FIRES BRING ‘QUIRKS & CURIOSITIES II’ TO A PREMATURE END
Train was cut off by widespread blazes near the Ffestiniog Railway.
Lineside fires between the Ffestiniog Railway’s Garnedd tunnel and Coed-y-Bleiddiau brought Blaenau Ffestiniog services to an early end on the afternoon of May 1, during its ‘Quirks & Curiosities II’ gala. A train hauled by Hunslet 2-4-0STT Linda and England 0-4-0STT Prince was cut off by the fires, and returned to Porthmadog the next day, being stabled at Glan-y-Pwll overnight. Its passengers were returned by road. The fires had started at midday on April 30, but did not affect the FR until more than 24 hours later. Despite rain the night before, at least four separate fires were visible, and Gwynedd fire service estimated the fires affected 50 acres of land. FR train services were resumed on May 2. Twenty-three self-propelled railed vehicles were listed in the ‘Quirks & Curiosities II’ event programme, including Jeremy Martin’s Decauville 0-4-0T Chuquitanta, Phil Mason’s Kerr, Stuart ‘Sirdar’ 0-4-0T Diana, John Sutton’s 0-4-0VBT Fernilee, Amberley Museum’s Bagnall 2-4-0T Polar Bear, Beamish Museum’s Lewin 0-4-0WT Samson, the Groudle Glen Railway’s ‘Steamplex’ 0-4-0VBT, a First World War Fairbanks Morse ‘speeder’ from Froissey, two compressed air and two battery electric locomotives. Chuquitanta, Diana and Fernilee made out-of-hours ‘cannonball runs’ to Tan-y-Bwlch, while the ‘Steamplex’ only made it as far as Rhiw Goch. Some were allocated different duties on each of the event’s three days, while others were displayed or demonstrated at Minffordd yard, accessed by a shuttle train running to a temporary platform. Several of the larger locomotives, and the French ‘speeder’, ran to Pont Croesor or Hafod-y-Llyn on the Welsh Highland Railway. Thirteen items, mostly those restricted to Minffordd, participated in a cavalcade from Boston Lodge to Porthmadog on May 1. Jeremy martin’s decauville 0‑4‑0T Chuquitanta takes water at Tan‑y‑bwlch, the terminus of the longest journey it has ever made on its own wheels, on April 30. TOP: The Statfold barn railway’s davenport 0‑4‑0 towing the ‘goose’ railcar back to porthmadog from Hafod‑y‑Llyn, on the Welsh Highland railway, during the Ffestiniog railway’s ‘Quirks & Curiosities ii’ event. rides in the ‘goose’ were quickly sold out.