Worldwide Narrow Gauges > UK (Welsh, British) Two Footers
The FR's Welsh Pony moves for first time in 80 years
John L Dobson:
Despite the current Covid-19 lockdown and and very stormy weather, the Ffestiniog Railway's 'Large England' No. 5, 0-4-0ST Welsh Pony, moved for the first time in 80 years last Saturday, 27 June.
See: https://www.facebook.com/festrailinsider/videos/2629899230659727
James Patten:
How cool is that?
Philip Marshall:
This is great news! I've been following the engine's restoration for several years and was hoping she might be under steam this summer. (Alas, it's three years too late for her 150th birthday [1867], but I hope a celebration of some kind will be held nonetheless.) When Kara and I visited the FR and WHR in 2017 I left a very small cash donation to the Welsh Pony fund, and it appears to have been money well spent. :)
John L Dobson:
There will be an official renaming ceremony at some point, after Covid-19 has subsided. The nameplates will be left off until then.
It's a sobering thought that this loco has been out of service for longer (80 years – 1940-2020) than it had run up to the date it was withdrawn for overhaul by the 'Old Company' (73 years – 1867-1940). Alan Garraway, the first General Manager of the revived FR had always wanted to get it back into service as he'd been told that it was a much more useful loco than Prince (a 'Small England' of 1863) by several retired 'Old Company' employees, but events always conspired to prevent him starting the rebuild.
You may also be interested to learn that your 'small cash donation' (I assume via one of the appeal envelopes that are distributed on the trains) was matched by a sufficient number of other donations from this source to the extent that half of the £260,000 cost of the rebuild was financed in this way.
Philip Marshall:
--- Quote from: John L Dobson on July 01, 2020, 04:54:01 PM ---(I assume via one of the appeal envelopes that are distributed on the trains)
--- End quote ---
Yes, exactly. I thought the envelopes were a pleasingly unobtrusive fundraising strategy, and I'm glad to hear they were so successful. (Photo of one of the envelopes attached.)
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