The Snowdonian

[tre pol and pen]

 

Had an extremely enjoyable day on the Festiniog and Welsh highland Railways on Saturday 14th April. Highlights Included double headed hunslets Porthmadog-Blaneau, then return non stop to Pont Croseor, incuding non stop through the streets of Portmadog. Then double headed double fairlies EOM and ME to Carnarfon and back to Portmadog- approx 80 miles of 2' gauge in a day- magical

[tre pol and pen]

 

Should have read Pont Croesor on original Title! More images, fairlie DLG waiting at Boston Lodge till the oil price drops, fairlies at Beddgellert, and Lyn at Porthmadog.

[Nickinwestwales]

Fabulous set mate !! -good hit , I envy you a fine day out

ATB

Nick

[AMJ]

Nice.

 

With comments about FR locos resting until the price of oil drops I remember reading in a 1970's FR mag an appeal to the membership for waste oil (from oil changes in cars etc). The FR would then clean it so it could be used as fuel to power the oil fired locos.

[Mike Bellamy]

Nice.

 

With comments about FR locos resting until the price of oil drops I remember reading in a 1970's FR mag an appeal to the membership for waste oil (from oil changes in cars etc). The FR would then clean it so it could be used as fuel to power the oil fired locos.

 

Paul Martin and Phil Traxson organised regular collections from a number of businesses in the East Midlands and we took lorry loads of 45 gallon drums of waste oil over to Wales - loaded delivered, unloaded and back to Derby in a day - not much time to go train spotting !

 

Mike

[Phil Traxson]

Nice.

 

With comments about FR locos resting until the price of oil drops I remember reading in a 1970's FR mag an appeal to the membership for waste oil (from oil changes in cars etc). The FR would then clean it so it could be used as fuel to power the oil fired locos.

 

I,m afraid the COSHH rules killed this off(not before time), we really had only a vague idea what was in the oil we collected. So long as it went through the sieves and later the centrifuge we burnt it(most of the time if we could get it to light).

It had cellulose thinners(very hot), brake fluid(designed not to burn) and all sorts of other nasties in it from some garages, plus all the traces of bearing metal.

The industrial waste oil bought in to supplement the supplies was even worse, made the brass and copper fittings go some very pretty colours. What the smoke and fumes did to the crews lungs is anybodies guess but it wasn't good!.

The calorific value was variable too. If it stood in the tanks for a couple of days it would layer out and so two trips out of the same tank car load would need totally different techniques to make the loco steam.

It served its purpose at the time by saving money, but not something to repeat.

 

Phil T. (Ex-Waste oil Co-ordinator E.Midlands Area, Ex-FR fireman).

[tre pol and pen]

They seem to like to have the option of locos that can burn both on hand- when the fire risk is high, oil burning is the safest option, but blessed with the climate they have most of the time (!) the risk is low, and the coal burners are used. But what a fantastic variety of all things in one place- unique engines, stunning scenery, engines working genuinely hard, street running, loops, a standard gauge/narrow gauge cross over, ongoing and continuous development of engines and rolling stock etc etc!! it truly is a world class railway!