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93-517: The service was fully described in the Post Office Guide and the July 1969 edition (August 1969 2nd Supplement) reported that the service was available at stations on British Rail; Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway; Festiniog Railway (summer only); Talyllyn Railway (summer only) and Northern Ireland Railways. Now. with the railways expansion, i.e. operating a longer line, a longer season, and with

186-592: A 1914 light railway order (LRO) was processed. It was originally drawn up by the local Caernarfonshire authorities and aimed to link the PGSSR and NWNGR but had been delayed by the First World War . It was revived by two local politicians and a Scottish distillery owner, Sir John Henderson Stewart . In July 1921, Stewart also obtained control of the Festiniog Railway , to obtain extra rolling stock for

279-541: A book of the existing embossed revenue stamps , ranging in value from 6 pounds to half a penny, as well as the hand stamped charge marks that were used with them. His collection is preserved in the Royal Irish Academy , Dublin . Postage stamp collecting began at the same time that stamps were first issued, and by 1860 thousands of collectors and stamp dealers were appearing around the world as this new study and hobby spread across Europe , European colonies,

372-635: A breakdown of relations between the two companies in 2008. Since then efforts have been made to improve relations and these are still ongoing. The original Welsh Highland never had an official Welsh translation of its name, despite the fact that North Wales has always been a heartland for the Welsh language. Local people tended to refer to it by informal names such as Y Lein Bach or Lein Bach Beddgelert (the little Beddgelert railway). In contrast,

465-423: A cheap and simple way to do this. However, hinging stamps can damage them, thus reducing their value; today many collectors prefer more expensive hingeless mounts . Issued in various sizes, these are clear, chemically neutral thin plastic holders that open to receive stamps and are gummed on the back so that they stick to album pages. Another alternative is a stockbook, where the stamps drop into clear pockets without

558-569: A club may be difficult to set up and sustain. The Internet partially solves this problem, as the association of collectors online is not limited by geographical distance. For this reason, many highly specific stamp clubs have been established on the Web, with international membership. Organizations such as the Cinderella Stamp Club (UK) retain hundreds of members interested in a specific aspect of collecting. Social organizations, such as

651-650: A faster and more regular service from Caernarfon and Beddgelert also played a part. The last passenger train ran on 5 September 1936 and, in February 1937, the FR decided not to run the WHR again. As there was no provision for the Ffestiniog Railway Company to hand back its lease and the WHR was bankrupt, the line became dormant. In 1941, the authorities decided to requisition the movable assets for use in

744-459: A junction with the 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge London and North Western Railway line at Dinas to Bryngwyn with a branch from Tryfan Junction via Waunfawr to Llyn Cwellyn ( Snowdon Ranger ). The line was opened in 1877 and was extended to South Snowdon ( Rhyd Ddu ) in 1881, a total of 9 miles (14 km). This closed to passengers in 1914 but goods traffic continued up to its absorption by

837-419: A key on the token staff. This means the last train must use the token staff to pass through the section, so it can be used for trains to travel in the opposite direction. For additional protection, both the footplate crew and the guard must see the token or ticket before the train can depart. At some stations an additional "Shunt" token is used to allow shunting to take place (such as a locomotive "running round"

930-484: A long, complicated and controversial history and includes several court cases and public inquiries. The origins of the WHRL restoration efforts, tentatively began in 1961 when disagreements within the volunteers of the Festiniog Railway and a group of like-minded railway enthusiasts , joined to form The Welsh Highland Railway Society . This group is the precursor of what eventually became WHR Ltd., which owns and operates

1023-781: A national collectors' organization, including the American Philatelic Society (APS) in the United States ; the Royal Philatelic Society London and Philatelic Traders Society in United Kingdom; and the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada . The Internet has greatly expanded the availability of information and made it easier to obtain stamps and other philatelic material. The American Topical Association

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1116-534: A new station site in Porthmadog and a link to the Festiniog Railway. McAlpine & Sons were contracted to refurbish the existing lines and complete the link between Rhyd Ddu and Croesor Junction, thus creating a railway that ran from Dinas to join the Festiniog Railway at Porthmadog. Like the modern day WHR, the railway was opened in stages. The former NWNGR section re-opened on 31 July 1922 and

