To the right of the train is the new museum, which only opened on Friday, more of that later, but this was our motive power for the day, No. 7, Owain Glyndwr, although it doesn’t currently have the name plates on. Last time I visited the locos were in BR Blue with the double arrow logo but this time the train was in GWR colours (the other train operating was hauled by Llewelyn which is currently painted in the earlier BR Black and with “Blood and Custard” painted stock).
The engines certainly have to work hard on the uphill run and, as we’d chosen to sit in an open carriage, we got sprayed with quite a bit of ash and soot. Fortunately the weather was pretty good, if a bit chilly, and there were plenty of opportunities for photos. Both Steve and I were looking out for pics to help with our modelling efforts and I spotted this unusual water tank.
Most tanks are square edged so we think that either this one was repurposed from elsewhere or was built by a boiler maker - either way it’ll appear somewhere on a model in the future as it wouldn’t be too difficult to draw and 3D print.
At Devil’s Bridge we had about an hour before the return train which gave us time for a hot chocolate and some delicious home made cake. The return train was a lot emptier as clearly people had gone to visit the famous waterfalls and other attractions so we actually had the whole carriage to ourselves. The return journey is quicker (and less smutty) so we were soon back at the start.
I mentioned the new museum earlier, having fetched Mandy’s scooter from the car we went for a look round. It’s very well done, but with a dire lack of information signs at the moment. They’ve used loose block flooring which can be taken in and out as required to suit the locos that are in there with one road being triple gauge (the VoR gauge of 1’ 11 3/4”, 4’ and 4’ 8 3/4” standard gauge). Exhibits range from a converted Ford Model A up to a standard gauge loco on loan from the Bluebell Railway but two of my favourites are Margaret, a Quarry Hunslet, and Drakensberg, a 60cm gauge Hanomag built Garratt that originally served in South Africa. There’s quite a contrast between two locos at the extremes of size for narrow gauge.
I did end up explaining the Garratt concept to some other visitors - it’s two articulated 2-6-2 drive units with a central boiler to give incredible traction and power in a loco that can negotiate tight bends. To help with weight on the driving wheels one end has the coal bunker and the other has the water tank.
Unfortunately the cafe wasn’t open today or we’d probably had more coffee and cake but instead we decided to head for our hotel, following the coast for the first part of the journey - and wow, we were treated to some spectacular views! The only nuisance was the speed limits which often would go from “national speed limit applies” to 30mph to 20 and then back up again in the space of a couple of hundred yards. The speed limiter on Suzie was invaluable but I can’t help thinking the gear changing, acceleration and deceleration involved will outdo the supposed emissions reduction from the lowered limits.
Our hotel is “interesting”, our rooms are in an annexe but have been very well done - it’s not often you get a round window (shades of Playschool) with a lake view!
Given that it’s between the road and the hillside they’ve done their best with the land available but that does mean it’s a bit of a hike between the car and the rooms. I’m sat writing this in the bar which, miracles do happen, actually has a choice of Bitters! Too often these days you get several choices of IPA and Stout and very little else.
*When I first planned this trip back in 2020 I was going to take the campervan back to the same site but of course like so many plans then it didn’t happen.
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