Beyer
Garratt No. NG143, built in 1958 was the last steam engine built in
Manchester and the last engine of the Beyer Garratt type to be
constructed by the original British firm of Beyer, Peacock &
Company. It is seen at
Dinas in 2003
en route to Waunfawr.
The
world famous Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland
Railways
are currently celebrating the reopening of the final section of the
first half of the Welsh Highland line, which will eventually run 25
miles from Caernarfon to Porthmadog. The
current six-mile section from Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu is mostly in
the Snowdonia National Park and contains superb views that are not
easily seen from the public roads.
Bodysgallen Pullman Car at Dinas en route to Waunfawr with replica
NWNGR No. 24
This superbly luxurious first class Pullman Car is sponsored by
Bodysgallen Hall Hotel and is
the comfortable way to see Snowdonia.
The
nostalgic
heritage way to visit the mountains is in this traditional three coach
train hauled by Prince. Prince is the world's oldest narrow gauge steam
engine built 140 years ago in 1863. This was the engine that HRH Prince
Charles drove from Snowdon Ranger to Rhyd Ddu. For the first 4 miles
from Waunfawr to the Snowdon Ranger Station he travelled in the coach
behind the engine, a 2003
replica of North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Carriage No. 24. Travel in
this coach with its cramped compartments and wooden seats
is not quite as comfortable as in the Pullman but,
although the coach is a replica, the nostalgia is real! So people say!
Replica NWNGR Coach No. 24 at Waunfawr, en route to Rhyd Ddu in
September 2003.
Beyer Garratt No. NG143, returning from Rhyd Ddu to
Waunfawr
and
Caernarfon
Llyn Cwellyn (Quellyn Lake) between Waunfawr and Rhyd Ddu seen fully
only
from the train
Prince and train arriving at Waunfawr from Rhyd Ddu, the three coaches
are FR No. 10, NWNGR (replica) No. 24 and WHR ex NWNGR original (but
much
rebuilt) No. 23. This trainset hauled by Prince is very like a
photograph of the first train on the WHR in 1923 - that 3 coach (all
Ffestiniog Railway) train of 1923 (also hauled by Prince) was
very similar to this train of 2003, also operated by the Ffestiniog
Railway Company.
Part 3 - More
WHR Photographs Caernarfon to Rhyd Ddu
Back to Part 1 -
Official Re-opening
of the WHR to Rhyd Ddu
<>
Compilation
and all
photographs © Noel
Walley
2002/2003
<>
