Railtours' charter from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon via the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, double-headed as far as Porthmadog, now at the foot of the Dduallt spiral and rejoining the original 1836 route on 6th April 2019. 8/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/D/Dduallt'>Dduallt</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>Now back on the original 1836 alignment of the Ffestiniog Railway, 'Linda' and 'Blanche', are passing Dduallt station on 6th April 2019. Ahead is the bridge that carries the spiral the train just negotiated and is now about to pass underneath. This is a UK Railtours' charter train from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarvon via both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, double-headed as far as Porthmadog. 9/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/T/Tan-y-Bwlch'>Tan-y-Bwlch</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>UK Railtours' chartered train from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon seen near Tan-y-Bwlch on the Ffestiniog Railway section, on 6th April 2019. 10/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/T/Tan-y-Bwlch'>Tan-y-Bwlch</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>UK Railtours' charter from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon, during a brief stop at Tan-y-Bwlch on 6th April 2019. The original Ffestiniog Railway had a policy of trains at loop stations using the right hand track and this continues today, with the Welsh Highland Railway also using this practice. I first visited here as a boy on a family holiday in north Wales in August 1965 when it was the temporary terminus for trains from Portmadoc (as it was then called). The line from Penrhyn reopened to Tan-y-Bwlch in 1958 and this remained the terminus until the extension to Dduallt in 1968. Blaenau Ffestiniog was finally reached in 1982, fulfilling the dream to reopen the line in full which had started in 1954 with the reinstatement of just the short section across The Cob from Portmadoc Harbour to Boston Lodge. 11/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/P/Penrhyn'>Penrhyn</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>UK Railtours' chartered train from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon, via both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, on Penrhyn level crossing on 6th April 2019. 12/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/P/Penrhyn'>Penrhyn</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>UK Railtours' chartered train from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon via both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, passing Penrhyn station, on 6th April 2019. 13/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/P/Porthmadog_Harbour_FR'>Porthmadog Harbour [FR]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/F/Festiniog_Railway'>Festiniog Railway</a></small></p><p>'Fairlie' 0-4-4-0T 'David Lloyd George' waiting to depart from Porthmadog Harbour station with a Ffestiniog Railway service to Blaenau Ffestiniog on 6th April 2019. This was built at the FR's Boston Lodge works in 1992 and is the most powerful steam locomotive in the FR fleet. Following an extensive overhaul, it returned to service in May 2014 fitted with new power bogies and converted to coal firing. 14/14</p><p>06/04/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p>
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