Russell on the WHR

[JMORG]

https://www.facebook.com/37108273971618 ... 535498258/

Is this the beginning of something amazing?

[SimonWood]

Fabulous!

[SimonWood]

Impressive drone footage:

(Recommend muting to avoid the cheesy music - there are no real sounds)

[ge_rik]

Great drone footage - especially the bit where it flies below the track in the Aberglaslyn Pass.

Rik

[IrishPeter]

I got a bit nostalgic when I saw the VOR van in BR blue. Never thought that livery would bring on the warm fuzzies. Anyway, good see Russell back on her native patch at last. She was going at a far old lick in places.

I have my visit to the renewed WHR pencilled in for when they finally get the NG15 up and running. I suspect once they have one Kalahari running, they might realise what a pain in backside Garretts are, and get the other one going.

Cheers,
Peter in Va

[tom_tom_go]

Since having Andrew's Russell I am quite taken with the loco and want a Roundhouse one!

It is a shame they don't do it as a kit.

[JMORG]

I have my visit to the renewed WHR pencilled in for when they finally get the NG15 up and running. I suspect once they have one Kalahari running, they might realise what a pain in backside Garretts are, and get the other one going.

I don't think the FR is planning anything big with the NG15's. The 1960's administration considered retiring the Fairlie's and rely on the Ladies and the ALCO for their services. Probably a good thing this never happened; the Ladies are now hardly used on service trains!

Think the NGG16's are as much the WHR as Russell or the Aberglaslyn Pass. Although I'd love to see a proper SAR black example again; the 3 locomotives now look great with the big Stone's lamps and careful livery choices. The complete rebuilding of 87 produced a locomotive that was (apparently) worlds apart from 138 and 143.

Although the NG15's are powerful locomotives, they weren't used for the big heavy sandstone trains on the Avontuur line (these being given to the NGG13's). If SAR kept a redundant type for this traffic it implies that they had no suitable replacement for it.

Still, looking forward to something different on the WHR. Maybe the long straight near Pont Croesor can be used to see how fast they can get them!

[IrishPeter]

Yes, the NGGs are part of the WHR now, but I still wouldn't mind seeing an NG15 out there to spice things up a bit.

The basic reason the NGG16s stayed on the limestone was that an NGG plus an NG15 gave you two extra loads over a pair of NG15s. This made the traffic controller's job a little easier - i.e. one around trip to find a path for between Loerie and Chelsea. Eight limestones/empties in each direction on top of the T&Ps, through goods, and the fruit specials must have pushed track capacity at times even when they were on train orders, rather than ETS. Double-heading NGGs was verboden, but it was surprising that they never tried one up front, and one cut in about 10 cars back. That would have been something to see. Otherwise, the NG15s were preferred, especially for the fruit traffic, because they were faster and had few bits to go wrong.

And yes, I will admit to not being the world's biggest fan or Garretts.

Cheers,
Peter in Va

[SimonWood]

Michael Chapman has posted an album of photographs.

[Andrew]

Michael Chapman has posted an album of photographs.

Excellent, thank you!

Absolutely wonderful news, looking forward to the next developments - and planning a long-overdue trip to Wales!

Andrew.

[Big Jim]

Funnily enough I was just thinking that a trip up to the frozen north might be a good idea.
I have a course next April that will see me in Bangor for three days. I wonder if it will be noticed if I go but fail to attend any of the sessions and clear off to the WHR instead?

[IanC]

I got a bit nostalgic when I saw the VOR van in BR blue. Never thought that livery would bring on the warm fuzzies. Anyway, good see Russell back on her native patch at last. She was going at a far old lick in places.

Cheers,
Peter in Va

I agree about the BR blue van. I'm not a diesel fan, but I travelled a lot in the 80s and look back on the time with fondness. I like to see locomotives where they would have been seen pre-preservation so good to see her on home ground.