1209-499: A platform for buying/selling and trading. Large numbers of relatively recent stamps, often still attached to fragments or envelopes, may be obtained cheaply and easily. Rare and old stamps can also be obtained, but these can be very expensive. Duplicate stamps are those a collector already has and are not required, therefore, to fill a gap in a collection. Duplicate stamps can be sold or traded, so they are an important medium of exchange among collectors. Many dealers sell stamps through

1302-490: A range of 10–30% of catalogue list price, but if the stamp is of the very top quality then the sell price may exceed the catalogue list price. As with many collectables with no inherent value, sell pricing is set by the market bidding on the item at the time. Many collectors also ask their family and friends to save stamps for them from their mail. Although the stamps received by major businesses and those kept by elderly relatives may be of international and historical interest,

1395-486: A ride, the journey took too long and the service had a reputation for being unreliable. The Croesor Tramway had run from Porthmadog since 1863 up into the Croesor Valley and the slate quarries in this area. This was a horse-worked line laid to a nominal 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge. The NWNGR had originally built a 1 ft  11 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 597 mm ) narrow gauge line from

1488-443: A serious application to turn the route into a long-distance footpath. Although these plans were ultimately unfruitful, the statutory powers ensured that the trackbed was kept mainly intact, rather than sold off bit by bit, which would have made restoration much more difficult and potentially expensive. However, some parts, such as the sites of Rhyd Ddu and Dinas stations, were sold off. The Welsh Highland Railway's restoration has

1581-623: A stamp on the original sheet of 200 stamps. Rare stamps are often expertized . Stamp catalogues are the primary tool used by serious collectors to organize their collections, and for the identification and valuation of stamps. Most stamp shops have stamp catalogues available for purchase. A few catalogues are offered online, either free or for a fee. There are hundreds of different catalogues, most specializing in particular countries or periods. Collector clubs tend to provide free catalogues to their members. The stamp collection assembled by French-Austrian aristocrat Philipp von Ferrary (1850–1917) at

1674-428: A train). They are provided at Dinas, Rhyd Ddu, Beddgelert and at Pont Croesor. The shunt token can only be withdrawn (used) with permission from Control and if there are no trains approaching the station in the adjacent single line sections. Withdrawing the token causes two yellow lights to go out on a red warning board on the line approaching the station, preventing other trains from entering the station. The majority of

1767-421: A wholesale market level and what they can be then sold for in a retail market. Stamp values are heavily skewed to quality. The same stamp can sell for drastically different prices due to quality. The most sought after stamps are those that are fresh, have white non-toned paper, have no hidden faults like hidden creases or thins, do not have any repairs and have not been regummed with fraudulent gum. Stamp pricing

1860-599: Is a 25-mile (40.2 km) long, restored 1 ft  11 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 597 mm ) narrow gauge heritage railway in the Welsh county of Gwynedd , operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog , and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass . At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway and to the short Welsh Highland Heritage Railway . In Porthmadog it uses

1953-490: Is also a miniature railway and a tea room at its main Porthmadog station. Although WHR Ltd lost the battle for control of the WHR to the Festiniog Railway Company, they have also been involved in its restoration. On 12 January 1998, both companies signed an agreement, commonly known as the "98 agreement". In return, for dropping its objections to the Festiniog Railway Company's application to restore

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2046-702: Is also based on the look of the stamp, and the stamp that has an image that is very well centered will sell well. Mint (not used) full original gum stamps that have never been hinged will always sell for premiums. It is important to have certificates for rare and high quality stamps to certify they are fault free and genuine in all respects. Foundations like the Vincent Graves Greene are well respected for certifying Canadian stamps. They check for hidden faults like creases, tears and thins as well as lightened cancellations, repairs, reperforated perforations and re-applied (regummed) fake gum. Stamp list pricing

2139-693: Is now a part of the APS and promotes thematic collecting as well as encouraging sub-groups of numerous topics. The Collectors Club, often referred to as the Collectors Club of New York, is a private club and philatelic society in New York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in the United States. This club like many others has made the transition to Zoom virtual meetings due to Covid and has decided to keep

