Ffestiniog 50 - The Golden Jubilee Gala

There had been a few murmurs about the D&HR B class attending, nice as it was, what had it to do with the FR50 celebrations? While it might be a little out of place in a celebration of the preservation history of the FR, the Darjeeling line is very much linked to the FR, both past and present. The D&HR's origins come right out of that period of the FR's history when Charles Easton Spooner, Robert Fairlie & Captain Tyler were championing the cause of the narrow gauge to the world. George Percival Spooner (designer of Merddin Emrys) went to India in 1879 when he left North Wales and almost certainly inspected the Darjeeling construction works. Charles Easton Spooner's nephew Thomas John Spooner worked for the D&HR as an engineer for several years in the 1880s, further strengthening the link. There is also a link between the B class and the Penrhyn Ladies 'Linda' & 'Blanche'; Sharp Stewart subcontracted the construction of a batch of D&HR A class locos to Hunslet of Leeds (the B class was an enlarged verion of the A class) at the same time the the Penrhyn Qaurry was looking for a new main line locomotive. The A class (HE 290-293) and 'Charles' (HE 283) are very closely related and were probably built alongside each other, sharing many dimensions and design points.

Anyway, Adrian Shooter's B class No 19 made a very pleasant addition to the weekend and James and I took the opportunity for a ride behind it on the Monday morning.

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The Darjeeling B Class Locoomotive

The Darjeeling locomotive and it’s carriages outside the old loco shed - will they fit? Boston Lodge.
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Darjeeling B Class No 19, Boston Lodge loco shed.
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A view of the controls of the B class.
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Wreathed in steam, the B class sets back along the main line at Boston Lodge.
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No 19 runs into the yard at the end of the day, Boston Lodge.
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Waiting for an up train in the sun, B class No 19 at Minffordd.
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The B class and it’s train at Minffordd.
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A fascinating locomotive, no 19 would look at home on the bends above Beddgelert, but for now Minffordd will have to do.
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‘Palmerston’ runs into Minffordd as the B class waits in the down loop.
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Shovelling coal from the tender of the B class, shouldn’t Michelle Gamage be sat on the bunker in front of the cab?!?
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The B class runs out along the Cob as it shunts into No 2 road, Porthmadog.
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Tindharia or Harbour Station? The Darjeeling B Class 0-4-0ST takes a rest by the water tower.
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The Darjeeling B Class makes a splendid sight crossing the Cob with a train to Rhiw Goch.
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The Indian train heads towards Boston Lodge.
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Page created on: 09/05/2005
Copyright Martin Cowgill

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