Taliesin III
From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
This 0-4-4T single-Fairlie is the fifth locomotive to be built by the Festiniog Railway Company in its own workshops at Boston Lodge and was completed in 1999 under the auspices of the Taliesin 2000 project. It is similar in design and appearance to the original FR Single Fairlie No. 9 "Taliesin" which was built in 1876 and dismantled in 1932, though it is slightly larger. Only the reversing lever of the original locomotive survives and is used on the replica. The toolbox on the rear buffer beam is a replica built from the original found in the Stores. A set of Fairlie wheels survives and may well be from this loco. A replica was built in 1999, also named Taliesin. Funds were raised by an appeal devised by Andy Savage and Gordon Rushton whereby 250 people gave £10 or more a month for twelve years; this was enough to pay for the work after tax allowances, but without any matching funding from the Welsh Govt. The drawings were made by Michael Guerra (as were those for the new boiler of K1, carriage 1111 and others).
The new "Taliesin" incorporates the reversing lever from the original locomotive and probably the hand wheel for the brake is from Moel Tryfan. Dimensions are: Cylinders: 9" x 14",wheels 2ft 8" diameter and boiler pressure: 175 psi (limited by safety valve and valve face considerations). Power bogie wheelbase 4' 8". The locomotive has been designed so that it can run as either a coal or an oil burner, the conversion between one or the other taking 1 day. The loco is rated at 6 carriages. It is currently running on coal because the fuel costs are currently 1/3 that of oil.
Taliesin starred with Russell on the WHR(C) Welsh Highland Ffestival, September 16-17 2000, returning for the Vintage Weekend on 22-23 September 2001.
The Ffestiniog converted to oil-firing in 1960's to limit the number of line-side fires in the Snowdonia National Park (and the fines that could result from them). Recent oil price rises have forced the railway to reassess the situation, leading to trials during 2005 with Taliesin III as it was built to be changable between oil and coal firing.
Trials with Taliesin on winter and Santa services were highly successful and the decision was taken to convert a double Fairlie for the main 2006 season. For more details on the conversion of loco's to coal firing and the fuel diversifaction programme, please see Ffestiniog Goes Back To Coal.