2232-542: Is set in various stamp catalogues. For US and Canada stamps the standard catalogue is the Scott catalogue using Scott numbers. For Canadian stamps there is a specialized catalogue called the Unitrade (which reflects more accurately the actual values of the stamps vs the Scott catalogue values), and for Great Britain and Commonwealth stamps most collectors use Stanley Gibbons catalogues. Typically stamps will sell at auction for

2325-429: Is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the postal service , as a stream of new stamps was produced by countries that sought to advertise their distinctiveness through their stamps. Stamp collecting is generally accepted as one of the areas that make up the wider subject of philately , which

2418-541: Is the study of stamps. A philatelist may, but does not have to, collect stamps. It is not uncommon for the term philatelist to be used to mean a stamp collector. Many casual stamp collectors accumulate stamps for sheer enjoyment and relaxation without worrying about details. The creation of a large or comprehensive collection, however, generally requires some philatelic knowledge and will usually contain areas of philatelic studies. Postage stamps are often collected for their historical value and geographical aspects and also for

2511-408: Is used to control train access to single line sections. Communication between train crew and Control always occurs using a landline at stations. There is no in-cab radio system and current regulations forbid use of such whilst in motion. As a backup system only, the guard carries a company mobile telephone for use in an emergency. This is not a primary system as cellular coverage is intermittent over

2604-693: The Electric Token System (ETS), a more advanced system in which tokens can be obtained at either end of a section from a token instrument. ETS has been used on the Ffestiniog Railway for many years and the FR Co. were anxious to obtain enough ETS instruments to equip the WHR. After a long search, sufficient ETS equipment to operate the entire railway has been obtained from the Irish railway company Iarnród Éireann . The equipment became redundant after Iarnród Éireann modernised its signalling systems in

2697-591: The Ffestiniog Railway means that the FR Co. controls almost 40 miles of narrow gauge railway and it promotes both lines jointly as the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways or Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog ac Eryri . The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway ( Welsh : Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru ) is a 1-mile (1.6 km) long heritage narrow gauge railway owned and operated by Welsh Highland Railway Ltd. (WHR Ltd.). It operates from its main station at Tremadog Road, Porthmadog to its terminus at Pen-y-Mount, where it connects to

2790-462: The Lions Club and Rotary International , have also formed stamp collecting groups specific to those stamps that are issued from many countries worldwide that display the organization's logo. Rare stamps are often old and many have interesting stories attached to them. Some include: Early stamps of the United States are known as classics. Collectors are able to establish the exact position of

2883-633: The Royal Philatelic Society . His collection was passed on to Queen Elizabeth II who, while not a serious philatelist, has a collection of British and Commonwealth first day covers which she started in 1952. U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a stamp collector; he designed several American commemorative stamps during his term. Late in life Ayn Rand renewed her childhood interest in stamps and became an enthusiastic collector. Several entertainment and sport personalities have been known to be collectors. Freddie Mercury , lead singer of

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2976-689: The United States and other parts of the world. The first postage stamp, the Penny Black , was issued by Britain in May 1840 and pictured a young Queen Victoria . It was produced without perforations (imperforate) and consequently had to be cut from the sheet with scissors in order to be used. While unused examples of the Penny Black are quite scarce, used examples are quite common, and may be purchased for $ 20 to $ 200, depending upon condition. People started to collect stamps almost immediately. One of

3069-682: The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR). Legal problems meant they were unable to take over the old company so, in the 1970s, the group purchased the former standard gauge exchange sidings (the Beddgelert Siding ) near Tremadog Road, Porthmadog , from British Railways to use as a base. In 1980, they began running passenger services over the line that is now known as the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway . They also acquired an original WHR locomotive Russell , which began working passenger services in 1987. In

3162-414: The slate quarries around Moel Tryfan , which has not been restored. (This branch forms a footpath "rail trail", the lower section of which has been resurfaced and supplied with heritage notice-boards.) There is also the 3 ⁄ 4 -mile (1.2 km) long Welsh Highland Heritage Railway which runs from Porthmadog along the trackbed of the former Cambrian Railways exchange siding and connects to

