ECS 08:15?

08:45 Linda and Blanche Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog

SHORT BREAK 10:00-10:15?

10:25 Blanche and Linda Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog (Pen Cob Junction)

11:35 James Spooner, Blanche and Linda Porthmadog (Pen Cob Junction) to Waunfawr

LUNCH BREAK 13:00-14:45?

14:55 James Spooner Waunfawr to Caernarfon

SHORT BREAK 15:30-15:45?

16:00 James Spooner and K1 Caernarfon to Porthmadog 18:10

The Harbourmaster left on time at 10:10 and Merddin Emrys arrived with ECS for the 10:40 Mountain Spirit, running round by 10:30. This was followed by the 11:10 Woodland Wanderer in the hands of James Spooner which arrived in the WHR platform seconds before the Mountain Spirit departed. The Fairlie was operating with the cab roof open given the warm fine weather.

The Snowdonia Star arrived at about 12:30 and 5 minutes later continued ECS to Boston Lodge. At 12:55 Blanche turned up with The Quarryman. After running round, the rake was shunted to the seawall siding and the loco was unusually disposed to Boston Lodge light engine. Next back was the Woodland Wanderer with James Spooner. This loco shunted its rake to the yard and was soon prepped for the Fairlie hand-over. Upnor Castle arrived from over The Cob with two B wagons loaded with fuel at about 14:15 and departed across The Cob light engine at 14:30. The Woodland Wanderer returned with James Spooner which went to fuel and water. Mountain Spirit returned with Merddin Emrys and James Spooner swopped to take the train forward for the afternoon working. Linda did not return from Boston Lodge. Instead, Lyd came over light engine at about 14:30 and took over The Quarryman rake while Merddin Emrys hauled the Mountain Spirit.

The first movement of the day came as No.130 hauled the ECS The Aberglaslyn into the WHR platform at 09:44. Merddin Emrys arrived at 10:00 with the Mountain Spirit in the FR platform. The Fairlie ran round at 10:10 and the well loaded train departed at 10:40 on time. Linda hauled The Quarryman into the FR platform a Porthmadog at 12:50. At 12:57 No.143 arrived back with The Aberglaslyn. The Garratt uncoupled and ran round without shunting to the yard to refuel or water.

Linda, on the other hand, coaled and watered and rejoined its train at 13:15 after running round. At 14:52 Lilla was noted shunting the yard preparing for the afternoon Boston Lodge Works Visit shuttle. The Quarryman departed at 15:25. At 15:35 Lilla shunted its two coach rake to the platform and a large group of blue tabard coated Boston Lodge Works visitors joined the train by the signalbox, departing at 15:42.

The loco must be fitted with a spark arrestor, sand boxes and some minor components before light engine gauging trials can be anticipated. Due to the loco's 4 coupled long wheelbase, particular attention will be given to how the loco rides through the curves and tramway sections, especially the tight tramway curve onto Britannia Bridge. The lead coupled axle has some play and is steered into curves by the Krauss-Helmholtz mechanism on the lead pony truck. See Wikipedia for details. Experience will tell if lower speed limits need to be set for the NG15 on these tight curves.

The Sunday SuperPower timetable features several interesting trains with both K1 and Australian diesel No.9 out and about on a variety of mixed rains, including demonstration freight. The signaller arrived at 09:30 just as steam was being raised m Boston Lodge. No.143 arrived with the ECS for the 10:20 The Harbourmaster at 09:47. David Lloyd George arrived at 10:10 for the 10:40 Mountain Spirit and ran round shortly afterwards. The Garratt departed at 10:22 and, surprisingly, there was still an empty B wagon coupled to the rear of the rake. DLG departed at 10:43 with a well loaded train to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The ECS for the 10:10 The Harbourmaster was in the platform by 10:00, departing at 10:09 behind No.130 as the Mountain Spirit approached across The Cob arriving at 10:15. Merddin Emrys arrived with the ECS for the Woodland Wanderer at 10:32 in the WHR platform while David Lloyd George ran round in the FR platform and departed at 10:43.

The Snowdonia Star arrived at about 12:15 and the loco went light engine to refuel. Linda arrived at 12:51 with The Quarryman in the FR platform.

