Steam and gravity operation Ffestiniog Railway

george england locomotive princess passenger train @ porthmadog harbour station circa 1870.



double fairlie locomotive james spooner.



little giant locomotive engine, ffestiniog railway circa 1875

during late 1850s became clear line reaching operational capacity, while output of blaenau ffestiniog slate quarries continued rise. in 1860, board of company began investigate possibility of introducing steam locomotives increase carrying capacity of railway. although narrow-gauge steam locomotives had been tried before this, few had been built narrow gauge. in 1862 company advertised manufacturers tender build line s first locomotives. in february 1863, bid of george england , co. accepted , production of first locomotives begun.

the first of these locomotives, mountaineer delivered porthmadog on 18th. july 1863, followed few days later princess. after number of trials , modifications (notably addition of domes) locomotive, first official train ran on 23 october 1863. these steam locomotives of 0-4-0 type allowed longer slate trains run , enabled official introduction of passenger trains in 1865: ffestiniog first narrow-gauge railway in britain carry passengers. in 1869, line s first double fairlie articulated locomotive introduced , these double-ended machines have since become 1 of recognised features of railway.

down trains continued run entirely gravity faster journeys , longer trains increased line capacity. new timetable dated october 1863 shows 6 departures daily each terminus @ two-hour intervals, starting @ 7:00 , taking 1 hour 50 minutes including stops (totalling 20 minutes) @ tanygrisiau, hafod-y-llyn , penrhyn. trains passed @ hafod-y-llyn (from 1872 tan-y-bwlch). when passenger services started, usual practice locomotive-hauled trains consist of loaded general goods , mineral wagons, followed passenger carriages, followed empty slate wagons brakesmen. down trains run in 4 separate (uncoupled) portions: loaded slate wagons, goods wagons, passenger carriages , locomotive running light. unusual , labour-intensive method of operation highly dangerous, @ least far passengers concerned; consequently, down passenger , goods portions combined single train headed locomotive.

the loaded slate trains continued operate gravity until end of passenger services in 1939. slate trains became long – trains of less eighty slate wagons carried 2 brakesmen on eighty wagons (and became common) required 3 brakesmen. 1 wagon in every 6 equipped brake, others being unbraked. trains continued pass @ tan-y-bwlch and, lesser extent, @ minffordd. summer timetable 1900 had 9 trains daily in each direction , trains had been accelerated 1 hour porthmadog duffws including stops @ minffordd, penrhyn, tan-y-bwlch, dduallt (request), tanygrisiau, blaenau (lnwr) , blaenau (gwr). speeds in excess of 40 mph (64 km/h) normal.

the original passenger coaches (some of survive) small four-wheeled vehicles low centre of gravity, led them being nicknamed bug boxes . in 1872, fr introduced first bogie carriages operate in britain, nos 15 , 16, first iron-framed bogie coaches in world , still in service. continuous vacuum brake installed in 1893. line signalled electric telegraph , staff , ticket working. electric train staff instruments introduced in 1912 , continue in use present day.