3255-409: The FR Co. started to promote their operation as The Welsh Highland Railway or, in a largely Welsh-speaking area, Rheilffordd Eryri. In the end, WHR Ltd was only able to build around a third of the way to Pont Croesor, with trains terminating at a location known as Traeth Mawr Loop (opened in 2007). The reasons behind this and the consequences, continue to be a subject of debate and led directly to

3348-496: The FR Co.'s decision to take over the restoration of the WHR. After a long legal battle between the two companies, the FR Co. won control of the WHR track bed and it re-opened the railway in stages, starting in 1997. The line was completed in 2011. With Caernarfon Council having a longer-term plan to reinstate the town's rail transport link to Bangor , speculation mounted that the FR/WHR would potentially later extend itself. However,

3441-520: The FR would then operate trains from the WHR Ltd's Porthmadog (WHHR) railway station , to unspecified destinations on the WHR, using WHR Ltd locomotives, rolling stock and (where possible) WHR Ltd staff. Revenue from these trains would be retained by the FR, but they would, in turn, pay a hire fee for the use of the locomotive and rolling stock and a track access fee for the use of WHR Ltd's line between Porthmadog (WHR) and Pen y Mount. Another key part of

3534-506: The FR's highly restrictive loading gauge . Russell is now owned by WHR Ltd and has been restored to its original profile. 590 notably retained its original form until its demise. The railway is a single track line with passing loops at Dinas , Waunfawr , Rhyd Ddu , Beddgelert and Pont Croesor halt. There is also a loop at Hafod y Llyn , which is normally locked out of use as a stabling point for engineering trains. As with any single track railway, there are strict rules managing

3627-436: The Ffestiniog Railway Company owned Welsh Highland Railway. WHR Ltd's primary focus is on recreating the atmosphere of the original Welsh Highland Railway. This includes replicas of original buildings, using original and replica carriages and rolling stock and the staff wearing period costume. It also has a museum at its Gelert's Farm Works and every train halts there on the return journey to allow passengers to visit it. There

3720-574: The Ffestiniog Railway wrote to the council in January 2014 to confirm that they would not themselves be supportive of such a scheme in narrow gauge, but supported the reconnection of the town to the national rail network using standard gauge. The modern Welsh Highland Railway is a tourist railway owned and operated by the Festiniog Railway Company. It is longer than the original line and starts from Caernarfon rather than Dinas. The extension

3813-737: The Internet while others have neighborhood shops which are among the best resources for beginning and intermediate collectors. Some dealers also jointly set up week-end stamp markets called "bourses" that move around a region from week to week. One of the most well known bourses is the Carré Marigny in Paris. They also meet collectors at regional exhibitions and stamp shows. A worldwide collection would be enormous, running to thousands of volumes, and would be incredibly expensive to acquire. Many consider that Count Philipp von Ferrary 's collection at

Festiniog Railway Letter Service - Misplaced Pages Continue

3906-523: The Second World War. Much of the rolling stock was sold off and most of the track was lifted. The Croesor Tramway section was left intact in case the slate quarries re-opened and remained until finally lifted in 1948–9. In 1943, the Ffestiniog Railway surrendered its lease and, in exchange for £550 compensation, it was allowed to keep 'Single Fairlie' Moel Tryfan (although it only paid £150). Various legal manoeuvres followed this, including

3999-415: The United Kingdom's only mixed gauge flat rail crossing . The restoration, which had the civil engineering mainly built by contractors and the track mainly built by volunteers, received a number of awards. Originally running from Dinas , near Caernarfon , to Porthmadog Harbour , the current line includes an additional section from Dinas to Caernarfon. The original line also had a branch to Bryngwyn and

4092-497: The WHR and the Festiniog Railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog and then changing again to take the standard gauge railway to their original starting point. Despite these attempts, the FR Co. were unsuccessful, the last passenger train ran in 1936 and the last goods service in 1937. The early tourist industry did not provide sufficient visitors to make the railway pay, especially during the Depression . Competition from buses which ran

4185-541: The WHR in 1922. In 1902, the newly formed PBSSR took over the failed Portmadoc, Croesor and Beddgelert Tram Railway with the aim of extending it to South Snowdon slate quarry in the Nant Gwynant Pass. Work was abandoned by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, although the tunnels through the Aberglaslyn Pass were mostly completed. The name Welsh Highland Railway first appeared in 1921 when

