RailScene Focus: "Russell" at the Welsh Highland Railway Past, Present & Future Gala, 21/6/2019

Over the three days of Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June 2019 the Welsh Highland Railway and the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway joined forces to present a special gala to celebrate the history of the Welsh Highland line. The Heritage Railway provided the only surviving original Welsh Highland Railway locomotive, Hunslet works number 903 2-6-2T "Russell", which had been built for the Porthmadog, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway but delivered to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways, both of which which became part of the WHR in 1922. Two former War Department 2' gauge locos were also scheduled to visit to trace the First World War time when the original Railway was, in effect, at its peak usage. These were the Hunslet 4-6-0T no. 303 (works no 1215) and Baldwin 10-12-D 4-6-0T No. 45190 (War Department Light Railways No. 1058 and 608). Sadly, the latter, which would have been making its debut in Great Britain, was not ready in time and the Ffestiniog Railway's Single Fairlie "Taliesin" took its place. "Prince" and "Palmerston" also ran with the Ffestiniog's Victorian stock, all of which was looking magnificent in original Ffestiniog green livery.
Our record of this event starts at Boston Lodge Works as the engines are prepared for the day and follows the first part of the timetable until lunchtime that Friday. Locations include Boston Lodge, Porthmadog, Pen-y-Mount Jct, Hafod-y-Llyn and Pont Croesor. The loco exchange at Pen-y-Mount shows "Hugh Napier" coming off the train from Porthmadog and "Russell" coming off WHHR metals onto WHR metals. Detailed shots of WD 303 are seen at Boston Lodge and Pont Croesor. Enjoy!