News from October 2004

Autumn Bash

The Welsh Highland Railway track gang are making rapid progress on the extension this week. Find out how theyre getting on.

Source: Welsh Highland Railway – News

Posted by Peter Bowyer on 24 October 2004

Gala This Weekend!

We’re celebrating a great season with a fine show of steam and diesel power. STOP PRESS: try a cab ride in one of our massive Polish diesels.

Source: Welsh Highland Railway – News

Posted by Peter Bowyer on 28 October 2004

Wharf Redevelopment: Further photos

Peter Austin has kindly supplied these six photographs of recent progress at Wharf Station.

The current view from the Brynhyfryd Road bridge.

The new pedestrian access from Neptune Road.

The internal stairs in the museum.

The platform side of the buildings.

The Neptune Road frontage.

The west end of the building and the Guards’ Room.

Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News

Posted by Peter Bowyer on 19 October 2004

Temporary staging on Brynglas Bank

As preparation for November Outdoor Week a temporary
staging has been constructed on Brynglas Bank. The staging will be used to house
the concrete mixer, water and cement during replacement of the creep bridge.
There has been much speculation as to its use by those who are unaware of the
proposed work, especially as most carriages do not have doors on the South
side! Many thanks to Keith Theobald for these photographs.

Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News

Posted by Peter Bowyer on 19 October 2004

Wharf Redevelopment - Progress report

The external scaffolding has now been removed from around 3.5 sides of the building and only remains in front of the Guard’s room, which had its slate roof completed last Wednesday (13th October). Apart from the Guard’s room, all of the room decorations have been started and it’s now down to painting/patching up the missed bits. Electricity was switched to the building also on Wednesday and snagging/commissioning of electrics has commenced. Gas was laid to the building about two weeks ago so commissioning of the heating system is imminent. The strings (sides) of the museum’s steel staircase have been painted and the steel and glass handrail was installed last Wednesday (when everything happened!). The wooden flooring for the balcony is in place and the handrails will follow. All windows are glazed – the toilets presently all with plain glass – and most of the external gloss painting (in buttermilk and hollybush green) is complete.

The platform edge has been built up with slate and backfilling of the platform substrate has commenced. The platform canopy has been glazed and water run-off gutters sited. New gutters have been fixed to both (north and south) sides of the old station building.

The brick perimeter wall alongside Neptune Road has been built and the pedestrian walk down started – steps are in place but they have to be topped off with paviers. A layer of bitumastic paint, followed by concrete screed then artificial membrane has been added to the flat standings that lie to the north of the building (between the building and the Neptune Road wall) – all to ensure that water does not fall through into the kitchen or the ground floor of the museum; this is to be finished off with paviers in the coming week. The wing wall of Neptune road bridge is being brought up to pavement level behind the north wall of the Guard’s room using old/second-hand bricks. Installation of new security alarm/detection systems also started this week (on Wednesday, of course).

Most of the plumbing is complete and water is “on” to the building. The first-floor toilets have been tiled (green) and installation of white sanitary-ware has started; cubicles are still awaited, though.

The west wall into the shop was demolished some while ago although the wooden separating screen is still in place.

It is still uncertain when the Watkin Jones element of the construction will be completed, although they have started to clear the site of timber and rubble, exposing more of the tracks. Once handed over, the new kitchen should take less than a week to install, so we are hoping to have this ready for Christmas. The cabin placed in the coal dock used by the plumbers has been removed from site – last Wednesday, yet again!! – and it looks as though we will be able to tip our next load of coal at Wharf rather than at Abergynolwyn.

The museum design is still on track and various discussions/meetings have taken place concerning the nitty-gritty of how/what we’ll display in the new museum. Installation of the big exhibits should start at the turn of the year – probably after new year with completion in time for next season at the end of March.

We hope to add some more photographs to the website over the next few days.

Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News

Posted by Peter Bowyer on 19 October 2004

Wharf Redevelopment - The new canopy

Keith Theobald has kindly sent these recent photographs of Wharf Station showing progress on glazing the new station canopy.

Wharf Station canopy on 10th October.

Another view of the canopy on 10th October

Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News

Posted by Peter Bowyer on 19 October 2004

Work Starts on new Heritage Carriage

The Corris Railway have commenced work on their second new bogie carriage, based on the design used on the railway in the nineteenth century.

The new carriage follows the example of carriage 21, which became the railway’s first new bogie carriage since 1898 when it made its debut in June 2003. Carriage 22 is being constructed to 21st century safety standards, using a steel chassis based on the Talyllyn’s standard design, combined with a steel skeleton to comply with HMRI requirements for structural strength, but clad in timber to appear externally and internally as similar to the originals as possible.

Sponsored by a CRS member, work commenced on the chassis at the beginning of September, and is progressing apace. There will be one significant difference from 21 – the new carriage is being fitted with a clerestory roof, similar to those carried by two of the original carriages in the 1920s. Unlike 21, which was largely constructed off-site, the new carriage is being made at the railway’s workshops at Maespoeth.

While work starts on carriage 22, the internal fitting-out of carriage 21 has now re-commenced, following the end of the main running season, and by the start of the 2005 season most of the internal metalwork should be hidden under wood cladding.

Anyone interested in helping with the carriage building programme, especially if they have skills either in metalworking or in woodwork, please contact the Corris Railway via the website at www.corris.co.uk

Posted by Richard Greenhough on 10 October 2004

Corris Santa Specials

Following last year’s successful first effort, the Corris Railway will be running Santa Specials on Saturday December 11th and Sunday December 12th. We can’t promise snow (although in Mid Wales the weather is capable of anything !) but we can promise an enjoyable time for children – aged from 1 to 100 ! Please check www.corris.co.uk for more details.

Posted by Richard Greenhough on 10 October 2004

Webcams Go Live

Watch our trains from round the world on the WHR webcams. And find out how we ended up doing a 250 mile shunting operation.

Source: Welsh Highland Railway – News