4278-422: The WHR made a loss. The FR Co. attempted to change the line's fortunes by re-focussing on the tourist market. This included painting the carriages bright colours, including yellow and blue and promoting the Aberglaslyn Pass as a destination by renaming Nantmor station as Aberglaslyn . They also tried to promote round trip (return) journeys, with passengers taking the standard gauge line to Dinas , travelling on

4371-569: The WHR main line at Pen-y-Mount junction . The original Welsh Highland Railway was formed in 1922 from the merger of two companies – the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (NWNGR) and the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway (PBSSR), successor to the Portmadoc, Croesor and Beddgelert Tram Railway . It was never a commercial success; the carriages of the 1890s were outdated and uncomfortable for so long

4464-493: The WHR. The LRO was passed in 1922, following a public inquiry. The budget was £75,000 and much of the funding was borrowed from the Ministry of Transport and local authorities. According to the historian Peter Johnson , this would become a burden as the railway needed to generate the unlikely sum of £3,750 profit each year to service the debt. Two further LROs enabled improvements to the railway's alignment at Beddgelert ,

4557-408: The adjacent standard gauge rail, but that the narrow gauge crosses on rail of a similar section which is joined on either side in succession to 80 lb/yd (36 kg/m)rail and then to the normal 60 lb/yd (30 kg/m) rail used for the narrow gauge. Stamp collecting Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately , which

4650-456: The agreement defined the names of the two companies' operations during the period that the line was restored. The FR Co. promoted their section as The Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon) (WHR C) and WHR Ltd. changed its operational name from The Welsh Highland Railway to The Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog) (WHR P) . When the two sections were connected in 2008, WHR Ltd. changed its operational name to The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway and

4743-487: The agreement on 28 May 1891. The FR Co. copy survived and was located in 1968 by the Company Archivist, Michael Seymour. The Postmaster General apparently could not confirm the continuing validity of the 1891 agreement, but accepted the copy the FR had, between the FR Co. and the G.P.O., was still valid, and the service was reinstated on 28 May 1969. FR Railway Letter Fee labels (stamps), for the reinstatement of

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4836-453: The available postage stamps and publish books about them. Some stamps, such as the triangular issues of the Cape of Good Hope , have become legendary. By the early 2000s, stamp collecting was seen to be in decline as the digital world surpassed traditional hobbies even though by 2013, The Wall Street Journal estimated the global number of stamp collectors was around 60 million. However,

4929-474: The beginning of the 20th century is widely considered the most complete stamp collection ever formed (or likely to be formed). It included, for example, all of the rare stamps described above that had been issued by 1917. However, as Ferrary was an Austrian citizen, the collection was broken up and sold by the French government after the First World War, as war reparations. The Tapling Collection of postage stamps

5022-418: The beginning of the 20th century was the most complete ever formed. Many collectors limit their collecting to particular countries, certain time periods or particular subjects (called "topicals") like birds or aircraft. Some of the more popular collecting areas include: There are thousands of organizations for collectors: local stamp clubs, special-interest groups, and national organizations. Most nations have

5115-457: The collector. In the latter cases, using acid free paper provides better long-term stamp protection. The main ways of acquiring stamps are through retail market stamp dealers who have online websites, or post on eBay or other forums, and conduct local stamp show dealer "bourse" events. The way to buy wholesale is to attend auctions and there are many auction companies around the world that offer regular auctions, most lots sold at one advance over

5208-402: The crossing on foot. After 1923, it was unable to pay debenture interest and, in 1927, the county council sued and put the railway into receivership. Services continued and by 1933, it was run down and the local authorities decided to close it. In 1934, the company agreed to lease the line to the Festiniog Railway Company for 42 years. It was a disaster, with the FR forced to pay rent even if

5301-425: The earliest and most notable was John Edward Gray . In 1862, Gray stated that he "began to collect postage stamps shortly after the system was established and before it had become a rage". Female stamp collectors date from the earliest days of postage stamp collecting. One of the earliest was Adelaide Lucy Fenton who wrote articles in the 1860s for the journal The Philatelist under the name Herbert Camoens. As

