March 2016 Update
We have already reported on the first services this year in February, but the first major passenger activities were around a particularly early Easter. The enthusiasm of visitors was as good as ever, although the Bank Holiday Monday was traditionally damp, hence the numbers were down. But the two preceding days brought healthy numbers to Llanuwchllyn, to enjoy the scenery and atmosphere of our busy lake-side railway, as well as the Easter Egg Hunt, and Good Friday produced an exceptional number of attendees, around 50% up on last year. As you can see in the photo below, the weather was not damp for the whole of the Easter break.
Prior to Easter, and following on from our extensive relaying of sleepers and other maintenance on the line, the large wooden baulks that carry the rails on ‘Boathouse Bridge’ were replaced, taking advantage of the last opportunity to get the job done without disrupting services.
Boathouse Bridge is located near the Bala end of the line, and crosses a man-made inlet to a now derelict boathouse for the hotel which nestles under the hillside to the south. It is also to be noted that the level of the lake was a couple of feet higher when the boathouse was built.
The main structure of the bridge is steel, but the timber used for this refurbishment was sourced locally from forest of Coed y Brenin (King’s Wood), just above Dolgellau. What made it particularly special was that it was 45 feet in length, which made our job easier as we needed two lengths of longitudinal span for the rails to be seated on, of 21 and 24 feet respectively.
One not-so-good item of news is that the hoped-for acquisition of rail for the Bala extension did not materialise. After an expedition up to Eastrigg, near Gretna Green, to inspect and reserve our rail requirements, the goal posts moved dramatically and the entire stock of rail, point-work and other items was sold to a single contractor. However, the disappointment was tempered somewhat by the fact that the majority of the point-work was 1-4, thus being too tight for ‘mainline’ operation, (the BLR needs gentler 1-8), and the curves were pre-bent, thus their curvature could not be re-aligned and would therefore be of little use to us anyway. What the contractor will not want will probably be sold off at a much higher price. But all is not lost, as this setback has opened up other avenues of acquisition of 35 lbs per yard rail, and these are being explored vigorously.
Within the Locomotive fleet, both Maid Marian and Alice passed their annual boiler inspections on the 23rd March. Holy War does not need hers until September, and Winifred is having a few adjustments made before she returns to service later in May.
On the other hand, Diana has been undergoing trials before her rededication on the 14th May. The water tower in Llanuwchllyn has been raised to suit her higher placed tanks. She sported new sand boxes and a fresh repaint on the 1st April, but strangely was back to normal by the 2nd! More importantly, she has been subjected to load-testing to make sure she can haul a full six coach train. Owner Phil Mason takes up the story:
Two days of load-testing took place on the 18th and 19th March, following her awakening from her winter slumbers the week before. At the Vale of Rheidol Gala last year, the valve settings were not right, thus Diana had great difficulty in starting her train and frequently required a shove from the other loco on the train to get her going. Once on the move, only the first and second notches of the regulator could be used. After the Gala, adjustments were made, but there was no chance to test her on a heavy train before she came to the BLR, so it was with a degree of apprehension that we lit her up for the test.
First of all, we tried five empty coaches all the way to Bala and back, without the loco or crew breaking into a sweat, and so we next tried six coaches with the diesel, Trigger, on the back for good measure. Diana managed this too without any difficulties. The only slight problem arose when coming to a stop in Bala with the second train, when the steam handle came off in Rob Houghton’s hand! Two further trips with the heavier loading were carried out the following day without incident.
One or two minor issues require attention, but she will be ready for her rededication and her first ever solo passenger train service on Saturday, 14th May.
TheCarriage & Wagon team have been enjoying spells of good weather in which to deal with some problems on the exposed end of the station café and adjoining ‘lean-to’ where deliveries are left. They will return to rolling stock matters soon, and on the agenda are completion of the wooden slate wagon, plus the second bolster wagon. As soon as the latter is finished, a couple of sizeable fallen trees will be placed on the bolster pair.
ThePenrhyn Coach continues apace and, as the photo shows, it is really looking like a coach now that the sides have been attached and apertures cut. David Hale reports:
All four panels on one side of the carriage are now glued and screwed in place. Each panel was a complete 8’ x 4’ sheet of plywood, and was fixed directly to the framework. The next job was to open up the windows again before starting on the second side.
Apart from the previously mentioned cramped conditions in which the coach is being constructed, this month’s irritation was the failure of David’s drill at the most crucial of moments, but luckily, another was found very quickly. Drying glue waits for no man!
Volunteers are always such a vital part of a tourist railway, and apart from the C&W team beavering away, Barbara Cooper spent quite a while cleaning the signal levers, with the caveat that woe betide anyone who forgets to use a cloth from now on when operating the levers! The white line on the edge of the platform is being carefully re-painted in stages, initially by Bob Greenhalgh, thankfully without anyone (two-legged or four) inadvertently stepping on the wet paint.
As we have previously mentioned, the BLR is hosting a Volunteer Recruitment and Experience Day on Sunday, 24th April, which will give those interested a perfect opportunity to see just what makes a railway function, and experience a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. You will also be able to savour the unique BLR atmosphere, as well as meeting a great bunch of people who thoroughly enjoy what they do. We still have a few places left, and really look forward to welcoming you, but please note that places must be reserved in advance. All the relevant information is available by clicking here.
And finally, there are still a few tickets left for the 11.00 train, hauled by Diana on the 14th May. If you want tickets to travel behind her on her first ever solo passenger train then please book on line as soon as possible.Click here to access our online booking system.
In the meantime, please delight in this unique ‘pot-of-gold’ photo, taken by BLR General Manager, David Jones, of a rainbow ending right on top of our loco shed. In spite of much searching, a major discovery has yet to happen. But we live in hope.