This easterly view (12/9/24) shows the Cambrian Coast Express railtour arriving at Porthmadog just as a hailstorm hit. No.97302 leads 97304 into the station where a number of people got off to visit the town and narrow gauge railways. The weather improved after this final squall. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright Barrie Hughes taken on a Canon EOS 2000D digital camera.

No.134 moves in steam 11/9/24

Just in time for SuperPower, NG15 No.134 moved under its own steam for the first time on 11/9/24 and successfully ran through the sharp curvatures of the Dinas Depot headshunt and pointwork leading to the northbound loop in Dinas station. The loco is likely to be in steam during SuperPower making demonstration runs in the Dinas station area. A test programme during the Autumn will see the loco run in and it will hopefully join the fleet by Xmas in revenue earning service when any snags have been worked through. The stop-go project originally started just after the two NG15s arrived at Dinas in 1998 on a 'no budget' basis but the team disbanded when asked by the management to focus on core activities. Various restarts occurred during the intervening period with major progress resuming in 2008 under Pete Randall's leadership, who sadly died before seeing the fruits of his labours. Since 2020 Adrian Strachen has led the project to its completion.

Click on the YouTube link to watch 8 minutes 51 seconds of video showing the first movements of No.134 under steam at Dinas depot. This video is copyright F&WHR and was published on 11/9/24. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod on a 4K camcorder by John Wooden (F&WHR).

F&WHR 11/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Wednesday predicted a mixed day with showers and sunny periods and temperatures of 4-15C. Windy conditions were likely to persist until finally fading on Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday's train service had 6 trains in total comprising 3 trains on the FR (two Mountain Spirit and The Quarryman). There were also three trains on the WHR (two The Aberglaslyn and the Gelert Explorer). It is possible there may be some reorganisation of rolling stock in preparation for SuperPower over the next few days. All three webcams were in use.

Trains began to return home and the last one was the Mountain Spirit noted in the FR platform at 17:40. The train had departed ECS by 18:20 to close the day's activities.

Cambrian Coast Railtour 12/9/24

Pathfinder is running a Cambrian Coast Express railtour on Thursday 12/9/24, a day with a stormy forecast until late afternoon. The train departs Swindon very early and calls at stations via Kidderminster to Shrewsbury with Premier Dining available as far as Wolverhampton. The train will drop passengers off of Barmouth/Minffordd (for Portmerion), Porthmadog for WHHR/F&WHR and Pwllheli. The Pwllheli times are 14:35/16:20. The traction is likely to be the usual Class 67 to Shrewsbury and double headed Class 97/3s on the Cambrian.

F&WHR 10/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Tuesday predicted an improving day with showers at first and sunshine later and temperatures of 8-16C. Windy conditions are likely to persist until Wednesday. Tuesday's train service had 7 trains in total comprising 5 trains on the FR (two Mountain Spirit, two Woodland Wanderer and The Quarryman). All three webcams were in use.

The trains returned in the late afternoon as the sun came out. The final arrival was the Mountain Spirit that pulled into the WHR platform by 18:00. The loco worked into the yard to refuel and water. Run round was completed by 18:15 and the ECS departed for the depot at 18:20 to complete the day's activity.

Parys Mountain copper mine to reopen?

A report in the Daily Post suggests that Parys Mountain Mine in Anglesey might reopen for the extraction of Copper, Zinc, Silver etc, The area has been a mining site since the Bronze Age. The concentrate could be transported to smelters in England by the Anglesey Central Railway which runs just 2km away and has a potential railhead at the former Rhosgoch siding tank farm rather than trucking ore into Amlwch itself.

SuperPower latest

Come and join the F&WHR for special weekend celebrating the railway's collection of some of the world's most powerful narrow gauge locos - steam and diesel. The F&WHR is going to be running lots of extra trains for you to ride on, using a variety of steam and diesel locomotives from around the world.

Click on the advert for full details of SuperPower. It looks like No.134 is complete and is in steam. The cylinder end covers are on in this view courtesy F&WHR.

You can buy a rover ticket to travel on as many trains as you like - from Caernarfon to Dinas, Waunfawr, Rhyd Ddu, Beddgelert or even Porthmadog. If you prefer, first buy a train ticket to Dinas - then for just £5.00 you can visit this historic station, where the F&WHR will be showing off newly restored loco No.134. There will also be miniature train rides and stalls - and it will be a great place to watch all the trains going past on their way to and from Caernarfon.

