From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
|
Welcome to Festipedia,
the FR Heritage Group wiki.
|
|
|
This month's featured article
|
|
Taliesin was an 0-4-4 Single Fairlie built by the Vulcan Foundry in 1876, originally given the number 9. It had its first run on 10th August 1876, double heading with Little Giant, and was put into service on 17th August. It was completely rebuilt between 1898 and 1900. Over subsequent years the locomotive fell into increasing disrepair and was dismantled in preparation for a new boiler in 1924. However, despite recommendations from the Locomotive Superintendent and Engineer, the Board refused to purchase a boiler and Taliesin was reassembled with its existing boiler. The locomotive was finally dismantled in 1932 and the boiler was sold for scrap in 1935, after being run into by Welsh Pony, whose tender was also damaged in the accident. A replica was built in 1999. The only parts of the original locomotive known to have survived are the reversing lever (used on the replica) and the eccentrics (which were used on Linda). A set of Fairlie wheels survives and may well be from this loco. (more...)
Recently featured: Minffordd Yard – Coed y Bleiddiau – Charles Easton Spooner
|
Purpose
|
| Festipedia is dedicated to recording the history of the Festiniog Railway from the 19th Century to the present day. There is a user friendly index to help you find your way around the main categories. You will also find much detail on the Welsh Highland Railway
|
|
Contributing to Festipedia
|
| A wiki is a collaboratively edited website. All users can edit any page. You have complete freedom to add to, edit or delete the work of previous authors.
It is easy to create new pages, link to wiki pages and format the text on pages. There is a full help system so that you can find out how to do things. You will find it similar to Wikipedia.
There is a recent changes page listing all pages that have changed recently. There is also a discussion page where contributors can discuss possible changes to Festipedia, as well as a discussion page for each article.
|
First time visitors
|
| If this is your first visit to Festipedia you may find it useful to log in first. That will allow you to set up your username and decide how certain features should work. All contributors to Festipedia are encouraged to log in.
If you know little or nothing about the Festiniog Railway then History of the FR is a good place to start. You can also choose from the list in the banner at the head of this page.
|
Returning visitors
|
| If you have visited Festipedia before, you may want to visit the community portal for the latest news including information on updates to the wiki software.
|
|
This month's featured picture
|
|
Prince is (probably) the third of the first four locomotives. It is now numbered No.2, but there is doubt about the order of building and numbering of the first four England engines. It was delivered to the FR in January 1864. These locomotives were worked hard, before the arrival of Taliesin, they were coming in for a 2 week period of maintenance every quarter. In this period they would replace brake blocks, brasses and cotter pins in the crank pins as well as replacing some of the firebars. In 1878 Prince had its chimney knocked off and that of Mountaineer was put on. By May 1881 Prince was in a poor state with the boiler pressure restricted to 110lbs. It had a major refit with a 'sham' cast iron tank fitted on top of the side tanks to increase the weight to ten tons and improve adhesion in wet weather, a new weather board, new sandboxes, new cylinders and the boiler retubed.
The locomotive played a major role in the history of the WHR, hauling the first train from Dinas to Porthmadog in 1923, and regularly performing on both lines in the 1920s and 1930s.
Prince is temporarily out of use as the boiler certificate expired in May 2010. He can be seen during the summer of 2010 at the Severn Valley Railway, in The Engine House, Highley.
Photo credit: Chris Jones
|
|
|
Rules for Contributions
The rules for contributions are simple:
- Do not post copyright material unless you have permission from the copyright owner
- Do not post personal details of living individuals (address, telephone number, email address, etc.) unless you have their permission to do so
- Keep on topic - you can put anything you want on your user pages but articles should be about the Ffestiniog Railway or related subjects
- Be courteous
- Do not delete anything unless it needs to be deleted
- Where possible please record the sources of your information
- Please record a comment on the change you have made in the box at the bottom of the page
- No obscene language
- Abusive or libellous postings are banned
If you want to notify us of a possible copyright infringement, please use the Contact Us option in the box in the top left of the page.
We have voluntary editors that look after Festipedia. They can be contacted via email or by using their User pages. Response may not be immediate, but they will reply, as long as you leave a contact point!!
