Locomotive Performance

UK Narrow Gauge
 
Those who believe that Narrow Gauge Railways are in any way "second best" in excitement value than their larger Standard Gauge relatives, should immediately take a journey on the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, where they will find that travelling across the Romney marsh on the 15 inch gauge track at 25 mph is an invigorating experience. Alternatively, the Ravenglass & Eskdale line offers steep gradients requiring hard work from the locomotives. Then of course there are the Welshpool & Llanfair and Ffestiniog lines in Wales, where hard working engines are the order of the day. Both of these Welsh lines have been featured in earlier editions of "Locomotive Performance", so are not included here. 
 
 ROMNEY HYTHE & DYMCHURCH RAILWAY: 
No 1 Green Goddess: Hythe to Dungeness & New Romney (1984), and New Romney to Hythe (1984)  [view logs] 
No 2 Northern Chief: New Romney to Hythe, and Hythe to New Romney (1984)  [view logs] 
No 3 Southern Maid: Hythe to Dungeness & New Romney (1985), and Dymchurch  to Hythe (1989)  [view logs]
No 5 Hercules: Hythe to Dungeness, and Dungeness to Hythe (1985)  [view logs]
No 6 Samson: New Romney to Hythe and Hythe to New Romney (1989)  [view logs]
No 7 Typhoon: New Romney to Hythe and Hythe to New Romney (1985)  [view logs]
No 8 Hurricane: New Romney to Dungeness & return (1984), New Romney to Hythe (1985), and Hythe to New Romney (1986)  [view logs]
No 10 Doctor Syn: New Romney to Dungeness & return (1984)  [view logs]
No 12 John Southland: Hythe to Dymchurch (1989) [view logs]
Locomotives 1, 2, 3, 7, & 8 are 4-6-2's designed by Henry Greenly and were built by Davey Paxman in 1925 & 1926. Locomotives 5 & 6 are 4-8-2's were also designed by Henry Greenly and were built by Davey Paxman in 1926. Locomotives 9 & 10 are 4-6-2's designed by Henry Greenly and A L S Richardson, and were built by Yorkshire Engine Company in 1931. Locomotive 12 is a Bo-Bo Diesel built by TMA Engineering  in 1983. 
 
 RAVENGLASS & ESKDALE RAILWAY: 
River Esk (2-8-2): Ravenglass to Dalegarth: 1979  [view log] 
River Mite (2-8-2): Ravenglass to Dalegarth & return: 1979  [view logs]
Northern Rock (2-6-2): Dalegarth to Ravenglass: 1979 and Ravenglass to Dalegarth: 1980  [view logs] 
River Irt (0-8-2): Ravenglass to Dalegarth & return: 1991 [view logs]  and Ravenglass to Dalegarth & return: 2002  [view logs]
The line runs for 7 miles from the coast at Ravenglass up the Esk Valley to Dalegarth.

The principal Locomotives are River Irt, a 0-8-2 built in 1894 by Heywood. River Esk, a 2-8-2 built in 1923 by Davy Paxman, River Mite, a 2-8-2 built in 1966 by Clarkson. Northern Rock, a 2-6-2 built in 1976 at Ravenglass. 
 
Below are five Welsh Narrow Gauge lines that need no introduction. All are an established part of the Welsh tourist industry. The Fairbourne & Barmouth railway is perhaps the odd one out, since it is commercially run "Pleasure ride". And whilst it might be considered inappropriate for inclusion on a page supposedly dealing with Locomotive Performance, it has two important features to commend it. Firstly the delightful fleet of locomotives that operate it, namely Yeo, Beddgelert, Sherpa, and Russell. Secondly the views from Port Penrhyn, of the Mawddach estuary, the Mountains, Barmouth Bridge, and Barmouth itself, are truly magnificent.
 
 SNOWDON MOUNTAIN RAILWAY: 
No 7 Ralph (0-4-2T 1923) and No 5 Moel Syabad (0-4-2T 1896): [view 1989 logs] 
 
 TALYLLYN RAILWAY: 
No 1 Talyllyn (0-4-2ST built 1865 Fletcher Jennings): [view logs]
No 2 Dolgoch (0-4-0WT built 1866 Fletcher Jennings): [view logs]
No 3 Sir Haydn (0-4-2ST built 1878 Hughes. Ex Corris Railway): [view logs]
No 4: Edward Thomas (0-4-2ST built 1921 Kerr Stuart. Ex Corris Railway): [view logs]
No 6: Douglas (0-4-0WT built Barclay 1918): [view logs]
No 7: Tom Rolt 0-4-2T built Barclay 1949, rebuilt Towyn): [view logs]
No 3 Sir Haydn & No 4 Edward Thomas, 1957 Journeys:  [view logs]
 
 BALA LAKE RAILWAY: 
Maid Marian (Hunslet 0-4-0ST 1903) and Holy War (Hunslet 0-4-0ST 1902): [view logs]
Holy War (Hunslet 0-4-0ST 1902) and Britomart (Hunslet 0-4-0ST 1899): [view logs]
 
 FAIRBOURNE & BARMOUTH RAILWAY: 
Russell (2-6-4T Milner 1985) and Yeo (2-6-2T Curwen 1978): [view logs]
Sherpa (0-4-0STT Milner 1978) and Bedgellert (0-6-4ST Curwen 1979): [view logs]
Ashorne (Visiting loco) and Russell/Bedgellert: [view logs]
 
 VALE OF RHEIDOL RAILWAY: 
1981 journeys on no 9 Prince of Wales and no 8 Llewellyn: [view logs]
1982 journeys on no 8 Llewellyn: [view logs]
1987 journeys on no 7 Owain Glyndwr and no 9 Prince of Wales: [view logs]
 
Below are scenes on the Talyllyn Railway (Abergynolwyn), Vale of Rheidol Railway, the Fairbourne & Barmouth Railway, and the Snowdon Mountain Railway (Llanberis).

 
I have not included any Welsh Highland Railway information on this page. Although the Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu section was opened in August 2003, there are still many temporary speed restrictions (in addition to the permanent ones). A typical journey time from Waunfawr to Rhydd Ddu, 5.6 miles, is 30 to 32 minutes on the Garratts, and about 5 minutes less on the Funkey diesel. Journeys over this stretch of railway can be recommended for the magnificent scenic views. There is plenty of time to admire it.