Thank you! I am pleased with how it looks - I think it helps that every wagon is different, even if only subtly so...
The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
One of the good things about having a small garden is that it makes 14 wagons look like a decent length slate train!Trevor Thompson wrote: ↑Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:32 pm I do appreciate a long train of empty slate wagons! Very Ffestiniog.
The combined rake does have a very Ffestiniog feel, despite containing some WHR wagons - no doubt the England at the front helps! For New Year's Day I'm thinking I might go for WHR train. I've got 4 WHR "crate" type wagons, but they also used opens for carrying slate, and pinched Ffestiniog wagons too. With the Baldwin in the front and a WHR brake van on the back, I should be able to make a fairly accurate train...
Cheers,
Andrew
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Very atmospheric
Rik
Rik
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Very nice. Shades of Princess in the last few months of working in 1946.
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Hello all - and Happy New Year!
I'm not sure how many years it is now that I've run a train on New Year's Day, but I kept up the tradition this year, and with a first for me too - a reasonably accurate Welsh Highland slate train. Unlike the Ffestiniog, the Welsh Highland used open wagons as well as the familiar "crate" type for the conveyance of slate, which I replicated in my train. I included a "borrowed" Ffestiniog wagon too, another fairly typical feature of Welsh Highland goods trains.
In truth, the train looked better than it ran, with some under-weighted wagons, debris on the line and "Russell"'s rather track-shy pony trucks contributing to some fairly erratic running, but nothing that can't be cured - and it felt good to start the year as I mean to go on.
All the best,
Andrew.
I'm not sure how many years it is now that I've run a train on New Year's Day, but I kept up the tradition this year, and with a first for me too - a reasonably accurate Welsh Highland slate train. Unlike the Ffestiniog, the Welsh Highland used open wagons as well as the familiar "crate" type for the conveyance of slate, which I replicated in my train. I included a "borrowed" Ffestiniog wagon too, another fairly typical feature of Welsh Highland goods trains.
In truth, the train looked better than it ran, with some under-weighted wagons, debris on the line and "Russell"'s rather track-shy pony trucks contributing to some fairly erratic running, but nothing that can't be cured - and it felt good to start the year as I mean to go on.
All the best,
Andrew.
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Happy New Year 🥳 Andrew.
Looking good your .
All The Best
Looking good your .
All The Best
ROD
Life is so easy when I run my trains.
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11364
https://www.youtube.com/@fairywoodlightrailway
Life is so easy when I run my trains.
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11364
https://www.youtube.com/@fairywoodlightrailway
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Full marks for keeping up the tradition. I 'once' many years ago ran my trains on Boxing Day and a couple of years ago ran a train on New Year's Eve. But have never repeated either experience.
Rik
Rik
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
EXCELLENT ARRANGEMENTS: PUNCTUAL TRAINS
That's how the Cambrian News reported the opening of the completed Welsh Highland Railway, on 1st June 1923, recording the departure of the first train from Porthmadog at 8:10 am.
Naturally, yesterday morning, EXACTLY a century later, I was in the back garden...
The first train was pulled by Ffestiniog Small England loco "Princess", and comprised three carriages - all FR ones, I'd guess, from photos of early WHR services. I recreated it as best I could, with my own Small England and the closest rake of carriages I could muster, and am pleased to report that the train left bang on time...
The train sat in the garden all morning while I got on with other things, but further celebratory trains ran in the afternoon - more photos to follow!
Cheers all,
Andrew
That's how the Cambrian News reported the opening of the completed Welsh Highland Railway, on 1st June 1923, recording the departure of the first train from Porthmadog at 8:10 am.
Naturally, yesterday morning, EXACTLY a century later, I was in the back garden...
The first train was pulled by Ffestiniog Small England loco "Princess", and comprised three carriages - all FR ones, I'd guess, from photos of early WHR services. I recreated it as best I could, with my own Small England and the closest rake of carriages I could muster, and am pleased to report that the train left bang on time...
The train sat in the garden all morning while I got on with other things, but further celebratory trains ran in the afternoon - more photos to follow!
Cheers all,
Andrew
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Excellent! I do like a running session with a back story.
Rik
Rik
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Great bit of history Andrew and some nice photos of some of your stock also.
ROD
Life is so easy when I run my trains.
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11364
https://www.youtube.com/@fairywoodlightrailway
Life is so easy when I run my trains.
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11364
https://www.youtube.com/@fairywoodlightrailway
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Thanks chaps, glad you enjoyed my early morning efforts!
In the afternoon I got back out in the garden to play trains some more, starting with a further run of "Palmerston" and the FR rake:
As the England cooled down, "Russell" raised steam, and some WHR carriages appeared, giving Trefechan an unusually busy appearance:
"Russell" headed up to Penlan with two of the Ffestiniog carriages (where "Palmerstone also magically appeared), before trundling back down to head a mostly WHR rake, completed by an FR brake composite, which it duly pulled back up the line:
On its journies to and from Clarach, it passed "Palmerstone and train, creating some pleasing pictures quite reminiscent of the old WHR, I thought:
All in all, a really rather pleasant afternoon in the sunshine. I hope to do it again soon - but I need to buy some more butane first!
