June 2016 Update
After all the excitement and success of May, with the launch ofDiana into service on the railway, followed by the Photo Charter, both events being blessed with perfect weather, one might suppose that June would be quiet by comparison. Not a bit of it, and it proved to be one of those unpredictable months for visitors as well. A perfect example was Thursday 16th, when the BLR welcomed an exceptional number of visitors, and on a day with a rather important football match taking place too. Indeed, knowing that parking in Bala would be at a premium, a number of shrewd fans decided to combine the best of two worlds by parking at Llanuwchllyn station, taking the train to Bala, watching the match on a pub TV, with all the associated atmosphere and camaraderie, and then catching the last train back.
For the month overall, we have seen a healthy increase in passenger numbers, particularly with a greater number of coach parties, groups and, in particular families. It is gratifying that the appeal of steam is for all generations.
The Locomotive Fleet continues to provide the required service and enjoyment. Diana has proved to be a great success and visitor draw, the stalwarts Maid Marian,Holy War and Alice are in service and are scheduled in rotation, depending on usage and, of course, the weather, while the long-scheduled re-paint of Winifred is progressing well, to the extent that her tank has now been re-united with her frames. Work is also progressing on the privately-owned George B, and it will not be long before the boiler and frames are together again.
As for the diesels, maid-of-all-work Trigger is exactly that, Chilmark is being used much more on work trains after her winter maintenance, in particular that troublesome starter motor, has been finished to great success, and Lady Madcap makes an occasional welcomed appearance, also on work trains. While the railway is always associated with steam, it is gratifying that there are three diesels which now start ‘on the button’.
The Carriage & Wagon team has been busy as usual, and our photos show the wooden frames for the rebuilt water tower, which is to be clad in wood to enhance the already neat structure. The new wooden outer panels will be fitted when time (and weather) permits.
As shown in Ian Whitson’s second photo, the slate wagon is almost complete, and only the painting remains to be done.
In the meantime, the bolster wagons have been finished, and rather than lying around waiting for a sizeable tree to appear, they were promptly loaded with the new timber with which to finish off ‘Boathouse Bridge’ near the Bala end of the line. You will recall that the longitudinal, load-bearing baulks were replaced a while back, and these extra timbers are for the non-load-bearing cross members. As the photo shows, the bolster wagons were the perfect place on which to store the timbers.
The Penrhyn Coach Project has been neglected in this column of late, mainly because there has been a lot happening on the railway elsewhere. So a visit was made at the end of the month to see what David Hale has been up to. Sadly, the photos cannot do sufficient justice to what David has achieved in such a restricted working space, and likewise to the intricate detail which only personal inspection can appreciate.
So far, well over 2000 screws have been used, let alone the tacks used to secure the inner panels, and every single one of them is exactly in line, symmetrical and millimetre perfect. The tack holes will be filled to ensure a flush finish, and you may notice that the battens for end panels are only screwed for location purposes. In due time, they will be removed again and the edges rounded off, exactly as per the coach in the Penrhyn Museum. It cannot be stressed too much about the level of detail in this project, most of which will be hidden from view when it is all finished. David is indeed a perfectionist.
The photo of the roof is worthy of note, showing as it does the perfectly uniform curves. You may recall that each roof frame is made from seven, yes seven, pieces of wood, carefully glued and shaped in a purpose-built former. Likewise, the subtle curvature of the side panels can just be seen, and it is also noteworthy that one end panel will be removed and carefully cut so that it exactly matches the ‘tumblehome’, or gentle curvature of the side panels.
Prior to work progressing on the roof section, the coach was lifted slightly and the axle frames removed, so that it could be dropped a few inches, thus facilitating the fitting of the curved roof panel in due course.
When all this is done, attention will turn to the interior, firstly with the construction of the seat frames, but this is a way down the line, so to speak, and a local firm of upholsterers is to be engaged, to carry out the fabrication of the facsimile cushions and padded panels.
Completion of this epic, one-man project is still many months away, but the slowly building excitement is understandable.
And finally…….. mention should be made about the August Bank Holiday activities on the BLR. Following on from the great success last year, there will be a four-day Gala, from Friday 26th to Monday 29th, with passenger and freight workings, double-heading etc. Five of the BLR based locos will be in steam (subject to availability), plus they will be joined by a visiting loco, Velinheli, making a guest appearance from the Launceston Steam Railway, so there will be an enormous variety of steam action and stock permutations to be enjoyed. Please check the BLR website as further details are published.
We conclude with a superb Barry Fitzpatrick photo from the Photo Charter on the 16th May, showing Diana in an idyllic setting. The BLR is not known as ‘the line-side line’ for nothing.
