NEWS UPDATE No. 116
A remarkable year comes to an end, with record support and passenger numbers. General Manager David Jones puts the whole story of the final maintenance operation of the year into erudite perspective.
“We had a brilliant response to help with the November track relay, so much so that the Wednesday Gang, prior to the main event, had dismantled all but 8 (out of 47) lengths of rail, thus on the Saturday morning, everything was lifted by 11.30. This shows what a difference our enthusiastic volunteers can make.
Because of this, Rob Houghton and Dan Laidlaw, our resident engineers, were able to plough and whacker the formation in time for relaying to start on the Saturday afternoon, something we have never managed before. Whilst they were doing this, much of the encroaching tree growth in the area suddenly vanished – another job done though spontaneous initiative.
By the end of Tuesday, all the sleepers had been laid, rails on top and most of it spiked in place and aligned, with just a small matter of a few centimetres to cut to make the rails fit. This was done early on the Wednesday and we had two days in which to hand pack the track and plough the ballast back on almost half its length.
We have come a long way from the first relay we did seven years ago which took more than two weeks just to get to the same point we reached on the Wednesday morning. The secret is the excellent turnout, a mix of experienced and new volunteers, and great camaraderie. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to this superb effort.
As announced on Facebook, we received a delivery to the railway of the first brand new rail in over 50 years, 27 tons in total made up of 88x40ft lengths of 50 lb/yd rail, our biggest order ever. Some of this rail will be installed in January (11th, 14th to 19th) with one exciting inclusion being the installation of a new crossover to allow access to the Carriage Shed from the Bala end which will be a huge bonus.
If you can help (and want to work off some seasonal excess in the best possible way), please drop me a line”.
As an addendum to the track activity, it could be called serendipity, the art of finding something when you are (or should be) doing something else. While working near Llangower, volunteer Steve Jones (he of the perfect impression of the late Fred Dibnah) was spotted disappearing into the brambles (accompanied by a liberal exploration of the byways of English invective) to find the former public access gate to the old Llangower Halt, something which has eluded many for quite a while. It was a sight to behold.
The Santa Specials, our last operational services of the year, were a spectacular success, aided in no small measure by heavy frosts and a sprinkling of snow to complete the atmosphere. All the trains were sold out and it was rewarding to note that a vast number of passengers were locals, no doubt because travelling from afar is not a priority at this time of the year. Anyone looking at the BLR station webcam will have noticed what a great job the staff and volunteers had done to decorate the station and even the loco crew really got into the fun. One scene spied on the webcam was a loco coming off shed in the cold morning air but all that could be seen was an enormous cloud of steam moving slowly, almost eerily, along the loop to the coal and water supplies with the fireman walking alongside to guide the driver safely. Anyone who witnessed that would have longed to be there in person.
The Warley Model Railway Show enjoyed great support, not least by the presence of the BLR with our information stand which featured IT Maestro Tim Williams’ narrow gauge layout which really drew the crowds. Again, volunteer support was magnificent and the BLR message was put across most effectively. Tim’s trade-mark favourite beret always adds to scene!
With all the frenetic activity around the track-bed relaying, one should not forget that we have two of our precious locomotives approaching the end of their 10 year overhauls.
The big news is that both boilers, for Alice and Holy War and care of our engineering team of Rob Houghton and Dan Laidlaw, were ready for their first pressure test using water, known as a hydraulic test. Rather than producing steam (which comes at a later date), the boilers are filled with water and put under pressure so that any tiny leaks can be spotted. Both boilers passed the visual tests, which is hardly surprising bearing in mind how many the team has done in the past, and this bodes very well when the boiler inspector arrives early in the New Year. By then, all the ancillary items, gauges, controls etc. will have been installed and with their ‘steam tickets’, they will be ready for our Welcome Back party for Alice and Holy War scheduled for the 29th and 30th April next year. With five Hunslets in steam, that will be a party weekend to remember!
As the year comes to an end, we publish the General Manager’s last message in total.
The last train of 2022 ran on Sunday 11th December, carrying the final happy crowd to see Santa. Despite both covid and the weather presenting difficulties, the weekend went very well thanks to the tremendous team effort. I would like to thank everyone who came to help with the setting up, running the event, looking after our passengers and putting everything back in the boxes for next time. You really are a fantastic lot.
Thanks also to everyone who has helped us this year of our 50th anniversary, whether carrying out essential maintenance or just helping to run the train service. We have had a record year with final passenger tally up by over 4% on last year which we thought was going to be a one-off high. We could not have done it without you! Thanks to you, the railway really is going from strength to strength.
May I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.
And finally………. We could not let the year pass without featuring again one of our most loyal supporters, namely Marian, our railway cat. Her company is always a delight, she seems to relish the smells and noises of steam locos and is always keen on human company although, on occasion, it is not necessarily appreciated. While doing sterling work on painting the Penrhyn Coach, Roger and Bobby Hine needed to move the ladder but Marian had decided the top step was her domain and declined to compromise, shall we say, ‘the ecology of her total environment’! Bobby therefore very gently moved ladder and cat together, to the benefit and harmony of both!