Ffestiniog Railway
Created | Updated Apr 29, 2002
The Ffestiniog Railway (Festiniog in legal papers) was originally constructed in the 1830's to carry slate from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales to the costal Town of Porthmadoc. Trains of up to 100 slate wagons were originally hualed up to Blaenau Ffestiniog by Horses but in 1863 Mr Spooner (the designer of the Line) requested that Four four wheeled locomtives should be built to the railway's two foot gauge. These were to be the first Narrow Gauge locomotives in the world and a lot of the locomotive builders refused to even consider the idea of producing these locos. The manufacturer George England and sons were eventually given the job of Producing these Locos the First Two arriving at the railway shortly afterwards these were "THE PRINCESS" and "PALMERSTON". "THE PRINCESS" was numbered 1 while "PALMERSTON" was numbered 4 the other two locos were "THE PRINCE" and "THE MOUNTAINEER" numbered 2 and 3 respectively.
After a short while it was found that two more locos were required so "LITTLE GIANT" and "WELSH PONY" were ordered to a slightly larger and more powerfull design by the same engineers as the first four locos. As the railway took on more traffic including the first passengers to be carried by any narrow gauge railway, the management decided that they needed to provide a second running line and even went so far as to get the neccessary act of parliament to have this done. Fortunately a locomotive engineer named "Robert Fairlie" had designed an articulated locomotive and needed somewhere to try it out turning to the F R because the line was sharply curving giving maximum test conditions for the loco. "LITTLE WONDER" was the result and proved to be a huge success. Fairlie subsequently gave the F R complete rights to the patent which the railway have subsequently used to the full producing Five Double and Two Single Fairlies in the subsequent century and a bit. The success of the Double engines gave the F R the idea to produce articulated coaches and they subsequently built the firs two iron framed bogie coaches in the UK possibly the world.
In recent times, the railway has been in the hands of the preservation society and have held regular Galas in which visiting locos appear frequently and special trains run.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
After a short while it was found that two more locos were required so "LITTLE GIANT" and "WELSH PONY" were ordered to a slightly larger and more powerfull design by the same engineers as the first four locos. As the railway took on more traffic including the first passengers to be carried by any narrow gauge railway, the management decided that they needed to provide a second running line and even went so far as to get the neccessary act of parliament to have this done. Fortunately a locomotive engineer named "Robert Fairlie" had designed an articulated locomotive and needed somewhere to try it out turning to the F R because the line was sharply curving giving maximum test conditions for the loco. "LITTLE WONDER" was the result and proved to be a huge success. Fairlie subsequently gave the F R complete rights to the patent which the railway have subsequently used to the full producing Five Double and Two Single Fairlies in the subsequent century and a bit. The success of the Double engines gave the F R the idea to produce articulated coaches and they subsequently built the firs two iron framed bogie coaches in the UK possibly the world.
In recent times, the railway has been in the hands of the preservation society and have held regular Galas in which visiting locos appear frequently and special trains run.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
