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News from March 2005
Spring Outdoor Week photographs
Spring Outdoor Week is now underway (26th February – 6th March). Ian Sheppard has sent these photos of the reconstruction work at Brynglas to eliminate the sleeper section of station platform.
Looking east, digging down to firm material for abutments.
chopping off sleeper ends to avoid interference with the new work.
Starting to build up the abutments.
Looking down to the stream, with the drain pipe from Tadpole Cutting (seen beyond the stream) in evidence.
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 2 March 2005
POLISH N.G. TOUR.
TOUR OF THE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS OF EASTERN POLAND 3rd – 11th September 2005 Starts and Finishes Warsaw.Lots of runpasts and false starts for photos. Interesting variety of lines,locos and rolling stock. Only 750pp Warsaw – Warsaw. All travel between lines on luxury bus(WC,Air Con,GPS,DVD/Video/CD,Buffet/fridge).Hotels overnight, HIGHLIGHTS OF TOUR: *Sochaczew *Bilgoraj Museum *Turek *Naleczow *Przeworsk *Hajnowka *Rogow *Elk *Piotrkow Trib *Pisanica *Jedrzejow *Mlawa Cheap flights from UK with: Wizzair(Luton); Easyjet(Luton) Central Wings(London Gatwick) Itineraries available. Booking now, EAST EUROPE RAILTOURS Tel: 01299861529. Fax: 01299861058 e-mail: eerailtours@aol.com www.easteuroperailtours.com *PrzeworskPosted by Jim Colley on 3 March 2005
New café opens tomorrow
The improved fire protection to the new Wharf Station building is almost complete and was approved yesterday (Wednesday 2nd March) by Gwynedd Council’s Building Control Officer. The TR’s Managing Director, David Mitchell, has started to move into his office; others will follow shortly.
The first-fit of display boards and structures has been completed in the museum. Amongst other items, the Awdry Study contains many bookshelves, fireplace and a dummy heater, whilst a replica signal box has been constructed on the first floor in which the S&T department has rebuilt the large ground frame. Painting is continuing; the ground floor ceiling is now grey, the columns a dark burgundy whilst wooden structures are white to show off the coloured graphic display panels when they are installed at a later date. Next week, the large engines will be moved into position, a complex operation.
Finally, the portable café building that has served us well as the refreshment room for so many years now was closed after business on Sunday 27th – it was a bumper Sunday attendance with queues out the door on several occasions. During this week, we have transferred all the equipment into the new kitchen and the “kitchen fitters” were here on Monday to snag and demonstrate how the equipment works. We are pleased to be able to announce, therefore, that the new refreshment room in the new building will be open for business from tomorrow morning, Friday 4th March. Opening times are 11 a.m. until around 2.30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday each weekend until we start our daily train operating service on Wednesday 23rd March.
Yet another milestone and continued progress towards the opening up of the whole complex.
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 3 March 2005
Spring Outdoor Week: Clearing up at Wharf Station
With Spring Outdoor Week coming to a close, George Gardiner has sent these photographs of the work undertaken at Tywyn Wharf to tidy up the station area. The new siding for heritage wagons has now been laid and ballasted.
The newly laid heritage siding before ballasting.
Turning a wagon onto the siding.
The end of the new line.
Digging a hole for a cable (the power supply to the ballast dock area is going underground).
Moving rocks.
Digging another hole – this time for a drain.
Filling in the holes.
Leveling using the Bobcat.
Another barrow load of spoil.
A temporary wheelbarrow park.
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 5 March 2005
New Wharf Station café now open for business
The new café at Wharf Station opened for business on Friday 4th March; Simon Robinson has kindly sent in these photos taken on Friday.
Inside the new café.
Another view inside the new café.
A view through into the refurbished shop.
An overall view of the yard, from the main line bridge.
A view of the area where the new heritage siding has been laid (behind the wagon).
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 7 March 2005
More photos from Spring Outdoor Week
A few more photos of the work undertaken during Spring Outdoor Week, thanks to Keith Theobald and Steve Griffiths.
The new heritage siding at Wharf, laid in traditional Talyllyn style including some chaired sleepers.
Some of the museum’s wagons sample the delights of their new home.
The museum’s three-bar TR slate wagon tries out the turntable.
Work underway on the new platform bridge over the stream at Brynglas.
The work site at Brynglas.
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 11 March 2005
Historic Buffet Car to be Rebuilt
We’ve got a grant to rebuild a unique piece of railway history…
Source: Welsh Highland Railway – News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 14 March 2005
Wharf Station rebuilding - Progress report, 14th March 2005
Last week was a very busy one; the large engines were successfully brought back into the museum, which now contains George Henry, Rough Pup, Dot, the Guinness works engine and last, but not least, Jubilee 1897. Regrettably, the Dundee gas works engine is still in pieces and has yet to make an appearance. There are several wagons in as well and the museum is starting to fill up.