5394-532: The early 2000s. As the WHR has no telephone cabling to connect the system, the FR Co. is developing a more modern alternative method of connecting the ETS machines. Until the system is finished, the WHR will continue using its current token systems. Just outside Porthmadog, the railway crosses the Network Rail -owned Cambrian Coast line using a flat crossing . It existed on the old Welsh Highland Railway and

5487-483: The first day of the FR's reintroduced Railway Letter Service, a railway letter, enclosing sheets of the stamps, was dispatched to H.M. The Queen. A reply was later received, stating that The Queen has been graciously pleased to accept the stamps for inclusion in the Royal Philatelic Collection . Welsh Highland Railway The Welsh Highland Railway (WHR; Welsh : Rheilffordd Eryri )

5580-475: The forum for the future as membership and attendance at club events has grown substantially since they have made their meetings accessible via the internet. Stamp clubs and philatelic societies can add a social aspect to stamp collecting and provide a forum where novices can meet experienced collectors. Although such organizations are often advertised in stamp magazines and online, the relatively small number of collectors – especially outside urban areas – means that

5673-407: The hobby and study of stamps began to grow, stamp albums and stamp related literature began to surface, and by the early 1880s publishers like Stanley Gibbons made a business out of this advent. Children and teenagers were early collectors of stamps in the 1860s and 1870s. Many adults dismissed it as a childish pursuit but later many of those same collectors, as adults, began to systematically study

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5766-419: The hobby's unexpected appeal for a millennial audience was observed in a 2020 article for The Guardian . A few basic items of equipment are recommended for proper stamp collection. Stamp tongs help to handle stamps safely, a magnifying glass helps in viewing fine details and an album is a convenient way to store stamps. The stamps need to be attached to the pages of the album in some way, and stamp hinges are

5859-596: The insistence of the Royal Mail, a new agreement, a separate contract between the Royal Mail and each participating heritage railway company, was introduced on 18 December 1998. In philatelic circles , these stamps are generally classed as cinderella issues . Examples of early Victorian railway letter fee stamps, and later, are to be seen in the National Philatelic Collection in London. On

5952-447: The length of the line. His Majesty's Railway Inspectorate , the organisation responsible for safety on British railways, insists on landlines as the main form of safety critical communication. The signalling on the WHR is much simpler than that used on the Ffestiniog Railway or the UK national rail network. To enter any section of line, the train crew must obtain permission from Control and

6045-479: The many subjects depicted on them, ranging from ships, horses, and birds to kings, queens and presidents. Sales of postage stamps are an important source of income for some countries whose stamp issues may exceed their postal needs, but have designs that appeal to many stamp collectors. It has been suggested that John Bourke, Receiver General of Stamp Dues in Ireland , was the first collector. In 1774, he assembled

6138-428: The mid-1980s, a number of FR Co. employees became concerned about impact of possible competition from a rebuilt WHR and passed this view on to the FR management. In 1987, this resulted in a confidential offer to buy the WHR track bed from the official receiver for £16,000 to prevent the WHR being developed. In 1989, the offer became public, causing a backlash against the FR Co. In 1990, a change of directors resulted in

6231-445: The minor railways (Association of Independent Railways Ltd) to fix a fee independently of BR. Under the agreement, BR also benefited since it was no longer required to accept letters from a minor railway without the payment of an additional fee. Changing commercial circumstances caused BR to withdraw completely from this nationwide service on 8 June 1984. The Ffestiniog Railway and other heritage railways continued to offer this service. At

6324-400: The movement of trains to prevent more than one entering a section. The line is managed from a single " Control " office at Porthmadog Harbour Station , which also performs the same task for the Ffestiniog Railway . Control is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of trains, logs train movements on a train graph and acts as a single point of contact in emergencies. A system of tokens

6417-402: The need for a mount. Stamps should be stored away from light, heat and moisture or they will be damaged. Stamps can be displayed according to the collector's wishes, by country, topic, or even by size, which can create a display pleasing to the eye. There are no rules and it is entirely a matter for the individual collector to decide. Albums can be commercially purchased, downloaded or created by

