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Easter on the Ffestiniog Martin Ellis photographed the many special happenings during this year’s glorious holiday weekend. 16■NARROW GAUGE WORLD – N0 52 (Above) One of the service trains ran double-headed throughout the weekend, using single Fairlie Taliesinand 0-4-0T Prince. Here it is seen in a typical North Wales setting above the village of Tan-y-Grisiau on Easter Sunday, April 8. (Left) Quarry Hunslet Velinheli arrived on the Ffestiniog Railway in mid-March for a mainly private visit and stayed on until Easter, when it was used to give footplate rides at Porthmadog Harbour station. It earlier ran up to Penrhyn to check clearances and was photographed on Gwyndy Bank with the Ffestiniog’s general manager Paul Lewin at the controls. (Photographs by the author)
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(Top, left) A milestone over the Easter period was the return to service of double Fairlie Merddin Emrysafter its conversion from oil to coal firing. A notable innovation is the use of inward opening fire hole doors, shown here with the bottom end door in the open position. (Top, right) Merddin Emrysat Porthmadog Harbour station on Easter Saturday – its first day back in traffic. The locomotive was used over the weekend to haul a ‘Heritage Shuttle’ service as far as Minffordd, using some of the railway’s vintage four-wheel ‘Bug Boxes’. (Centre) Double Fairlie David Lloyd Georgeapproaches Minffordd with the first train of the day on Easter Saturday. The ‘175’ headboard (also seen on the photograph of Merddin Emrys) marks the anniversary of the Parliamentary Act of 1832, which created the Festiniog Railway company and gave powers to build the railway. (Lower, left) Two carriages entered service over the Easter period – rebuilt observation car No 100 (left) and new ‘service car’ No 124 (right). The service car is a departure from previous practice as it combines the functions of guard’s van and buffet car into one vehicle. It also has a toilet for passenger use. (Lower, right) Observation car No 100 has dispensed with guard’s accommodation, which was a feature of earlier similar carriages. It thus increases the amount of first class seating and offers unrivalled comfort for passengers. NARROW GAUGE WORLD – N0 52 ■17

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Easter on the Ffestiniog

Martin Ellis photographed the many special happenings during this year’s glorious holiday weekend.

16■NARROW GAUGE WORLD – N0 52

(Above) One of the service trains ran double-headed throughout the weekend, using single Fairlie Taliesinand 0-4-0T Prince. Here it is seen in a typical North Wales setting above the village of Tan-y-Grisiau on Easter Sunday, April 8. (Left) Quarry Hunslet Velinheli arrived on the Ffestiniog Railway in mid-March for a mainly private visit and stayed on until Easter, when it was used to give footplate rides at Porthmadog Harbour station. It earlier ran up to Penrhyn to check clearances and was photographed on Gwyndy Bank with the Ffestiniog’s general manager Paul Lewin at the controls.

(Photographs by the author)

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