Mountaineer ALCO built 1916 in action 1998 & 2000

Mountaineer was built by ALCO at their Cooke Works in 1916 for use in the First World War. It is 2 foot gauge as were most of the locomotives used to supply the front lines. From there it went to a sugar beet operation in Pithiviers France. It was restored and upgraded by the Ffestiniog Railway at their Boston Lodge Works and is seen in operation on the Welsh Highland Railway in 2000 between Dinas & Caernarfon and on the Ffestiniog Railway in 1998 at Porthmadog, Minffordd & Penrhyndeudraeth.

[@Jaidencharlotte]

I’m loving the whistle war between the ALCO and Earl of Merioneth

[@nathancorcoran5347]

A American Steam Locomotive operating at a railroad over in Wales.

[@kevfrombutterley]

Nice whistles at 15:15

[@david-othen]

Thanks for the update

[@davidheah8227]

What is the five chime whistle immediately ahead of the cab?

[@AECEntertainment]

David Heah it's a Nathan 6 chime

[@Meengineer100]

Nice video. I really like the part at Minffordd. I just wish the FR would get Mountaineer back running.

[@david-othen]

+Meengineer100 Many thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. It was fun working at the FR.

[@Meengineer100]

+David Othen Yeah. I wish to work on the FR when I am a bit older. I've just got back from seeing the Royal Scot on the North Wales Coast Express.

[@david-othen]

Sounds like you had a great time. Yes working at the FR & WHR is fun and there is always a lot to do.

[@taffytamuttonfudge5765]

So this locomotive was built in America by ALCO? That's funny seeing how its on a British railway

[@Trainlover1995]

Lots of American-built locomotives are in Britain. The SR S100 Class is a prime example. Hell, I live a few hours away from an operating example here in America (I live in San Jose, the operating S100 is at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento).

[@class87fan54]

Mountaineer was built in America, but worked in France for many years. She came to the Ffestinog in 1967. There's two of her sisters preserved in France. One, No 1257, visited the FR in 1995. I bet it made an interesting comparison between the two locos.

[@AECEntertainment]

Restoration of this loco is currently underway and the railway hopes to have her back in service by 2017 for her 100th birthday.

[@AECEntertainment]

2016*

[@david-othen]

AECEntertainment Thanks for the update.

[@AECEntertainment]

+David Othen well at least that's what they told me when I visited, she's my favourite loco on the line

[@adamdrummer1991]

Well it seems it was only a cosmetic restoration...damn it. I want to see her in service again

[@charliemanning8498]

No, she is still in Glan-y-Pwll in Blaenau, with no current plans for restoration. :(

[@AECEntertainment]

Well I hope to God that they don't scrap her. She deserves to be running. The last email I was sent mentioned that she needed a boiler inspection.

[@david-othen]

+AECEntertainment Is there any reason to think they might scrap her?

[@charliemanning8498]

+AECEntertainment she won't be scrapped. She needs a new boiler (there isn't enough room for a shovel swing) and conversion from oil to coal... Also the frames are bent to sh*t

[@AECEntertainment]

+Charlie Manning so do you reckon there is hope of restoration at all...it would be a shame to loose such a historic loco. But then I am a bit biased as well.

[@AECEntertainment]

+Charlie Manning also what's with the second chimney puffing out extreme amounts of steam....

[@articulatedloco]

What is that weird device immediately aft the funnel? Its looks awful belching steam& damn noisy.

[@AECEntertainment]

articulatedloco it is the steam pipe for the part that generates the electrics for the built in light (fog lamp) this is what I was led to believe from a video about other American locos with the same system

[@jamesstanley1924]

it looks awful.... not like the old mountaineer of the 80s