Welsh Highland Railway Centenary Gala - 23rd-25th June 2023

WELSH HIGHLAND CENTENARY
Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th June 2023
A collaborative event organised by Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways, Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group and the Welsh Highland Railway Society.
The Welsh Highland Railway (Light Railway) Company 1922 was set up following the merger of of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (NWNGR) and the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway (PBSSR). The NWNGR had ran trains from Dinas to South Snowdon & Bryngwyn, but passenger trains ceased in 1914. The PBSSR had never completed their sections of the railway, and work had been abandoned in 1914.
On 31st July 1922, the Welsh Highland Railway started running trains between Dinas Junction and South Snowdon (now known as Rhyd Ddu) - video from last years event can be found here: • Welsh Highland Railway...
On 1st June 1923, the railway opened through to Porthmadog, although by 1927 the WHR was in receivership. Services continued and in 1934 the line was leased to the Ffestiniog Railway Company, who operated the line until 1937.
In 1961 the Welsh Highland Railway Society was formed (becoming a limited company in 1964). The group built their own line on the former standard gauge 'Beddgelert Siding' at Porthmadog, which opened to passengers in 1980. The groups original WHR locomotive, Russell, first steamed in preservation. The group now operate under the name Welsh Highland Heritage Railway and have an impressive museum at Gelert's Farm.
In 1997, the Ffestiniog Railway Company started to open the present day Welsh Highland Railway, initially on the old standard gauge line from Caernarfon to Dinas, opening the first section on the former WHR trackbed to Waunfawr in 2000. the line was reopened all the way to Porthmadog in 2011.
This gala celebrating 100 years since the opening of the completed railway through to Porthmadog, focused mainly on the southern half of the line.
Friday was focused on the pre-1923 railway and the WHR's optimistic opening period, with a recreations of construction trains on the WHHR with 4wPM Motor Rail 2197 (courtesy of the Moseley Railway Trust / Apedale Valley Light Railway) which was used during the building of the original WHR, the Inspection Train with Mary Ann and Russell running on the WHR main line with a heritage train. The day also saw Welsh Pony take slate wagons to Hafod y Llyn (unfitted trains not allowed further than this point).
Saturday focused on the WHR 'as was' in old photos - then closure... with recreations with Russell, Double Fairlie Merddin Emrys & Large England Welsh Pony on vintage trains and Simplex Mary Ann on a demolition train.
Sunday focused on the revived, revitalised WHR - in its many guises, with double headed NGG16s including a mega mixed train, Castell Caernarfon on a South African Railways freight, Russell double heading at first with Merddin Emrys to Rhyd Ddu and then Lynton & Barnstaple replica 190 Ltd all the way to Caernarfon and back on the Harbourmaster service.
Kerr Stuart 6wDM 4415 of 1928 was on display at Harbour station over the weekend, currently under restoration the pioneering diesel loco was on display starting to look the part.
Baldwin 10-12-D 2-6-2T WHR 590 (formerly WDLR Baldwin of 1917 794) was on static display at Gelert's Farm over the weekend, were lots of activities were taking place on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, with a three train service with Glaslyn & Emma taking turns on freight trains (with SAR wagons and skips) while Bagnall 'Gelert' and Hunslet 'Lilla' from the FR shared passenger duty (Blanche visited on Sunday, but not featured in the video).
(C) Lee Andrew Davies 2023
www.preservedrailway.co.uk

[@SimonTog]

Nice video :)

[@AndreiTupolev]

14:45I'm impressed with Lyd hauling that load singlehanded, as it was clearly doing all the work

[@jonson481]

Both loco's appeared to be working hard but struggling on the very wet outward journey. 10 carriages seemed a bit excessive really.

[@ramseybarber8312]

Hi Shame about the weather , Any chance of you filming the crossing of the main line Please.?

[@ronfisher2-railwaytravelvideos]

It was a bit damp at times, wasn't it! Nevertheless I've got lots of video footage but, so far, I've only had time to put one short clip on my KZbin channel. The rest will follow in the fullness of time...

[@AndreiTupolev]

Shame the heritage experience offered by Russell is spoiled by that noisy air pump, which I'm sure it didn't have originally

[@preservedrailway]

Air braking quite authentic for Russell www.whr.co.uk/photo/russell-beddgelert-station-train-dinas-1923/