NEWYDDION Y GOGLEDD №25 SPRING 2020 All Photos This Edition John Ellis Williams Except Were Attributed Edited by Alf Williams
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NEWYDDION Y GOGLEDD №25 SPRING 2020 All photos this edition John Ellis Williams except were attributed Edited by Alf Williams For this edition a few changes have been made to the layout to allow for a 15 page special featuring photos from the North Wales Groups Summer trips dating back to the summer of 2014 the year that NYG was first published and covers the years 2014-2016. I hope this brings you, the reader a few smiles, to brighten the darkened days of the Coronavirus lock down. Below the big news for the WHR for 2020 so far, is the welcome return to service of NG/G16 Garratt locomotive No87 in its new black SAR livery. December 2019 NG/G16No87 Emerges from the Photo Alf Williams shed to have the rear bunker and dome re-fitted Loadall lowers coalbunker, with water hose Steam dome is lowered on to attached; on to rear power bogie. its flange on the boiler Photo Alf Williams photo Alf Williams February 2020; NG/G16 No87 sporting its new SAR black livery stands at the platform in Dinas with its train 1 Caernarfon Station Hosting a meeting between the Ff&WHR Co and volunteers, which was entitled “Taking The Railway Forward” lower 2 photographs. Below; A chance meeting of the board members of ChRE and FfRsoc gave rise to this pose in the stations rotund In close up Paul Lewin presenting the strategy for Boston Lodge The meeting entitled “Taking the Railway Foreword”; in progress in the station concourse; one of the many uses for this versatile space. 2 Hand Prints; Photo Diary of the Black Hand Gang The Black Hand Gang, versatile as ever, have made a specialty of installing paling fences at stations along the line; this time it was the turn of Nantmor Halt to receive the gangs attention . Left The Gang put there much practiced routine into action, after measuring out the positions for each fence post base, the holes are then excavated, and shuttering boxes positioned in the holes. These are then ready to be filled with concrete. Right With the post bases set they are ready to receive the metal sockets which; when accurately positioned, are rawl bolted into position. Left The paling fence under construction, this photo clearly shows the fence posts in position in their metal holders, with the horizontal rails fitted ready to receive the palings 3 Hand Prints; continued. Left Jim Comerford, holds a fence paling in position, whilst Tom Waldren on the impact driver; securely screws it on to the fence rails, ably assisted in this repetitive task by Tony Murphy. Below Dafydd Thomas takes a moment to pause and watch a gleaming and recently out shopped Garratt NG/G16 No 87 at the head of its train as it passes on route for Caernarfon. Below Another first class fence erected by the Black Hand Gang. Photo Tom Waldren Right We don’t just do fences! Black Hand Gang pressure washing the platform at Dinas to the remove the moss that had accumulated over a long wet winter Photo Tom Waldren 4 Tuesday engineering Gang With the loco shed at Dinas full to capacity, the TEG have turned their hand to a number of tasks, that included extending the fixed wall mounted compressed air line, work on the buffer beam of NG/G15 N134 and making and fitting a new cab floor for NG/G16 No 87. Jim Comerford and Dafydd Jones Morris installing the new cab floor to NG/G16 No87 5 Dinas engine shed has a new recruit. Left Recently retired Tony Murphy and “Yorkie” aka John Walsh are busily scraping the burnt paint and rust from NG/G16 No143’s the smoke box in preparation for a repaint with black heat resistant paint. In readiness for the 2020 season, which so far has only seen the February half term trains running. The main season has yet to start, being held in limbo by the current Coronavirus pandemic. Right Tony and “Yorkie” Getting stuck in to the repainting of NG/G16 No143 smoke box. 6 North Wales Group News report Caernarfon new station Since Caernarfon’s new Station opened the North Wales Group has given much tangible support to Steven Greig’s efforts to turn the new station and its facilities into a go to cafe for morning coffee, breakfasts and meals throughout the day. Plus developing a role for it as a new venue in Caernarfon for events that utilises the station concourse as an evening entertainment space. More recently it has also hosted several daytime events held on behalf of the Ff&WHRCo. Unfortunately this is now all been put on hold, by the all-pervasive influence of the Corona virus pandemic, which has permeated into every aspect of our daily lives, holding us all in a state of thrall. When this