Tanybwlch Or Bust - The 2004 Vintage Gala

Saturday morning got off to an inauspicious start.  When Perkins restored the petrol engine now in the Simplex, an additional feature in the form of a dipstick was added to the engine.  With the restoration taking longer than expected, test runs had been brief in both time and distance, and had not included the platform road at Harbour station.  As the Simplex ran into the platform to take the slate waggons and curly roof van to Boston Lodge, the new feature came into contact with the platform, shearing off and rendering the Simplex inoperable.

Moelwyn was quickly summoned and hared across the Cob, rods a-blur, charging to the rescue!  The Simplex was soon on it's way to Boston Lodge for repairs, and seemingly in no time at all was back at Harbour Station, ready to provide one of the highlights of the day, a recreation of the first public trains.

The photographs below show the Simplex, with Alan Garraway on the footplate, performing the 1955 'chain shunt' at the entrance to Boston Lodge.

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Saturday Morning - The Simplex & The Chain Shunt

On Saturday morning, the Simplex ran across the Cob to clear the platform road as it had done 50 years ago. (25/09/2004)
On Saturday morning, the Simplex ran across the Cob to clear the platform road as it had done 50 years ago.
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‘Moelwyn’ drags the temporarily oil-less Simplex back to Boston Lodge along the Cob. (25/09/2004)
‘Moelwyn’ drags the temporarily oil-less Simplex back to Boston Lodge along the Cob.
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‘Prince’ with the 09:45 ‘Flying Flea’ to Tan-y-Bwlch on Boston Lodge curve. (25/09/2004)
‘Prince’ with the 09:45 ‘Flying Flea’ to Tan-y-Bwlch on Boston Lodge curve.
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A short train of Small Birminghams, the ‘Flying Flea’ passes Boston Lodge. (25/09/2004)
A short train of Small Birminghams, the ‘Flying Flea’ passes Boston Lodge.
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Boston Lodge yard was host to ‘Taliesin’ in steam as spare engine, the curly roofed van spent the day in front of the erecting shop. (25/09/2004)
Boston Lodge yard was host to ‘Taliesin’ in steam as spare engine, the curly roofed van spent the day in front of the erecting shop.
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‘Palmerston’ was reacquainted with the Glan-y-Mor home for retired engines. (25/09/2004)
‘Palmerston’ was reacquainted with the Glan-y-Mor home for retired engines.
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‘Palmerston’ by the site of the gunpowder sheds at Glan-y-Mor. (25/09/2004)
‘Palmerston’ by the site of the gunpowder sheds at Glan-y-Mor.
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Swiftly restored to service, the Simplex begins the chain shunt at Pen Cob. (25/09/2004)
Swiftly restored to service, the Simplex begins the chain shunt at Pen Cob.
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Alan Garraway is reunited with the Simplex as the 1955 season chain shunt is re-enacted. (25/09/2004)
Alan Garraway is reunited with the Simplex as the 1955 season chain shunt is re-enacted.
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The Simplex has pulled 23 & 12 (the two carriages used in 1955) past the turnout to complete the chain shunt. (25/09/2004)
The Simplex has pulled 23 & 12 (the two carriages used in 1955) past the turnout to complete the chain shunt.
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With the chain shunt complete, the Simplex runs back to join the down end of the train. (25/09/2004)
With the chain shunt complete, the Simplex runs back to join the down end of the train.
2004_09_151.jpg   107.15 Kb
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