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From this month's featured article

Over the years a great variety of signals and signalling practices have been employed on the Ffestiniog Railway. The earliest signalling installed in the 1860s and '70s was of a distinctly old fashioned appearance yet much of it remained in use until the 1920s. Later on more modern semaphore schemes were introduced. Much of the signalling fell out of use in the 1920s following the granting of a light railway order.

Following the revival of the railway the new management made efforts to install more modern signalling. The early efforts were influenced by the Military Railway at Longmoor using flagboards at stations and a central control office. As resources became available more elaborate signalling schemes were implemented at stations using both mechanically operated semaphore signals and automatic colour lights. The signalling of the FR continues to develop and the 2014 resignalling of Harbour Station using electrically operated replica semaphore arms set a new high standard of quality. (more...)

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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.

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This month's featured picture

Gelert is an attractive 0-4-2T built in 1953 by Bagnall for the Rustenberg Platinum Mines in South Africa (Builder's number 3050).

It was the last of four Bagnalls ordered by the mines during the period 1948 - 1953. It was not named whilst working at Rustenberg, but was given the number 4. Its sister engines are all preserved.

This locomotive and its sister, No. 3 (works no. 3023), were first sought by what is now the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway in the early 1970s, but the Arab - Israeli War with its consequent world oil shortage gave them a new lease of life in the mines. In 1980 they again became available and the purchase was completed.

Both locomotives arrived in Porthmadog in April 1982, but serious work on restoring what was to become 'Gelert' did not begin until 1990. Restoration was completed in 1992, the locomotive receiving its name and entering service in August of that year.

Photo credit: User:Traindriverowen

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