Category: Spring Bank Holiday Weekend 2020

I ran a Ffestiniog/Welsh Highland service with my Double Fairlie and Bug Boxes, then a couple more pictures with quarry stock from other North Wales lines……

Another windy day, and so it was decided that Sir Christopher Wren would be required to take a heavy goods train up the valley to the freshly ballasted goods yard at the top station. The train is just about as long as can be accommodated in the Sling Uchaf run round loop. Apologies for the camera angle in the middle, which slightly exaggerates the gradient of Stoat’s Bank!

From Terry Timms




William and Harry wait hopefully for the next train at Wittering Station not realising that their ‘tails on the track’ have caused the signalman to hold the train beyond the platform!

Working in the lovely evening sunshine, the rolling stock from the sidings was collected together ready for the return train.

And then moved onto the main line while the shunting took place – just as well it’s a Tramway!!

The newly arrived rolling was moved into the required locations. It takes a bit of imagination, but, the van is where the goods shed will be one day and the opens are where a covered platform will be built. The coal wagons are where coal staithes and a loco servicing area will be. The quarry access to the through the tunnel seems to be where both slate and granite is being quarried.

Then the goods stock for the return journey was collected together.

And then the passenger coaches were moved to complete the train, ready for the trip back down the valley.

There may be other ways of moving stock around at the new station yard, and if so we’ll discover those in due course. At least we know the new track arrangement can be worked by a large engine when necessary, and so the track ballasting work can now be progressed to complete this part of the project.

After all the wind, and after a period with only limited running, the track and line-side needed a lot of clearance work.
Once done it was time to try out the new track arrangement at the top station. With the wind still rather gusty and blown leaves still falling onto the track, it was decided that a heavy train and a radio controlled battery engine would be needed for the trial. “Sir Christopher Wren” was re-gauged for the job and, to enable a good test, a long mixed train was assembled to leave Lavan Road Station and head up the valley.

Arriving safely at the top station, the train only just fitted into the run round loop!

The sidings at Sling Uchaf already had rolling stock in them – empties awaiting return back down the valley and fresh granite destined for far away places.

First job was to clear the loop of rolling stock, and so while the passengers alighted, the goods traffic was moved to the loop.

Then the coaches and Guard’s Van were moved to the bay siding. Now the goods wagons could be attended to …

Our little diesel brings out a pair of Dewintons fresh from the workshops. Tram loco waiting at the works for somewhere to go. Hopefully we can get some track soon. The little diesel will then be on trackwork duty.

Keith & Anna

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The residents and businesses at Sling Uchaf have been waiting patiently for several years for the Tramway Company to build a decent goods shed and yard at the station. Last year a new yard area was planned to be built with a loco servicing area and a siding by the station building for a proposed goods shed. The associated landscaping got a bit carried away and an old quarry tunnel was incorporated without any prior planning. And then the Tramway Management had the bright idea to use this section of quarry tramway as a head-shunt for gaining access to the new goods shed siding.

After a while it was realised this was a mistake as the only engines that could safely use the head-shunt would have to be small radio controlled quarry diesels – but the Tramway doesn’t have any suitable ones to use!!!

And so, the goods shed siding and the point from the head-shunt have been taken up and a new siding has now been installed for the goods shed. It actually gives a longer siding and a lot more space for the shed to sit comfortably within the yard area – and the quarry track can be limited to quarry rolling stock only.

The photos show the “before and after”. The track to the left in the photos is the through line to the return loop, but which is presently out of use whilst bridge construction works are in progress, and so engines have to run round their trains at the station for the time being.

The next step will be to try out the new arrangement for shunting and running round a train for a return journey back down the valley …