80-416: National Preservation is the trading name for Nat Pres Ltd, a British-based online company that specialises in retail and discussion among railway enthusiasts . The company was created on 25 June 2008 as an extension of the original National Preservation forum, which began on 10 March 2005, and has since moved to its own server. Nat Pres Ltd soon expanded beyond the original forum by running RailTours-Live that
160-592: 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
240-635: 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,
320-539: A data book listing the locomotives or equipment in question, in which locomotives seen are ticked off. An early trainspotter was 14-year-old Fanny Gordon, who in 1861 recorded the names of locomotives passing Westbourne Park station on the Great Western Main Line . The hobby is referenced in Edith Nesbit's 1905 children's book The Railway Children . In Great Britain, this aspect of the hobby
400-490: A fantrip by road for the purposes of photography is often referred to as "motorcading" in Australia. Some enthusiasts combine their interest in trains with the hobby of monitoring radio communications, specializing in listening to radio communications of railroad operations using a scanner . In some busy rail corridors, local governments have budgeted, constructed and maintain railfan viewing platforms, sometimes part of
480-650: 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
560-430: A feature on the forum. Entitled "Overheard at the bar", the section reprinted a selection of some of the best posts from the forum during that month, chosen jointly by Danny Hopkins and Glyn Murray. These covered issues such as steam locomotive history and other sundry events within the movement such as railtours. It is believed that National Preservation is the first forum to have its own Locomotive Headboard cast. Among
640-459: 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
720-419: 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"
800-484: 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
880-534: 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
SECTION 10
#1732776441419960-901: A park area or nearby rail museum, which they promote along with other tourist attractions. One such example is the Folkston Railfan Platform along CSX tracks in Folkston, Georgia , USA, where viewers can see regular Florida freight traffic, as well as Amtrak passenger trains, including its daily AutoTrain . In some democratic countries, such as Canada , many railfans advocate politically for expanded railway infrastructure and promote civic engagement that encourages further development of railways. Owing to their presence at stations and near other areas of rail infrastructure, railfans have sometimes been requested to aid railways and legal authorities alike in observing and reporting safety breaches and incidents of crime. Railfans in
1040-486: 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
1120-443: 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
1200-451: A train or for covering unexplored parts of the rail network. The practice of bashing dates back to the decline of steam locomotive operations, when more passionate trainspotters wished to note which steam engines they had travelled behind. Following the withdrawal of mainline steam in 1968, a new generation of bashers took to accumulating mileage behind diesel locomotives; the variety of diesel types, destinations to travel behind them, and
1280-428: 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
1360-535: A view of the track, stealing goods to sell on to fund expensive cameras, theft of railway equipment, being rude towards station staff and train drivers, physical assault , and attempting to intimidate passengers and road users for inadvertently interfering with their activities. Network Rail , the British rail infrastructure owner and station operator, has produced guidelines for the behaviour and responsibilities of railway enthusiasts at its stations. In May 2010,
1440-599: 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
1520-566: Is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems. Railfans often combine their interest with other hobbies, especially photography and videography , radio scanning , railway modelling , studying railroad history and participating in railway station and rolling stock preservation efforts. There are many magazines and websites dedicated to railfanning and railway enthusiasts, including Trains , Railfan & Railroad , The Railway Magazine , Locomotive Magazine and Railway Gazette International . In
1600-490: 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
1680-537: Is maintained by a team of volunteers acting as moderators, settling disputes and ensuring users stay within the pre-determined forum rules. The company has forged a working relationship with Steam Railway and The Railway Magazine , two of the biggest selling railway periodicals in the United Kingdom , thus expanding the forum's audience, and attracting input from professionals within the railway preservation movement. The forum also hosts representatives from
SECTION 20
#17327764414191760-457: Is now no longer operational. However, its popular 'What's Going On' section continues to provide useful links to other sites where Rail Tour information is published including commentaries on extant tours plus links to national train information such as Real Time Trains. The company was run by Glyn Murray, who managed the entire website and was the CEO . Other directors were Alexandra Murray. The forum
1840-408: 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
1920-693: 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
2000-591: 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
2080-592: The National Railway Museum to discuss matters relating to their individual areas of expertise as well as providing them with a platform to promote their various publications or institutions. In February 2018 the Forum was sold by the founder, Glyn Murray, to Conrad Windham who is the owner and director of Flamethrower Ltd. Since this sale the Forum has largely been allowed to continue to operate as before and members have benefited from less 'down-time' of