Cheers,
Andrew
In the afternoon I got back out in the garden to play trains some more, starting with a further run of "Palmerston" and the FR rake:
As the England cooled down, "Russell" raised steam, and some WHR carriages appeared, giving Trefechan an unusually busy appearance:
"Russell" headed up to Penlan with two of the Ffestiniog carriages (where "Palmerstone also magically appeared), before trundling back down to head a mostly WHR rake, completed by an FR brake composite, which it duly pulled back up the line:
On its journies to and from Clarach, it passed "Palmerstone and train, creating some pleasing pictures quite reminiscent of the old WHR, I thought:
All in all, a really rather pleasant afternoon in the sunshine. I hope to do it again soon - but I need to buy some more butane first!
Cheers,
Andrew
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Nice photos again Andrew. Too hot to be out here at the moment. It gets over 35degs in our garden in the full sun, can't manage with the heat now....
Last edited by FWLR on Tue Jun 06, 2023 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
ROD
Life is so easy when I run my trains.
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11364
https://www.youtube.com/@fairywoodlightrailway
Life is so easy when I run my trains.
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11364
https://www.youtube.com/@fairywoodlightrailway
- Peter Butler
- Driver
- Posts: 5244
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
- Location: West Wales
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
They are lovely images Andrew, you know how to get the best out of your stock placed in the landscape.
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?
- Old Man Aaron
- Trainee Driver
- Posts: 808
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 11:08 am
- Location: Sunshine Coast QLD, Australia
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Good weather, beautiful modelling, and a centenary to the minute. Can't beat that.
Regards,
Aaron - Scum Class Works
Aaron - Scum Class Works
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Excellent photos. Most atmospheric!
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Hi all!
No garden action to report, but here's some full-size inspiration (for me, if no-one else!) courtesy of last weekend's Welsh Highland 100 gala. A trip to Porthmadog is long and expensive, and I hadn't been for years, but a gala specifically setting out to recreate the same scenes I'm trying to reproduce in the garden was too good to miss!
I couldn't afford to travel on all three days, or to stay for that long either, so I spent the Friday watching the trains, and Saturday riding on them - and it was fantastic. Unfortunately, the WHHR's newly-restored Baldwin failed just before the event, but there was still loads to enjoy.
Here's a selection of photos, largely taken through mist and rain!
Travelling through the misty mountains up to Rhydd Ddu behind Russell was really quite magical, and I loved travelling in carriages I've built models of - it felt quite surreal. I spent some time hanging out with the lovely Lilla too, and find that my mouse wants to keep taking me to the Roundhouse website today, which is worrying...
Cheers all,
Andrew.
No garden action to report, but here's some full-size inspiration (for me, if no-one else!) courtesy of last weekend's Welsh Highland 100 gala. A trip to Porthmadog is long and expensive, and I hadn't been for years, but a gala specifically setting out to recreate the same scenes I'm trying to reproduce in the garden was too good to miss!
I couldn't afford to travel on all three days, or to stay for that long either, so I spent the Friday watching the trains, and Saturday riding on them - and it was fantastic. Unfortunately, the WHHR's newly-restored Baldwin failed just before the event, but there was still loads to enjoy.
Here's a selection of photos, largely taken through mist and rain!
Travelling through the misty mountains up to Rhydd Ddu behind Russell was really quite magical, and I loved travelling in carriages I've built models of - it felt quite surreal. I spent some time hanging out with the lovely Lilla too, and find that my mouse wants to keep taking me to the Roundhouse website today, which is worrying...
Cheers all,
Andrew.
- Peter Butler
- Driver
- Posts: 5244
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
- Location: West Wales
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Super atmospheric pictures Andrew, so glad you made it there for the special occasion.
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
Andrew, Peter,
As you missed the Baldwin running, some video put together from it running in the past few weeks:
https://youtu.be/g4_ZImI88NM
Phil.P
As you missed the Baldwin running, some video put together from it running in the past few weeks:
https://youtu.be/g4_ZImI88NM
Phil.P
- Peter Butler
- Driver
- Posts: 5244
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
- Location: West Wales
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
She's a cracker!!! At first I wondered about the planks in the cab back sheet, but then I realised they were not on the wartime prototype (unless fitted by crew of the day) so they are to protect crew of the present without adding a permanent metal panel, thus altering (and spoiling) the appearance.
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?
Re: The (Windmill Hill) Welsh Highland Railway
I like they have kept the works plates of 794 on the loco..
After all, it is a monument to the service of both locomotives.
Phil.P
After all, it is a monument to the service of both locomotives.
Phil.P
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