Visit the SuperPower website (or one of the F&WHR Booking Offices) for more information.
https://www.festrail.co.uk/september-14th-15th-whr-super.../

F&WHR 9/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Monday predicted an improving day with temperatures of 11-18C. Monday's train service had 3 trains in total comprising 2 trains on the FR (the morning Mountain Spirit and the afternoon Woodland Wanderer). Merddin Emrys was used for both. All three webcams were in use.

Vale of Ffestiniog was noted standing on The Cob at about 17:45 presumably to collect the ECS from the Woodland Wanderer. Merddin Emrys would have refuelled and watered and returned to the depot light engine to close the day's activities.

The Snowdonian II 21/9/24

Demand for The Snowdonian Special in April was so great that the F&WHR are running an extra train, The Snowdonian II, offering an unforgettable day-out on an 80-mile round-trip over the full length of the F&WHR. In previous years there has been a Snowdonian Limited that ran through Porthmadog non stop.
▪ So, at 08:45 on Saturday 21/9/24, The Snowdonian II will steam out of Harbour Station, Porthmadog - heading first to Blaenau Ffestiniog, then running all the way to Caernarfon, before returning to Porthmadog.
▪ Penrhyn Ladies LINDA and BLANCHE will be in charge of the train over the Ffestiniog Railway, before being joined by Double Fairlie JAMES SPOONER for the run to Caernarfon. Having completed the outbound leg on the Welsh Highland Railway, LINDA and BLANCHE will be replaced by pioneer Garratt K1 - providing two contrasting types of articulated steam loco for the return to Porthmadog.
▪ The Snowdonian II weekend includes an optional evening meal on the Friday 20/9/24 and the opportunity to join a FREE tour of Boston Lodge Works on the Sunday 22/9/24. A light breakfast and buffet lunch on Saturday 21/9/24 are included in the ticket price - with further refreshments available onboard the train from the Buffet Car.
▪ Tickets are still available for The Snowdonian II, so don't miss your opportunity to enjoy eighty miles of Welsh Narrow Gauge Railway in one day!
ℹ Follow the link below for further information and to book your place on the train:
https://www.festrail.co.uk/the-snowdonian-2/
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Click the link below to see the F&WHR's video round-up of April's The Snowdonian: https://youtu.be/SbAK5bhNBrY

Webmaster's Holiday

Your webmaster will be taking a holiday at Porthmadog for the next 2 weeks and this may lead to some disruption to the website. Normal service will resume from 24/9/24.

F&WHR 8/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Sunday predicted an increasingly rainy day with temperatures of 11-18C. Sunday's train service had 3 trains in total comprising 2 trains on the FR (the morning Mountain Spirit and the afternoon Woodland Wanderer). The same Fairlie will be used for both duties. There was just one train on the WHR, the Gelert Explorer. All three webcams were running normally today.

At the end of the day James Spooner returned around 5pm. At 17:20 the loco departed with the ECS to close the day's activities.

Class 37409 on Heart of Wales Railtour 7/9/24

A top and tailed Class 37 hauled railtour operated over the Central Wales line on 7/9/24 taking in Sugar Loaf summit, Stormy down and the Lickey Bank. The LSL Intercity livery rake was used and 37409 was in Provincial livery. Click on the YouTube link to watch over 8 minutes including some drone footage courtesy of Mr Thrash37. The railtour originated in Crewe and headed to Swansea, then Cardiff and back via Birmingham.

Downhill walks on the Bryngwyn branch 14/9/24

If you (or a partner/friend accompanying you to North Wales over Super-Power weekend) would be interested in something that's not just 'trains, trains, trains' - the F&WHR has got a great way to enjoy the stunning scenery of the area, with its mountains and contrasting coastal landscapes.
On Saturday, 14/9/24, there is an opportunity to take a guided walk down the ex-North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway's Bryngwyn branch - now restored as a multi-user path leading from the slate quarries around Moel Tryfan to picturesque Tryfan Junction station.
A minibus will take you from Dinas Station to the start of the walk at Cae Haidd (just short of the Bryngwyn terminus) - from where the walk is expected to take around 90 minutes, finishing at Tryfan Junction with a train back to Dinas. There are two walks planned – one leaving around 09:45 (returning to Dinas at 12:00) and the other around 13:45 (returning to Dinas at 16:10).