dreadful scourge finally starts to loosen its grip and the railway recommences operation; it is vital that we all continue too support Caffi de Winton by using it as a regular coffee stop; and hopefully it will become the WHR North Wales Group’s and railway volunteers’, version of Spooners Café at Harbour Station. North Wales Group speakers and events January 8th Speaker Mr. Ieuan Owen Ieuan’s presentation was illustrated by his own excellent photographs of steam locomotives, great and small in a range of locations across North Wales. On the standard gauge locomotive stars ‘Leander’, ‘Flying Scotsman’, ‘Tornado’ and many others were featured. Nearer to home, he showed several narrow gauge locos that have visited the many events held on Ff&WHR over the preceding years. Most noteworthy, was the historically important visit of WHHR locomotive ‘Russell’ hauling passenger trains out of Harbour Station and through the Aberglaslyn pass on the Welsh Highland Railway. February 12th Speaker Mr. Humphrey Davies ‘Humph’ (as he is known to his friends and colleagues) is a member of the North Wales Group’s committee. All present very much enjoyed the second part of his extremely well researched and illustrated talk on the historical route of the Welsh Highland Railway. March 11th Speaker John Wooden Outtakes John is well known in Ff&WHR for his professional quality DVDs’ which are sold in the shop at Harbour Station, amongst other titles to his name he is responsible for the Year in the Life of the Ff&WHR series, and U tube video series entitled Moving Pictures a video magazine featuring all aspects of the life and times and notable events on both railways. John’s presentation on the evening was in two parts; before the break a DVD of outtakes from his recently produced DVDs was screened, this was followed after the break by a screening of digitised old film stock featuring the Ffestiniog Railway during the first years as an operational preserved railway. This fascinating footage underlined how the railway has grown and developed since those early preservation years. Impact of Coronavirus epidemic: North Wales Group activities The remaining Meetings in the 2019/20 season that were due to take place in April and May (which incorporates the group AGM) have been cancelled due to the ongoing and increasingly serious Coronavirus pandemic. Also cancelled is the much-anticipated trip to the Statfold Barn Railway that was due to take place in June. 7 The long weekend trip planned for July, is currently still in the schedule, but is under review and may yet also be cancelled. It is hoped that the 2020/21 North Wales Group programme of events will commence in September as usual at which time it may also be possible to hold the rescheduled North Wales Group AGM. All of the various volunteer gangs have stopped working and gang members have been advised to follow the current advice; To keep themselves safe from the epidemic and stay at home until advised otherwise. Donation to ChRE, FfR soc. and Ff&WHR Trust Corona Virus joint appeal The company’s has launched an urgent appeal for financial support to help it overcome the prolonged period of shut down of its revenue earning activity that has been imposed by governmental regulations relating to the current Corona virus pandemic. In response to the appeal, your committee has made a donation of £2000 from the North Wales Group funds, Personal donations have also been requested; these are can be made by a direct donation to the Welsh Highland Railway Society. Rather than via Pay Pal as suggested in Paul Lewin’s Appeal on U Tube, since this will incur a charge. Volunteer activities Dinas workshops Motive power based at Dinas NG/G15 No134 Work on NG/G15 No134 has been greatly facilitated and re-energised since taking up residence within the loco shed, its presence there has made it easier for paid staff to provide some technical input to the project. Progress has been made on the lubrication system with use of components fitted as standard to NG/G16’s used to provide pump fed lubrication to the Krauss Helmholtz Truck. Axel boxes are to be modified to adopt practices as used on NG/G16s. The Tuesday Engineering Gang; recently turned their versatile hands to steam locomotive restoration and have been actively working on the NG/G15 No134 under the guidance of the workshop staff. This has included filling and welding holes in the buffer beam, preparation of same for priming, and application of a coat of primer plus cleaning and painting of loco smoke boxes ready for the start of the new season. In addition, they have fabricated and now installed a new cab floor into NG/GNo87, as part of the work needed prior to its return to service.