6510-424: The ordinary G.P.O. service. Anyone with an important document urgently required elsewhere (usually London) could consult Bradshaw and discover the next train from the local station offering a connection with a train to London (or wherever) and they could then hand in the letter at the local station, secure in the knowledge that the recipient (whom they informed by telephone or telegraph) could collect it on arrival by

6603-498: The points at passing loops are operated automatically using the Automatic Train Operated Trailable (ATOTP) system, rather than a manually operated lever or point motor. There are also no signals to indicate that a train can enter a section. A "Stop" board at the end of the platform orders the train to stop until the train crew have obtained permission to proceed from control and a token. At the end of

6696-484: The postal system brings. It is still operated as a volunteer non profit operation, for the benefit of the company. Under the Railway Letter Service, a letter could be passed from train to train and railway to railway until it was finally collected at a station, or posted at a station local to the addressee. The original commercial advantage of the scheme rested on it being quicker and more reliable than

6789-541: The predecessor companies: Moel Tryfan and Russell . When these proved insufficient, Baldwin 590 was acquired by H.F. Stephens and several Festiniog Railway locomotives saw regular use on the Welsh Highland Railway throughout its entire pre-closure existence from 1923 to 1937. 590 was planned to be part of a larger fleet to replace Moel Tryfan and Russell but it gained so little popularity that Stephens never bought another. By 1936 Moel Tryfan

6882-468: The provision of a label (supplied by each participating railway company) to be affixed to the face of the letter. Railway Letters must bear the full G.P.O. Royal Mail First Class Letter Postage as well as the Railway Letter Fee. The agreement, permitting the carriage of letters more quickly than by the normal postal service, became effective nationally on 1 February 1891 and the FR Co. signed

6975-422: The railway; WHR Ltd would be allowed to construct the section of the railway from Pen y Mount to Pont Croesor and then operate their own services over it until such time as the "Head of Steel" arrived at Pont Croesor from the north. The Pen y Mount to Pont Croesor section would then be handed over to the FR's construction company for incorporation into the rest of the WHR. Finally, in between its principal services,

7068-415: The relevant token . Each section of line is a token block section . The WHR uses the traditional Staff and Ticket system in which trains can either be issued with the section token staff or a numbered ticket. Tickets allow multiple trains to pass one-at-a-time through a section in one direction. The Controller advises the train crew which method they will be using. Tickets are kept in a locked box opened by

7161-403: The remainder on 1 June 1923. The WHR venture was not a success and was beset with problems from the start. Indeed, 1923 was its most successful year. Much hoped-for revenue from quarry traffic never materialised as the slate industry had fallen into decline. Its passenger services were also unsuccessful and could not compete with the local bus services, which often took half the time to complete

7254-634: The reopening of the Welsh Highland line, the service now operates all year round. The service originated in 1891 when the FR Co. was party to an agreement on the carriage of Railway Letters made between the G.P.O. and most of the British Railway Companies (operating through the Railway Clearing House ). The agreement specifies firstly the conditions under which the service is permitted to operate and secondly

7347-425: The restored lines are known as Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru and Rheilffordd Eryri . Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru (= Welsh Highland Railway ) has been used since 1980 by WHR Ltd. and its predecessors. Rheilffordd Eryri ( Eryri = Land of Eagles , the Welsh name for Snowdonia ) is the Welsh title used by the Festiniog Railway Company for its Welsh Highland Railway operations. Two locomotives were inherited from

7440-537: The same journey. Its rolling stock was out of date, it lacked locomotives and carriages and its marketing was inadequate. In 1924, winter passenger services were discontinued due to poor traffic. A dispute with the Great Western Railway over the costs of the crossing over its line at Porthmadog also caused problems, despite the crossing having been used since 1867 without any charges or problems. The railway even had to resort to escorting passengers across

7533-444: The section, the train can proceed into the platform provided the lights are lit on the home (shunt token warning) board, the point indicator is lit and the relevant platform is clear. One of the disadvantages of the staff and ticket system is that it is very inflexible. If a locomotive fails in a station, for example, a token staff may be at the wrong end of a section and will have to be moved by road. This situation does not occur under