2160-612: The New York City Subway attempted to institute a photo ban, which was met with fierce opposition and ultimately scrapped. In sharp contrast, the Port Authority Trans–Hudson (PATH) successfully implemented a photo ban that is still in effect (although it predated the 11 September attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing); it has led to confiscations and arrests on the PATH system. A trainspotter may use
2240-682: 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
2320-414: 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
2400-675: The 82045 Trust and the group aiming to rebuild a GWR Grange locomotive, no. 6880 Betton Grange , as well as many smaller groups, trusts and societies. This is in addition to many ordinary members of the various heritage railways in the UK, from some of the largest, such as the Severn Valley Railway , Bluebell Railway and North Yorkshire Moors Railway , to some of the smallest. The forum first came to mass attention during 2006, with an incident involving British Railways 4MT no. 76079 on Exeter Bank, near Exeter Central station , when
2480-409: 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
National Preservation - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-496: 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,
2640-520: 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
2720-506: 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
2800-436: 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
2880-574: 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
2960-523: 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
3040-479: 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
3120-805: The United Kingdom, rail enthusiasts are often called trainspotters or anoraks . The term gricer has been used in the UK since at least 1969 and is said to have been current in 1938 amongst members of the Manchester Locomotive Society, according to the Oxford English Dictionary . There has been speculation that the term derives from "grouser", one who collects dead grouse after a shoot , but other etymologies have also been suggested. In Australia, they are sometimes referred to as " gunzels ". In Japan rail enthusiasts are known as densha otaku , although numerous terms exist to describe activities falling within
3200-690: The United States have been asked by BNSF to keep railroad areas safer by reporting crimes and suspicious activity. In the United Kingdom the British Transport Police have asked trainspotters to report any unusual behaviour and activities at stations. In the United States, concerns about terrorism have led to situations where railfans are followed or confronted by local law enforcement or transit police . This has also led to situations where certain transportation agencies have implemented photography bans systemwide. A railfan
3280-497: 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
National Preservation - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-541: 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
3440-422: 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
3520-569: 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
3600-493: 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 ,
3680-456: 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
3760-466: The category including Toritetsu for fans of photographing and/or filming trains, Nori-tetsu (people who enjoy travelling by train) and Eki-tetsu (enthusiasts of train station architecture). In the United States, they can be referred to pejoratively as " foamers ". There is a dispute over the origin of this term. Some cite the extensive use of styrofoam to create scenery and landscaping in model railroad building, while others trace its origins to
3840-738: The criticism leveled at the website has been the perceived lack of understanding among members on many areas, often calling them "armchair enthusiasts" Another criticism which has been made of the forum is the large number of members who are not active volunteers, often despite being members of at least one preservation society. Others, however, believe it provides a cross-section of the enthusiast movement, with some working members, but also railway photographers , videographers , backroom staff and general enthusiasts. Railfan A railfan , train fan , rail buff or train buff ( American English ), railway enthusiast , railway buff , trainspotter ( Australian / British English ) or ferroequinologist
3920-402: 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
4000-551: The dangers of acting carelessly in the vicinity of an active railway were highlighted after an enthusiast, standing immediately next to a double track line photographing the Oliver Cromwell , failed to notice a Bombardier Turbostar express train approaching at ~70 mph (112 km/h) on the nearer track in the other direction, and came within inches of being struck by it. Welsh Highland Railway The Welsh Highland Railway (WHR; Welsh : Rheilffordd Eryri )
4080-673: The donation. The funds were raised through individual donations, as well as subscriptions and proceeds from the shop, A newsletter by the Welsh Highland Railway was produced to celebrate the event. A new poll is being run currently. National Preservation was used in helping the Betton Grange society publicise their major gala "Steel, Steam and Stars" in April 2007, held at the Llangollen Railway . The forum
SECTION 50
#17327764414194160-532: 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
4240-484: The formation of the company Nat Pres Limited. The original forum now serves as both a discussion board and as a place where various special events or mainline railtours by heritage railways and mainline tour operators can be promoted. There is now a regular flow of information and news from some of the major players in the UK railway preservation sector. These include the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust ,
4320-481: The gala. National Preservation was also used in helping with the new Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening Gala. On the weekend of the 13/14 November 2010. The forum had the first 12 coach express beer train to run on the new Cauldon Lowe Branch, sporting the National Preservation headboard. For a spell during 2007, Steam Railway magazine actively ran
