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Welcome to Festipedia,
the FR Heritage Group wiki.
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This month's featured article
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Horse operation was a feature of the FR from its opening until the introduction of steam locomotives.
James Spooner’s elegant survey for the Festiniog Railway described a line of railway falling at a fairly steady gradient from the upper terminus near Blaenau Ffestiniog (700ft) to Boston Lodge, at the eastern end of the Cob (Sea Level) and was designed to allow loaded waggons to run down the line under gravity with empties being hauled back up by horses.
For a period after the opening of the railway, in 1836, the smooth line of James Spooner’s survey was interrupted by a pair of inclines that took the line over a shoulder of the Moelwyn mountains. Spooner had planned for a tunnel but had been overruled by Henry Archer on the grounds of cost. After a couple of years, and as traffic developed, the inclines became such a hindrance that Spooner prevailed and, in 1839, work began to drive the tunnel. It was opened in 1842 and from then on the FR was able to operate as it had been designed; loaded waggons exploiting the free power of gravity and being taken back up to the quarries by horses.
Each horse could haul 7 or 8 slate waggons and, though they are usually referred to as ‘empties’ they were, in fact, frequently loaded with a lucrative back traffic of goods for the growing community at Blaenau Ffestiniog. Each train included one extra wagon, known as a Dandy. These were high-sided open wagons with a door at one end, designed to carry the horse on the downward journey, permitting them to rest between duties. The earliest examples were wooden, as were the contemporary slate waggons. Later, iron dandies were built at Boston Lodge. (more...)
Recently featured: Rhiwbach Tramway – Merddin Emrys – Quarrymen's carriages
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Purpose
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| 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
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Contributing to Festipedia
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| 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.
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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.
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This month's featured picture
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Charles Menzies Holland claimed to be the designer of the first locomotives built for the FR. In 1860 the Board of the Festiniog Railway Company instructed the Secretary, Charles Easton Spooner, to investigate the possibility of using steam locomotives. They advised Spooner to consult with Charles Menzies Holland, the nephew of Samuel Holland, Junior (a quarry proprietor and one of the FR's largest customers). Charles Holland was an Engineer who was said to be acquainted with the subject.
After much correspondence, the contract to build the first locomotives was given to George England, selected partly because his works in London was near to where Holland was then working.
Holland's earlier designs were somewhat eccentric. England suggested changes to the design and pursuaded Holland to agree to a more conventional design. Holland stated in a letter (20/2/1863) to C.E.Spooner that he supported the changes because he believed England had the greater experience in locomotive design. Holland was paid £100 by the FR Company for his services.
Photo credit: Jim Hewett
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