Collaboration makes the Russell dream come true
REBUILDING the entire Welsh Highland Railway (and adding a bit more to the north) is undoubtedly one of preservation’s greatest accomplishments – but in this crowning achievement, the jewel was missing.
In the 11 years since the full reopening of the WHR, the line’s onlysurviving original locomotive, Hunslet 2-6-2T No. 901 of 1906 Russell, was notably absent, restricted by the lack of an access agreement, even though it was rail connected and operating at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway at Porthmadog.
Today’s Ffestiniog Railway is now rich in wonderful heritage recreations, with beautifully-lined carriages in many recreated liveries, and soon there will be no less than seven working locomotives in heritage format, when the new-build double Fairlie James Spooner is completed.
However, the rich WHR narrowgauge heritage just stopped where the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway’s track from its Gelert’s Farm base ran out, and it could only watch as the more modern trains headed by imported South African Railway NGG16 articulated Garratts run past to Caernarfon, seemingly waiting for the day.
In 2000, Russell visited the northern section of the rebuilt WHR, then known as the Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon), and operated trains on the occasion of the official reopening of the line between Dinas and Waunfawr.
On November 25, 2018, Russell made some test runs from Gelert’s
Farm to Beddgelert – the first time it had been there since 1937 – hauling replica North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways carriage No. 9 and the WHHR’s ex-Vale of Rheidol brake van. The train constituted a gauging and inspection operation under the auspices of WHHR and Festiniog & Welsh Highland Railway engineering and operating staff. Hopes began to rise, but in March 2020, Covid-19 changed everything.
Momentous occasion
So, Saturday, July 30 was a longanticipated and truly momentous occasion as Russell finally took a train of passengers from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu for the first time in 86 years. It was the first day of a special weekend gala event to mark the centenary of passenger services on the original WHR.
The train itself was another incredible achievement – a complete and authentic passenger train of the original WHR, complete with the Pickering Guards coach recently completed at Boston Lodge Works. The train was also air-braked as per the original Welsh Highland, unlike the ‘modern’ vacuum-braked Ff&WHR stock.
Russell and the first authentic Welsh Highland train since 1936 attracted a large crowd at Dinas. Though the train looked right at home, it was surreal to see 2-6-2T Russell built in 1906, alongside a 2-6-2T built in 2010! The much-revered Lynton and Barnstaple replica Lyd gave footplate rides.
The train was full, Russell had four coaches, the sander was full, but with light rain, the rails on the steep gradients to the foothills of Snowdon would be wet and slippery.
Russell left promptly at 9.20am, rolling the heavy train out of Dinas with ease. But on the sharp curve and steep climb out of Dinas, it began to slip almost immediately.
Welsh Highland history tells us stories of trains coming to a stand through difficult conditions. However, on this grand occasion, even with a crew less familiar to working the engine hard, it found its feet and was quickly barking loudly toward the hills.
Russell was right at home. It stopped at every Welsh Highland station and as if by habit, even one that had not been rebuilt, namely Betws Garmon! The station ruins contrasted hugely with the recreated train, reminding us that we were witnessing a onceimpossible dream now coming true.
Photographers lined all the classic vantage points on the route, and it brought passengers into Rhyd Ddu right on time.
The train was a perfect recreation of a journey in 1922, when it initially ran only from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu over the refurbished track of the former North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways, a year before opening throughout of the newly built line to the Ffestiniog at Portmadog in 1923.
The honour of working Russell to Rhyd Ddu fell to WHHR driver Mark Seale, fireman Myles Jones, with Ff&WR Pilotman John Shawe. On arrival at Rhyd Ddu fireman Myles said: “I’m used to 10mph; at 20mph it’s a lively experience!”
‘Really proud’
Driver Mark added:“It’s exciting! For a narrow gauge engine, carrying passengers makes a difference. But we knew the engine was capable on the journey up here earlier in the week. Today the engine has more in reserve; we were cruising through Waunfawr and Tryfan – the engine was made for the job!
“We are really proud of what we’ve achieved. The valve gear has been rebuilt because we wanted the valve timing spot-on”.
John Shawe, who had spent the previous day driving Hunslet 2-4-0STT Blanche on the Ffestiniog, said: “By comparison, Russell is much more of a main line engine!”
Another heritage train representing the Ffestiniog’s original operation on the Welsh Highland also made the journey, behind England 0-4-0STT Palmerston. A century since its opening, the Welsh Highland was back again in authentic form.
The gala took place from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu, omitting the section of line from Rhyd Ddu to Portmadoc, the iconic Aberglaslyn Pass, and the most challenging section of line through the forest above Beddgelert with its 1-in-45 reverse curves. How long to wait before we see Russell with passengers on the most impressive parts of the line? Less than year! June 23-25, 2023 will celebrate 100 years since the opening of the original Welsh Highland throughout with a gala at the southern end of the line.
This gala was a great example of collaboration by two different groups, coupled with volunteer labour and generous donations to enable a historic achievement. Incredibly, other Welsh Highland recreations that were once impossible are tantalisingly close – but only if donations are made.
At the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s workshops in Aberystwyth, First World War Baldwin 10-12-D 4-6-0T No. 794 is all but ready. Just £20,000 is needed to complete its pipework and couplings before we can see it run on the Welsh
Highland again. To donate, visit www. whr.co.uk/appeals/baldwin-rebuild/
Then we have the Gowrie Locomotive Trust in Derbyshire, where the frames of replica 0-6-4T Gowrie are already being erected. A generous match-funding offer means that only £10,000 needs to be raised for the wheels to be machined and the cab, tanks and bunker material delivered – work that costs a total of £21,000. Donations are urgently required to secure the match-funding; see www.gowrielocomotivetrust.com/ matching-funding-2022
Thirdly, there’s the recreation of pioneering Ffestiniog Railway 0-4-0TT Mountaineer, one of the first pair of the line’s locomotives which was built in 1863. It will finally enable us to understand just what these pioneering engines were like in original form, 143 years after original was scrapped in 1879. For more details, visit www.1863mountaineerloco.co.uk/ sponsorship.html
Lastly, at Boston Lodge, an allvolunteer replica WHR Ashbury brake coach emerges slowly.
The triumphant return of Russell to the Welsh Highland hopefully invites more authentic WHR trains in the near future. All we could wish for is a replica Beddgelert 0-6-4ST, the largest of the Welsh Hunslets, and of course Moel Tryfan – the 0-6-4T scrapped by the Ffestiniog pioneer revivalists who could never have dreamed of the completed FfWHR with so many recreated engines and coaches.
Today we really are living the dream, with more to look forward to very soon.