For images of the Slate Trail trackbed walk see Festrail Facebook page. The loop of trackbed around Bryngwyn Farm and Bryngwyn station are private property and not accessible.
⚠These walks will be free to all event Rover ticket holders, but should be booked so the F&WHR can arrange transport.
Although this is an easily-graded path (being an old railway line and downhill all the way), the F&WHR strongly recommend participants wear suitable walking shoes/boots to avoid possible difficulties along the way.
ℹ You can book your tickets and register for the walk from the F&WHR website @ https://www.festrail.co.uk/september-14th-15th-whr-super.../
PLEASE NOTE: Tryfan Junction station building will be open over the weekend, adding extra interest at the end of the walk before catching the train back to Dinas.

F&WHR 7/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Saturday predicted a sunny day with temperatures of 16-24C. Saturday's train service had 6 trains in total comprising 4 trains on the FR (two Mountain Spirit, The Quarryman and a Boston Lodge Works visit shuttle). There are also the two through trains on the WHR. All three webcams were running normally today.

The Snowdonia Star arrived behind No.130 at about 13:35 about 70 minutes late without explanation. Five minutes later the loco shunted to the yard to refuel and water. No.87 was back with The Harbourmaster by 17:00 and departed with the ECS t 17:10. The Mountain Spirit arrived back at around 17:30 hauled by Merddin Emrys. The loco ran round and departed with the ECS about 15 minutes later.

SuperPower update

SuperPower is on 14-15/9/24 with some events starting on the Friday evening.
K1 has landed - delivered safely from the Statfold Barn Railway & Museum, where the loco is based while on loan from the F&WHR.
It is great to have this pioneering loco - the world's first Garratt - back on Welsh Highland Railway metals. K1 will be working a variety of trains over 'Super-Power' weekend (as well as a private train for Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri / Welsh Highland Railway Society members on Friday 13/9/24). Along with the appearance of newly-restored NG15 2-8-2 No.134, this will bring added variety to the eclectic mix of the home fleet of three ex-South African NG/G16 Garratts, two diesels from South Africa and a diesel from Australia (No.9)!
More information and tickets are available from the F&WHR website.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
'Super-Power' Rover tickets ARE valid on the WHR service trains that weekend - although, due to an oversight, some tickets say otherwise.
Space has been reserved on service trains for 'Super-Power' visitors - please see the Guard to be directed to the appropriate seats.

K1 test run 6/9/24

Pioneer Garratt loco K1 has arrived at the WHR and undertook a test run on 6/9/24 to Beddgelert and back to collect a rake of B wagons for a SuperPower freight train. Vale of Ffestiniog had been on its way to Dinas with empty B wagons for coal and dropped off three at Beddgelert for K1's test train with various loads including No.138's wheelsets. See Andrew Cole's images on Facebook.

Wickham Trolley 'Blaenau or bust!' 6/9/24

The electric powered Wickham PW trolley took another run from Porthmadog towards Blaenau Ffestiniog after trains has finished on Thursday 6/9/24. Previously the experiment had reached Dduallt and the trolley got a little further this time. See Matthew Hall's photos on Facebook.

Meet the Experts dates firming up

The F&WHR is a rich environment for varied locomotives, rolling stock and all manner of engineering - much of it dating back to Victorian times. The railway is now offering the opportunity for you to meet some of the experts and learn more about the details behind the engineering marvels. This will be a mixture of talks and theory alongside practical hands-on demonstrations in the historic workshops at Boston Lodge...

On the calendar so far:

▪14/9/24
Kerr Stuart 4415: Diesel Pioneer
- with David High

▪12/10/24
Quarry Hunslets: "They're all the same!"
- with Rob Coulson

▪ Date TBC
A Day with 'Wol'
- with CME Jon Whalley

For more details and to book your place on one of these experiences, visit this website https://www.festrail.co.uk/meet-the-experts/ .