7626-432: The service, were designed by volunteer Michael Seymour, the FR Co. Archivist (as were all subsequent stamps and pictorial cancellations until his death in February 1999). The stamps, and many later issues, were printed by T. Stephenson & Sons Ltd. Festiniog Railway Letters were initially accepted at the following stations when staffed – Porthmadog, Dduallt, and Tan-y-bwlch, and also on the trains. A First Day Cover service

7719-399: The specified train. The G.P.O./Royal Mail insisted that the normal postage be paid with Post Office stamps in addition to any railway letter fee and this condition continues. In the late 19th century most British railway companies offered the service and many produced specific railway letter labels (stamps) as required by the agreement. As time went on most companies, including BR, resorted to

7812-427: The stamps received from family members are often of the definitive sort. Definitives seem mundane but, considering their variety of colours, watermarks , paper differences, perforations and printing errors, they can fill many pages in a collection. Introducing either variety or specific focus to a collection can require the purchasing of stamps, either from a dealer or online. Online stamp collector clubs often contain

7905-592: The trouble to provide themselves with 1d, 6d, 1/- and also 1s. 2d. stamps. Extra 1d and a new 1s. 3d. stamps were soon ordered from the printers. The heritage railways, tired of BR frequently upping the charge by a penny, BR had long since given up using priced stamps or labels, sought changes. A new agreement between the Post Office, the Association of Minor Railways, British Rail and Northern Ireland Railways became effective on 3 June 1974. The agreement allowed

7998-412: The underbidder no matter what the price. These are called unreserved auctions. Reserved auctions are the same except a minimum price or "reserve" is set to ensure the stamp does not sell below this level. If during the auction there are no bidders for the lot at the reserve price then the lot will be left unsold in the auction. Buying at auction takes knowing the market and what stamps are worth at both

8091-400: The use of parcel labels, often with hand written values, or latterly rubber stamps. Until 1974, BR set the Railway Letter Fee (a complex fare structure) and this was often changed without warning or notice. The basic fee was thus increased with immediate effect from 1s. 2d. to 1s. 3d. on 26 May 1969 – just two days before the reintroduction of the service on the FR. Fortunately the FR had taken

8184-482: Was broken up at Dinas. Despite the unpopularity of 590 , the WHHR (Porthmadog) is currently refurbishing a similar Baldwin to act as a replica. During the ownership of the WHR by the Festiniog Railway Company, Moel Tryfan and Russell were cut down to allow them to traverse the Festiniog Railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Moel Tryfan proved suitable, but Russell , even in cut down form, was not low or narrow enough to fit

8277-465: Was built on the trackbed of the former standard gauge railway. Dinas station is also built on the standard gauge railway site, rather than the original narrow gauge site, with the line moving onto the original WHR alignment just south of the station. It is marketed by the FR Co. as The Welsh Highland Railway and Rheilffordd Eryri (In the Welsh language , Eryri = "Snowdonia"). The WHR's connection to

8370-691: Was donated to the British Museum from the estate of Thomas Tapling in 1891. It currently forms the Tapling Collection in the Philatelic Collections of the British Library . Several European monarchs were keen stamp collectors, including King George V of the United Kingdom and King Carol II of Romania . King George V possessed one of the most valuable stamp collections in the world and became President of

8463-516: Was introduced and covers were for over thirty years serviced for all G.P.O. Commemorative and Welsh Regional issues as well as for FR issues and special events on the railway. Recently this level of business has been curtailed, as the numbers issued by Royal Mail has increased, and the company has concentrated more on FR stamps and special FR events. This has changed with the expansion on the Welsh Highland line, and other opportunities changes in

8556-597: Was out of use at Boston Lodge . When Russell and 590 were withdrawn the following year, they were placed in Dinas shed, but when the Second World War broke out, the Ministry of War came to see about appropriating them for the war effort. After some examination of the engines and questioning of those who had worked them, Russell (regarded as a good engine) was removed for further use, and 590 (seen as an unreliable, rough rider with difficult controls and inadequate adhesion)

8649-492: Was the source of much conflict between the old company and the Great Western Railway over the cost of WHR trains using the crossing. On the modern WHR, the crossing is called Cae Pawb. Cae Pawb means "everybody's field" and is a reference to the nearby field of allotments. Information, from the engineers involved, is that the Network Rail line crosses on solid steel billets to the same head, foot and height measurements as

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