Welsh Highland Heritage Railway - 2009 Highlights

Climb into the cab of a 60 year old steam locomotive and try your hand at blowing the whistle…… or see if you can get the slate trucks to the harbour before the ship leaves.

The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway in Porthmadog opens a new interactive railway museum in 2009, with chance for children and adults to find out more about the narrow gauge trains which have made Porthmadog famous around the world.

It’s just one of the attractions at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway in Porthmadog, where visitors take a short train ride through the Snowdonia countryside on a vintage train before stopping to visit the new museum.

James Hewett, Chairman of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway said: “Porthmadog was originally built as a port for slate, which was brought from the quarries by narrow gauge train and then shipped around the world.  The railways of Porthmadog also influenced others around the world.  In the 19th century, engineers came from Russia, India and the United States to learn from the way things were done here in Wales.

The new museum has a hands-on theme with interactive displays explaining how the early slate trains came down from the quarries by gravity, without using locomotives at all…… and chance to find out how steam engines are put together.

**  One of the most famous steam engines in Wales will be returning to service at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway during 2009.  “Russell” was built in 1906, has managed to escape the scrapman at least three times…… been the subject of a heated debate over his sex…… and provided the inspiration for a children’s TV character.

Referring to Russell as “him” is a controversial thing in itself.  The rule in the railway industry is that all steam locomotives are referred to as “she”, even engines with names like “King George V”.  But in March 2005, disagreement broke out among volunteer workers at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway when some of the staff decided that their favourite steam locomotive was definitely male. 

James Hewett explains: “we decided to hold a vote, giving people chance to choose whether Russell should be referred to as he, she or it.  Eventually the vote came out in favour of referring to Russell as ‘he’, but only by a narrow margin.”

Russell does have an alter ego who is also male.  A new character was introduced in the Thomas the Tank Engine TV series called “Fearless Freddie”, which bears a striking similarity to Russell.  Fearless Freddie is described as an old grey warhorse engine with an extensive knowledge of mountain railway tracks. 

Russell is one of a number of steam engines which pull 1920s-style trains on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway.  Visitors to the line can travel in the observation carriage used by the Prime Minister in 1892, or in Britain’s first narrow gauge buffet car.

EXTRA NOTE:  The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway is the new name for the attraction previously known as the Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog).  The slight change in name is to avoid confusion with the Welsh Highland Railway through Beddgelert, which is owned and operated by the Ffestiniog Railway.

ends

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Tremadog Road

Porthmadog

Gwynedd

LL49 9DY

01766  513402