Welsh Pony

From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group

This is the 5th locomotive built for the FR and the first of the 'Large Englands'.Works number 234, Welsh Pony was built and delivered in 1867. She entered service in June 1867. The photograph above shows some original features such the first makers plates and nameplates (which were enamelled). One of the original makers plates was found in 1961 and is now in the FR archives. The sandpots are also the originals, somewhat taller and narrower than the standard design adopted later. Wooden brake blocks are still in use. By the time of this photograph the whistle had been moved from the cab to the saddle tank and the slide bar arrangement had been altered. The records show it was retubed in 1873 and broke an axle in 1875. Brass piston rings were tried out but they needed replacing often and so were changed for cast iron ones. In 1878 it derailed at Duffws but the damage was slight. By 1879 it had been fitted with a lubricator.

In 1880 it had a major overhaul. 132 Tubes were replaced with steel tubes, the firebox was removed and refitted (148 copper stays), two whistles were fitted and a braked shunting engine tender No 2 was built.These facts date this photograph to 1880 or later. Also of note the enamel nameplates have been replaced by brass plates. otherwise the engine is much as it was 10 years earlier. New sandpots were fitted in 1883. In 1887 it was fitted with a Wilsons lubricator (ie mounted on the cabsheet)and its mileage was quoted as 281,700. The boiler and tank were now wearing out, the tank being patched in 1887 & 1888 and the working pressure being 120lbs by 1889. Work started before it came out of service, new frames were being worked on when it was withdrawn on 23/9/90.

It re-emerged on 29/5/91. A new steel boiler from Vulcans, with Everetts red metal tubes. It had a full cab and the tank, smokebox, cylinders and frames were all new. In October 1891 a new tender No.5 was completed for the loco (wooden framed).A vacuum brake was fitted to the loco in May 1893. In November 1895 it came off the line at Festiniog but with minor damage.In 1899 the first two tubes had to be removed and the holes left were plugged with brass plugs.In December 1900 a number of 'red metal' tubes burst and 68 were replaced with some taken out of Livingston Thompson. In August 1901 another tube burst so in September the engine was retubed with brass tubes. The smoke box was replaced in 1903 and major firebox work was carried out (64 copper stays) and a cylinder was replaced in 1904. Fire box repairs were carried out often after that. In October 1907 it came off the line at Minffordd sidings and fell into the standard gauge lines. It took 3 hours to get it back on FR metals. By 1908 the boiler pressure was down to 125lbs.It soldiered on until 1910 when it had a last thorough repair of the firebox. At this time the balance weights were moved fully to the front footplate and made to their final dimensions. Records show it operating until at least September 1911. In October 1911 the tender for a new boiler was accepted from Adamsons. In September 1912 Prince is recorded as receiving Welsh Pony's smokebox and so Welsh Pony can be assumed to be out of traffic.

The locomotive was rebuilt again in 1915 with the new boiler. The outward signs being the pronounced dome cover and the double fairlie style brass smokebox handrail (which it retains to this day). The engine had a wooden framed tender in the 1920's but this was damaged in an accident at Boston Lodge (see Narrow Gauge Rails to Portmadoc page 78). The replacement came from Little Giant which had been dismantled at the time. This was a steel framed tender and this currently belongs to Linda. It was painted 'sea blue',according to Boyd, in the early 1930s, but obviously was not a success, as later it appeared with an all over darker livery, quoted as green. The engine was withdrawn from service in 1938 after failing a hydraulic test.

The locomotive visited Birmingham Model Railway Exhibition in 1963, but otherwise lay out of use at Boston Lodge until the early 1980s, when it was cleaned up and painted red for display outside the Goods Shed museum at Harbour Station. In March 1985, it was placed on display on a plinth at the entrance to the Harbour Station car park. It remained there until March 2002, when it was removed in need of a little TLC.

In 2005, the wood-framed tender displayed with this locomotive, which had originally been used with Princess, was rebuilt by Andrew Lance with a new oak frame. it is now the last tender with the vacuum brake gear still intact. In an attempt to represent a livery carried by Welsh Pony in the 1930s both loco & tender have been painted in blue undercoat (with a black top to the tank and cab front, as on Prince in 1980). Welsh Pony is placed in store and is now at Glanypwll

The current cylinder dimensions are: 8.5"dia x 12" stroke and the wheels are 2ft 2ins diameter.

[edit]See also

• Welsh Pony leaves Porthmadog
• FR Locomotives
• Locomotives Used On The Original WHR Or Its Constituents