SNP planning committee passes BLR extension application

The Snowdonia National Park Authority has accepted the Bala Lake Railway's revised plans to extend to a new town centre terminus in Bala. The plans were originally rejected on the basis that additional tourists would cause sewage problems and thereby damage water quality in the River Dee. The Committee recommended work did not start until after the new sewage works was underway, currently planned for 2025. However, there is little chance of an early start on constructing the extension as the BLR is still fundraising in the absence of EU grants and regional funds since BREXIT and the paucity of Boris Johnson's much vaunted alternative funding mechanism for such projects. See BBC news story.

Cambrian Coast Express 5/9/24

Network Rail's 97/3s Nos. 97302/304 hauled the Cambrian Coast Express rail tour from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli from Shrewsbury on 5/9/24 2024. Click on the Facebook link to see Neil Welford's photos of the rail tour seen here on the 'Doveyation at Penhelig.

F&WHR 6/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Friday predicted a sunny day with temperatures of 16-26C. Friday's train service had 3 trains in total comprising 2 trains on the FR (the morning Mountain Spirit and the afternoon Woodland Wanderer and one train on the WHR (the Gelert Explorer). This meant only one Fairlie was required in steam as it could do both trips. All three webcams were running normally today.

At 10:05 James Spooner hauled the ECS Mountain Spirit into the FR platform and left on time at about 10:40. Vale of Ffestiniog was noted standing light engine by the signalbox at 13:50 with a train approaching across The Cob. James Spooner arrived in the WHR platform at 13:55 with the return working of the Mountain Spirit.

This northerly view (6/9/24) shows Vale of Ffestiniog delivering two B wagons of coal from Dinas, passing through Beddgelert.. Click on the image to enlarge and click again to expand fully where available. Image copyright Tom Waldren taken on a phone camera.

The Fairlie had made a coal delivery from Dinas earlier and coupled to the rear of the rake to dispose of it as ECS while James Spooner went to coal and water. The ECS departed at 14:25 as the Fairlie shunted onto the rake in the FR platform which would form the 14:50 Woodland Wanderer.

James Spooner brought the Woodland Wanderer back at about 17:00 and was running round at 17:09 in the FR platform. The ECS left at 17:15 to complete the day's activities.

Loco roster w/c 7/9/24

This coming week there will be up to EIGHT steam locos working on and around the F&WHR.
On the Ffestiniog Railway: Double Fairlies JAMES SPOONER and MERDDIN EMRYS will be sharing duties on the Mountain Spirit and Woodland Wanderer services, swopping at midday.
The Quarryman service from Blaenau Ffestiniog will be worked by Hunslet 2-4-0TT LINDA.
LILLA will work a Boston Lodge Tour shuttle on Saturday...
Things are not quite as clear over on the Welsh Highland Railway, as the full roster has not been released yet.
NG/G16s Nos.87/143 are shown in action over the early part of the week:
• No.87 will start the week working from Porthmadog.
• No.143 will start the week working from Caernarfon.
• Full details from Wednesday onwards are not yet available - except for
Pioneer Garratt K1 is rostered to work a private train from Dinas, late on Friday afternoon, to Rhyd Ddu and back at the start of the SuperPower weekend.
Check the captions on each loco portrait for further details of their individual workings...
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NOTE: This information is provided in good faith, solely as a guide, but could be subject to change at any time.

F&WHR 5/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Thursday predicted an overcast day with a few sunny periods and temperatures of 16-19C with increasingly windy conditions. Thursday's train service had 8 trains in total comprising 5 trains on the FR (two Mountain Spirit, two Woodland Wanderer, The Quarryman and an unexpected Works Visit shuttle) and just two through trains on the WHR. Surprisingly there are late advised tours of Boston Lodge today (see below for revised details). All three webcams were running normally today.

At 14:48 Linda was shunting in the yard to prepare The Quarryman rake for its return journey.

