Prince
From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
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Prince is (probably) the third of the first four locomotives. It is now numbered No.2, but there is doubt about the order of building and numbering of the first four England engines. It was delivered to the FR in January 1864. These locomotives were worked hard, before the arrival of Taliesin, they were coming in for a 2 week period of maintenance every quarter. In this period they would replace brake blocks, brasses and cotter pins in the crank pins as well as replacing some of the firebars. In 1878 Prince had its chimney knocked off and that of Mountaineer was put on.By May 1881 Prince was in a poor state with the boiler pressure restricted to 110lbs. It had a major refit with a 'sham' cast iron tank fitted on top of the side tanks to increase the weight to ten tons and improve adhesion in wet weather, a new weather board, new sandboxes and the boiler retubed. By the time of this picture it had gained a lubricator as well. However the boiler was wearing out and it was withdrawn on 16th May 1891.
In 1892, the original arrangement was replaced with the present full cab and saddle tank. At the same time the name The Prince (named in honour of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, 1840-1910) was shortened to just Prince. In 1894 it broke the front axle and an old one from Little Wonder was used as a replacement. The England engines continued to be the workhorses of the line and Prince was re-tubed in 1898 & 1901. Painting standards were high also and the record of a repaint in 1900 states that 5 coats of varnish were used! In 1912 the loco was fitted with Welsh Pony's smokebox. The loco continued in service until 1915, then lay out of use until a new boiler was fitted in 1920.
The locomotive played a major role in the history of the WHR, hauling the first train from Dinas to Porthmadog in 1923, and regularly performing on both lines in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1932 it had an overhaul which repaired the smokebox and tank. However time was running out for the boiler and Prince was withdrawn around 1936 (the boiler condemned in 1937 according to Boyd). A new boiler was ordered in September 1943 for £546 but actually cost £640 when delivered in July 1945.
The new owners in 1954 found the loco as left in 1946, in mid overhaul and with a new boiler. It was the obvious candidate for first loco to be restored. It first ran in preservation on August 2nd 1955 and was the mainstay of the service for the next 2 years. By 1962 Prince was in need of a major overhaul and was given a different frame arrangement, to try and take the drawbar load through the frames and not the boiler. This was the form in which it ran for it's Centenary in 1963
Withdrawn in 1968, the locomotive was considerably rebuilt between 1974 and 1980 with the 1955 boiler superheated, oil firing fitted, and new outer frames added to carry the cab (raised by 4") and saddle tank. Much of the work at this rebuild was carried out by Geoff Hall and Jack Somers.
The locomotive's tender has on its left side four bushes, apparently indicating that the metal sheeting once carried a locomotive nameplate. Measurement of the bushes indicates that the tender side sheet possibly originated as part of one of Taliesin's original side tanks. When converted to oil-firing, Prince was provided with oil and water tanks in the tender.
In 1986 Prince was chosen to be the first FR engine to be put in an historic livery. The red livery was chosen because of the 1920's livery found during the 1980 rebuild. In 1987, Prince's frames started to break. Strengthening plates were put in, that winter and the loco was able to celebrate it's 125th anniversary in 1988 in good order again.
In 1995 a brass handrail was restored to the smokebox and in winter 1995/6 the water tanks were removed and a new, less obtrusive oil tank inserted. Prince had an overhaul between 1997 & 1999 during which the boiler was retubed, the chassis was given a thorough overhaul and further cosmetic improvements were made. The loco re-emerged with the same red livery, but with improved lining.
Prince has travelled far during the preservation era,
visiting Olympia in 1984,
Chatsworth House in 1987,
York for the Railfest Exhibition in 2004,
Three Superpowers, one Vintage Weekend and one Beer Festival on the WHR(C). In September 2008 it attended the Garratt 50 Gala on the WHR(C).
Prince Charles drove Prince on the opening of the WHR to Rhyd Ddu in 2003 - Prince being the only locomotive that could be used with the track as originally laid. Unwittingly, this echoed the locomotive's role in the opening of the WHR in 1923 when, as noted above, Prince pulled the first train from Dinas to Portmadoc
On 23rd March 2007 Prince took part in the opening of the WHR(P) extension from Pen-y-Mount to Traeth Mawr loop. It is a fortuitous coincidence that the engine was re-varnished by volunteers over the weekend of 3rd/4th March!
*Date: 28th October 2007 *Photo Chris G. Jones
On 27th October 2007 Prince & Palmerston became the first England Engines to go to Cwm Cloch in over 71 years, for a photographic special.
In October 2008 Prince and Palmerston were transferred to the Welsh Highland Railway by road for photographic charter work and became the first England engines through the Aberglaslyn Pass in 72 years.
Principal dimensions are:
Cylinders: 8" x 12", Boiler pressure: 160 psi
Driving wheel diameter: 2 ft , wheelbase 4' 6".
The loco is rated at 5 carriages on the Festiniog and 3 on the Welsh Highland Railway.