Farewell to FR bullhead

The Ffestiniog Railway withdrew the last of its bullhead rail from its main running line during track renewal work near Penrhyn station in February. Chaired bullhead rail was first used on the railway in 1878. The cost of new bullhead rail was considered to be prohibitively expensive, as it would have required the creation of new rolls, while the amount required would have been small. At Penrhyn, the bullhead had been replaced with new Polish S30 (30kg/metre, equivalent to 60lb/yard) flat bottom rail. The best sections of the old bullhead rail, along with some double-head rail, has been used in the new wagon storage shed at Minffordd (pictured).