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Home > Mine Exploration Forum > Mining Forums > Mine Tramways and Railways > Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet

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Author	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet
Vanoord Joined: 28/11/2005 Location: North Wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 26/03/2009 13:13:45 Reply \| Quote From the Beeb [link]: An appeal has been launched to get a new boiler for a little train which has run out of steam. The Hugh Napier worked in the Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda, Gwynedd, more than 100 years ago, shunting wagons of slate rubble from the quarry face to the tip. After 50 years it was worn out and in 1954 it was dumped in a siding, finally arriving at Penrhyn Castle Industrial Railway Museum in Bangor in 1966. A new boiler to get the Hugh Napier back on track will cost £50,000. At one time the engine worked on the higher quarry levels knows as Bonc Ffridd, and also on the main mill level known as Red Lion. Since it arrived at Penrhyn Castle a great deal of restoration work has been carried out with some parts being fabricated from new, like the pistons, which were made by the Ffestiniog Railway in Porthmadog. "We want the Hugh Napier to be more than a museum exhibit," said Penrhyn Castle's learning and communications manager Marian Gwyn. "For steam train enthusiasts everywhere this is a chance to return Hugh Napier to its full steaming glory." Ms Gwyn said the last phase was to raise £50,000 to buy a new boiler. "It will bring this little locomotive to life," she said. The cynic in me wonders where it will ever be used if it is restored - I don't recall Penrhyn Castle having anywhere for it to move more than a couple of feet? Similarly, the Penrhyn gauge is noted at 1'10¾" whereas the likes of the WHR are 2' - at least the discrepancy is the 'right' way round, but would this not cause problems? (There's a handy listing for the Penrhyn quarries at this [link]) -- Filling space until a new signature comes along... IP: 81.148.105.252
JohnnearCfon Joined: 22/12/2005 Location: Sir Caernarfon View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 26/03/2009 15:51:56 Reply \| Quote Iorweth's plan was to have a demonstration line at the castle. The gauge is ok so long as the 2 foot track is 2 foot (or 1' 11 1/2"). It is the checkrails on points that will cause problems. I laid my railway to 1' 11 3/4" and had extra wide checkrail clearances on points to overcome this. You have to be careful which checkrails to open out though, do the wrong ones and you will get 100% derailment rate! -- Cadwch Cymru'n daclus-Taflwch eich ysbwriel yn LLoeger IP: 89.241.186.45
thorpey Joined: 06/08/2007 Location: tywyn View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 26/03/2009 19:11:42 Reply \| Quote At work at the moment are Holy war's wheels they had them regauged to run at Bala by pushing the tyres out to the correct vback to back, the wheelsets are currently having new tyres fitted. Thorpey -- Nut deep in water! IP: 81.79.124.216
Ben Fisher Joined: 10/06/2008 Location: Bangor, Gwynedd View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 29/03/2009 20:39:16 Reply \| Quote Hugh Napier's wheelsets have already been regauged to, I assume, FR 597mm gauge. Although it's supposed to be going to Boston Lodge for completion of the new boiler the National Trust previously stopped having built mid-job (which the BBC piece carefully doesn't mention), the regauging doesn't tell you anything about where it's likely to run mostly (the Castle looks like the plan); a 597mm gauge loco will normally run OK on 2' gauge track but a 2' gauge one will tend to fall off 597mm gauge pointwork. IP: 84.70.156.41
JohnnearCfon Joined: 22/12/2005 Location: Sir Caernarfon View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 30/03/2009 15:40:14 Reply \| Quote Ben Fisher wrote: Hugh Napier's wheelsets have already been regauged to, I assume, FR 597mm gauge. Although it's supposed to be going to Boston Lodge for completion of the new boiler the National Trust previously stopped having built mid-job (which the BBC piece carefully doesn't mention), the regauging doesn't tell you anything about where it's likely to run mostly (the Castle looks like the plan); a 597mm gauge loco will normally run OK on 2' gauge track but a 2' gauge one will tend to fall off 597mm gauge pointwork. Only if the check rail clearences are wide enough. Otherwise it will ride up/jam/or bend the rail fixings!! -- Cadwch Cymru'n daclus-Taflwch eich ysbwriel yn LLoeger IP: 89.241.197.117