The new café is up and running and people seem to like it; the kitchen contractors/installers have come back and have gone through their snags list. There are a few extra items to install which we hope to get in place before Easter.
Two new CCTV cameras have been installed, two new keypads for the burglar alarm have been sited and the alarm itself zoned such that we can operate from one area of the building without removing the security alarm from it all. Work has been completed above the platform on the underside of the station building overhang, has been covered with match-boarding and then painted along with the columns. The contractors appeared on Wednesday and finished the wooden fencing on the Neptune Road perimeter, although this still needs a finishing top coat of white gloss paint. They appeared on the very day that we put “Dot” back on the museum’s top floor, but we managed – just!
New and part-used furniture for the offices arrived at various times in the week and people have started to move into their new abodes. This weekend, work was underway on the building’s telephone systems, and installing a new computer in the secretary’s/accountant’s office. All incoming telephone lines to site will ultimately lie underground and it is hoped that BT will remove the telephone pole that sits at the top of the drive – we will need to get the new ‘phone systems up and running first, though.
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 14 March 2005
Weekend of 12/13th March
This weekend saw the railway operate a photo charter; in preparation for this, No. 4 was turned to face west for the photographers, thus giving them a different shot and the crews a different experience on the footplate. Normally, locos face east (uphill).
On the Saturday, Nos. 2 and 4 were out on the line at various spots running up and down several times to provide the photographers with opportunities; it was a fine day for photography with periods of long sunshine. No. 4 spent the morning at Pendre but later was seen at Brynglas and Brynerwest in the early afternoon. Later in the day, No. 4 was spotted at Dolgoch and Brynglas bank for lengthy periods. No. 2 had been up the line earlier in the day.
On Sunday, the normal one train service (two round trips) ran with No. 2 being the chosen locomotive.
In the works, No. 6 is still up on the blocks and No. 7 is awaiting completion of its retubing. No. 1 remains a kit of parts.
In the paintshop, work continued on carriages 16 and 23. On No. 23, silicone was applied to the window openings (and the openings measured up) ready for putting the glass back, and more paint was applied. No. 16 saw further rubbing down, more paint applied, and beading fitted. Work was also undertaken on the catch arrangement for the new gate at Rhydyronen.
On Sunday, a hen was found wandering round the yard at Pendre; it was eventually caught and locked in the gas bottle cage to wait until it could be fetched.
Next weekend, 19/20 March, is "Clean the Railway Weekend". A steam-hauled train will run on both days, departing from Pendre at 9 a.m. for tasks including cleaning windows, wiping down paintwork, sweeping platforms, checking the bins, gardening, cleaning out gutters, and identifying future painting tasks.
Many thanks to Neil Scott, John Burton and Keith Theobald for the material in this report.
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 15 March 2005
Clean Up Weekend
In preparation for the start of the daily running season (from today, Wednesday 23rd), a "Clean Up the Railway" weekend was held on 19th and 20th March for a variety of tasks including cleaning windows, wiping down paintwork, sweeping
platforms, checking the bins, gardening, cleaning out gutters, identifying
painting tasks…
The train was hauled by No. 2 “Dolgoch”; Keith Theobald has kindly sent these photographs.
Sweeping the platform at Dolgoch
Work underway at Dolgoch
The clean-up train arrives at Nant Gwernol
No. 2 and train
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 23 March 2005
Four-wheel coach restoration takes big step forward
The guys working to get four-wheel Coach 6 in service by Easter have made great progress, but with only days to go, will it be finished in time?
Source: Welsh Highland Railway – News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 25 March 2005
Four-wheel coach joins the train
The newly-restored four-wheel coach is now in running order and carrying passengers, after a heroic effort by the carriage team to meet the Easter timetable.
Source: Welsh Highland Railway – News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 28 March 2005
Easter Weekend photographs
A nice selection of photographs of the Railway and the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum taken on Saturday 26th March by Peter Johnson. (More photos of the exhibits being moved into the new museum can be found at http://www.ngrm.org.uk/.)
No. 2 "Dolgoch" coals up at Wharf.
No. 4 "Edward Thomas" prepares to leave Wharf.
No. 3 "Sir Haydn" is prepared in the loco shed.
No. 6 "Duncan" is still in the workshop.
Customers order food in the new cafe.
Looking through the shop towards the cafe.
In the museum, track components are worked on.
"Rough Pup" in its new home.
"George Henry" now lives at the foot of the museum stairs.
"Rough Pup", "George Henry", and (a bit of) the Padarn Railway host wagon.
Source: Talyllyn Railway: Latest News
Posted by Peter Bowyer on 28 March 2005