Mountaineer Working Party Report September

Continuing from where volunteers started earlier in the month, the tanks have now been 90% thickness tested which is showing good results that the wastage is acceptable and which areas of the tanks that will require repairs. Dismantling continued with the removal of the weight shaft, expansion links and valve rods. These have been carefully stored. The brake shaft and fabrication over the rear pony truck were examined for removal but it has been decided that these should wait until the rest of the frames are looked at in the future and can be made immobile for a period of time.
The mock ash pan has been assembled and also tested by shunting the chassis around the yard, which showed that there's going to be plenty of room for ash build up and that there is no interfacing issue with the rear pony truck. The regulator and gauge glass frames were added to the cab with feedback received from that day's Quarrymen crew, giving positive feedback. Also, in the cab the oil tank stay was removed ready for work to continue next time on the shovel plate mock up. The fire extinguisher holder has also been removed. Plate work and a number of other parts have been sorted and organized ready to be sent away for shot blasting after further degreasing.
A few members of the team periodically lent a hand to Glan-y-pwll resident Jay with the dismantling of the GPO van chassis along with loading it into a train ready for taking it down to Minffordd to be recycled. In exchange for the group's help, volunteers have had the thank you gift of enough biscuits to keep their tea breaks well stocked into 2025.
That's all for this time, thank you to all readers and volunteers for the continued support for the project. Please visit the Appeal page and shop to help progress the restoration of Mountaineer.
Please find the Appeal page on the Ffestiniog Railway society web site.
https://www.ffestiniograilway.org.uk/.../mountaineer-appeal
The group has its own website, where they have a selection of items for you to purchase to support the project.
https://www.alco1265.org.uk/
Finally if you would like to get involved please contact pbooth@ffwhr.com for more information on how you can do this and you can send a message on this page.

Boston Lodge minitours

Boston Lodge Works tours have reappeared for September along with some cheaper shorter 'minitours', only the main tour involving a shuttle train from Harbour Station to Boston Lodge Halt. Mostly these 7 dates (including 5/9/22) are for the 15:45 afternoon visit but Saturday 7/9/22 has a morning visit too and there is a Tuesday date too (24/9/24)! These full length visits take 2 hours 15 minutes and cost £27 (child 10-16 £13.50). See Boston Lodge Main Tour booking page. In October the Main tours at 10:10 MWFSu from 13-30/10/24.

The new Mini Tour takes the morning slot on the same days starting 16/9/24 but starts later at 11:20, takes 1 hour 15 minutes (including 1 hour at Boston Lodge) and costs £15 (child 10-16 £7.50). This tour does not seem to include the shuttle ride across The Cob so participants may have to drive there or walk across The Cob. See Boston Lodge Mini Tour booking page. There are no mini tours in October.

NLHF Boston Lodge September YouTube

Click on the YouTube link to watch 7 minutes 38 seconds of video showing the final stages of progress at Boston Lodge as the project might be completed this month. This video is copyright F&WHR and was published on 4/9/24. It is best viewed at 1080p with Chrome and was videod on a 4K camcorder by John Wooden (F&WHR).

F&WHR 4/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Wednesday predicted a day of showers and sunny periods with temperatures of 11-16C. Wednesday's train service had 5 trains in total comprising 2 trains on the FR (the Mountain Spirit and The Quarryman) and three trains on the WHR (two The Aberglaslyn and the Gelert Explorer). All three webcams were running normally today.

Today's reduced timetable was due to the arrival of the Snowdonia Statesman from High Wycombe and the provision of an FR train from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Tan-y-bwlch to give participants a ride on the FR. A mix of old bogie coaching stock was noted departing Tan-y-bwlch on the return to connect with the 16:00 return working.

Locals Offer continues for September

No.130 arrived at 12:25 with the Snowdonia Star. The loco uncoupled and ran to the yard to refuel and water. At 12:52 the loco emerged from the yard as Linda arrived in the FR platform wit the 7 coach The Quarryman. By 14:00 David Lloyd George had run round the afternoon Mountain Spirit standing in the FR platform and swopped over. James Spooner shunted out of the yard light engine. After the Mountain Spirit had left at 14:22, James Spooner shunted the Woodland Wanderer to the FR platform.

Linda departed at 15:27 with The Quarryman as Vale of Ffestiniog arrived in the WHR platform from Dinas with 2 wagons of fuel. At 15:35 the Funkey propelled the B wagons into the fuelling point in the yard. The Funkey departed across The Cob light engine at 15:50 to complete the afternoon activities.

