We should replicate the original and historical Beddgelert
TWO interesting points have been raised in issue 297 regarding the North Wales narrow gauge scene.
The first of these concerns Hunslet 2-6-2T Russell’s return to Dinas on the Welsh Hiughland railway and speculation about future new builds.
While I am a supporter of the current 0-6-4T Gowrie project, I always believed it should have been Beddgelert that should have been the preferred choice for a new build. Beddgelert was Hunslet 0-6-4ST No. 206 of 1878, built for the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway, the forerunner of the Welsh Highland and ran until it was withdrawn in 1906 and was scrapped. A 1979-built David Curwen half-scale replica is currently awaiting overhaul on the Fairbourne Railway.
Beddglert took the ‘Leeds Mainstream’ pattern of narrow gauge locomotive evolution from the days of the Quarry Hunslet roots and the Fell and ‘Quasi-Fell’ 0-6-0s of the Leeds builders to the Lynton & Barnstaple, Leek & Manifold and other ‘sophisticated’ wheel arrangements.
Although flawed in its 0-6-4 configuration, it was historically significant from this point of view. Failing a reconstruction of Beddgelert, Hunslet did produce a design for a 2-6-2ST for the NWNGR circa 1892. Might this be worth consideration for a future project?
It is welcome news that the Ffestiniog Railway is considering the restoration of 2-6-2T Mountaineer. Just one point
here – given that the FR has moved on considerably from the time in which the loco was originally restored, wouldn’t it be appropriate to put it back to First World War condition and run it on the Welsh Highland Railway as a companion to the Baldwin 4-6-0PT currently being rebuilt?
Mark Smithers, email