Tony Heap Joined: 18/07/2011 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 18/07/2011 20:00:52 Reply \| Quote I am pleased to tell you that the boiler for Hugh Napier has now been sent off to the Ffestiniog Railway for completion 12/7/11. The rest of the locomotive will follow shortly. IP: 217.155.41.70
Vanoord Joined: 28/11/2005 Location: North Wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 18/07/2011 21:22:42 Reply \| Quote The Ffestiniog seem to be really rather good at this sort of thing - Lyd being a fine example. Given that Penrhyn Castle has nowhere to use it, one presumes that Hugh Napier will be used elsewhere? -- Filling space until a new signature comes along... IP: 86.134.22.234
Tamarmole Joined: 20/05/2009 Location: Tamar Valley View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 18/07/2011 21:43:31 Reply \| Quote JohnnearCfon wrote: Ben Fisher wrote: Hugh Napier's wheelsets have already been regauged to, I assume, FR 597mm gauge. Although it's supposed to be going to Boston Lodge for completion of the new boiler the National Trust previously stopped having built mid-job (which the BBC piece carefully doesn't mention), the regauging doesn't tell you anything about where it's likely to run mostly (the Castle looks like the plan); a 597mm gauge loco will normally run OK on 2' gauge track but a 2' gauge one will tend to fall off 597mm gauge pointwork. Only if the check rail clearences are wide enough. Otherwise it will ride up/jam/or bend the rail fixings!! When I build pointwork I tend to build to two foot, to cope with variations in gauge I set check rails at 1 5/8" which gives much more flexibility than the off the shelf Hudson pointwork with 1 3/8" check rails. With regard to Hugh Napier - does the world really need another restored and re gauged quarry Hunslet? Arguably it would has been better to leave it in original and unrestored state. IP: 81.153.82.13
derrickman Joined: 18/02/2009 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 19/07/2011 05:56:48 Reply \| Quote depends on the demand for the loco and its current state. Welsh Pony comes to mind, along with the restoration of Palmerston, long thought beyond restoration but now back at work -- Mongo only pawn in game of life ... IP: 173.171.77.201
euros Joined: 25/08/2009 Location: CELLAN View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 19/07/2011 20:55:21 Reply \| Quote It would be nice if it could be returned to the Penrhyn Railway! http://www.penrhynrailway.co.uk/ IP: 86.157.240.81
derrickman Joined: 18/02/2009 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 19/07/2011 23:17:28 Reply \| Quote isnt the rebuilt line 2ft gauge? -- Mongo only pawn in game of life ... IP: 173.171.77.201
SimonRL Joined: 27/11/2005 Location: North Wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 19/07/2011 23:39:54 Reply \| Quote Whilst looking for a photo of Hugh Napier I stumbled across this site http://www.quarryhunslet.mste.co.uk/public/intro.php which might be of interest (and I don't think has been posted before?) -- Remember there is nothing to be gained by trying to get away. IP: 95.147.254.249
spitfire Joined: 22/04/2008 Location: Camborne View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 20/07/2011 14:42:41 Reply \| Quote simonrl wrote: Whilst looking for a photo of Hugh Napier I stumbled across this site http://www.quarryhunslet.mste.co.uk/public/intro.php which might be of interest (and I don't think has been posted before?) Good site. Does anyone know what happened to "George Sholto"? The last time I saw it was at Bressingham about forty five years ago -- spitfire IP: 86.175.19.164
SimonRL Joined: 27/11/2005 Location: North Wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 20/07/2011 14:49:41 Reply \| Quote According to that site it might have become Bill Harvey http://www.quarryhunslet.mste.co.uk/public/Bill_Harvey.php -- Remember there is nothing to be gained by trying to get away. IP: 95.148.0.201
spitfire Joined: 22/04/2008 Location: Camborne View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 20/07/2011 14:58:13 Reply \| Quote simonrl wrote: According to that site it might have become Bill Harvey http://www.quarryhunslet.mste.co.uk/public/Bill_Harvey.php Many thanks for that. Bet old George didn't like that! -- spitfire IP: 86.175.19.164
Teigl Joined: 31/05/2010 Location: Vale of Ffestiniog View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Bid to restore Penrhyn Hunslet Posted: 20/07/2011 17:02:01 Reply \| Quote euros wrote: It would be nice if it could be returned to the Penrhyn Railway! http://www.penrhynrailway.co.uk/ agree!It might actually be useful then. IP: 86.136.129.53

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