4400-399: 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
4480-480: The locomotive slipped to a stand on a railtour . The forum became a centre for the activity on that day, as news broke of the incident and reaction given from various sources, including the locomotive owner Ian Riley. This led to the forum being cited in the report on the incident in Steam Railway magazine by David Wilcock, the first example of the importance of the website being recognised by major players in
4560-428: 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
4640-400: 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
4720-498: 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
4800-541: 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
4880-708: The pursuit of clearing classes all fuelled the popularity of bashing. Today, despite the majority of British trains being formed of multiple units , bashing still remains a popular pastime for railway enthusiasts. "Shed bashing" describes going out to as many railway sheds or depots as possible. It was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. As they required a permit that could be hard to obtain, some "shed bashers" were illegal. Many railway preservation groups run special trips for railfans using restored trains , often on "rare mileage" lines that do not see regular passenger service. These trips are both social events and opportunities for railfans to photograph unusual trains. Chasing
SECTION 60
#17327764414194960-443: The railway preservation movement. As of 17 February 2009, the forum has 3,833 members, who between them have posted over a quarter of a million articles to the forum. On average, the forum has gained about 160 members per month since the start of 2009. The forum has added roughly 1,000 to its membership year on year since its formation in 2005. The company and forum are now one of the more respected and well-known general groups in
5040-422: 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,
5120-486: The related term "Foamite" (which stands for "Far Out and Mentally Incompetent Train Enthusiast") or claim it refers to "the notion of foaming-at-the-mouth craziness". "Ferroequinologist" derives from the use of " Iron horse " as a nickname for early steam locomotives. The hobby extends to all aspects of rail transport systems. Railfans may have one or more particular concentrations of interest, such as: The scope of
5200-415: 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
5280-403: 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
5360-425: 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
5440-537: 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
5520-444: 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
5600-450: The site and greater accessibility via a more robust server. Whilst this has necessarily involved higher levels of marketing and targeted advertising to raise income, members are able to opt out of this through a modest membership fee. The online forum is where most of the publicly viewable activity takes place. It was the first tangible signs of the company on the internet. It began as a purely free online forum, however has since grown into
5680-574: The subject is so large that fans may additionally concentrate their interest on a particular country, town, railway company , field of operations or era in history – or a combination of any of the above. Train photography is a common activity of railfans. Most railfans do their photographing from public property, unless they have permission to use a specific private property owner's land. Occasionally, they run into problems with law enforcement, especially due to post 9/11 security concerns, because they are sometimes viewed as suspicious. In 2004, for example,
5760-404: The world of railway preservation. The first tangible signs of this increase in importance were the impact the forum made in the enthusiast press following the aforementioned Exeter incident. In 2007, the forum members raised funds for the Welsh Highland Railway appeal to restore their original engine Russell , following a poll among users over which of several deserving candidates should receive
5840-476: Was a factor in the 2008 Chatsworth train collision , as the engineer responsible for the accident had been distracted by texting the railfan while in charge of his train, eventually causing it to pass a signal at danger and crash into an oncoming Union Pacific freight train, killing 25 and injuring 135 others. BNSF instituted the "Citizens for Rail Security" (CRS) program for the general public to report suspicious activities on their railways. Obtaining this card
5920-482: 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
6000-465: 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
6080-618: Was common for railfans and is a derivative of the BNSF "On Guard" program for employees. However, this card does not recognize members as employees or contractors, asks them to keep off railway property, and is no longer obtainable. Amtrak offers a similar program, "Partners for Amtrak Safety and Security" (PASS). In Japan, toritetsu have been frequently criticised for their behaviour when photographing trains, including incidents of vandalism and trespassing into restricted areas to set up cameras, destruction of lineside property and plants to clear
6160-547: Was given a major impetus by the publication from 1942 onward of the Ian Allan "ABC" series of booklets, whose publication began in response to public requests for information about the locomotives of the Southern Railway . In general terms, bashing, a term used by British railway enthusiasts, describes a trip, excursion or holiday primarily involving train travel, usually with the intention of collecting mileage on
6240-597: 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)
6320-492: 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
6400-404: Was used by the group to post details of the gala as they were confirmed and to provide information and reports on the event afterwards. For the follow-up gala in 2009, the forum has been utilised in a similar way, but has also been used to help provide volunteers for jobs during the event, and the company is sponsoring the running of specific trains and a guest ale at the beer festival held alongside
#418581