Trains began to arrive home at 16:32 in the WHR platform, firstly No.143 on The Harbourmaster. this departed ECS at 16:41, James Spooner arrived at about 17:00 in the FR platform with the Woodland Wanderer. The loco ran round and took the open coach off the front, propelling it to the seawall siding. DLG arrived at 17:41 in the WHR platform with the Mountain Spirit. James Spooner departed a minute later. DLG detached and ran to the yard to water and refuel before departing with the ECS at 18:03 to close the day's activities.

Million pound upgrade for North Wales & Border stations

TfW Press release 3/9/24:

Transport for Wales has completed a million-pound investment into Flint and Runcorn East railway stations. Improvements at both stations include CCTV, help points, customer waiting and cycle shelters, seating, lighting, waste facilities and signage. Flint station works also included improvements to the ticket office, waiting rooms, water refill units, toilet refurbishments, new customer information screens and landscaping, and was supported by £90,000 funding from Railway Heritage Trust.

Additionally, as part of TfW’s wider Social and Commercial Development Plan a disused building at Flint has been transformed into two new community rooms and a staff room. Local councillors were recently invited to preview the new community spaces as TfW begins its search for a new tenant to move in later this year.

The Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, Ken Skates said: “These much needed refurbishments will make a real difference for station users. By providing space for community groups, social enterprises, and local businesses – these stations will become important hubs within the communities they serve.”

Kim Hawkins, Head of Customer Operations (North) said: “These station improvements offer tangible benefits to F&WHR passengers at Flint and Runcorn East stations. This investment will ensure the stations are more welcoming places for passengers and visitors.”

Melanie Lawton, Community Rail Strategy Lead added: “This is a big transformation and opportunity for Flint. The space looks fantastic and we’re looking forward to further engaging with the community and working with a tenant who will give back as they are doing at the community cafe in Llandudno Junction, Community fridge in Tywyn, money advice service in Abergele, cycle loan at Bangor plus many more.”

The improvements at Flint are being complemented by Network Rail’s ‘Access for All’ for scheme which is currently underway at the station. This will mean all passengers, including those with limited mobility and those carrying heavy luggage or pushchairs, will have a step-free, accessible route to and between platforms.

A55 roundabouts misery

The two remaining A55 roundabouts at Dwygyfyllchi and Llanfairfechan will remain unaltered for some years yet causing delay to traffic visiting the WHR. Two road improvement schemes were cancelled last year when TfW imposed a moratorium on all road improvements. Minister Ken Skates responded to more recent appeals to do something about the roundabouts by confirming the moratorium but suggesting they would be looked at again in the future. See Daily Post report.

F&WHR 2/9/24

The Met Office forecast for Porthmadog on Monday predicted a day of thunderstorms with temperatures of 11-20C. Monday's train service had a bit of the feeling of end of season with just 4 trains in total comprising 5 trains on FR (two Mountain Spirit, The Quarryman and the Boston Lodge Works shuttle) and one train on the WHR (the Gelert Explorer). All three webcams were running normally today.

DLG arrived with the Mountain Spirit at 17:54 in the FR platform and after several minutes took the ECS back to the depot to close the day's activities.

Boston Lodge Guided Tour: Changed Autumn dates

The normal MWFSu Boston Lodge Works Tour programme has been changed for September. The only dates currently showing on the booking form are Thursday 5/9/24 and Saturday 7/9/24. The situation reverts to normal MWFSu in October from 13/10/24-30/10/24. See booking form.

Super-Power Weekend

Super-Power weekend (14-15/9/24) is fast approaching so make sure you have booked your rover tickets for what promises to be a memorable event! The highlight of the weekend will undoubtedly be the appearance of NG15 No.134, (hopefully shunting around North Yard) and there will be plenty of opportunities to inspect and photograph the loco.

Trackwork Volunteering 2024

Volunteering is currently organised differently due to the Covid-19 outbreak. We have a mix of weekend and weekday working parties. The Black Hand, Tuesday Gang and Rest of the World Gangs will be very glad to accept your help. Contact the relevant organiser to let him know when you plan to join us. Please do not just turn up as that makes it difficult for us to plan ahead.

If you intend to join one of the weekend or Tuesday Gang days, please contact the appropriate organiser. If you are interested in weekday working or have any queries about track work volunteering, please contact Paul Bradshaw. See Contacts page.