Andy_Elms
Ffestiniog Railway Simplex "The Colonel" at Glanypwll Depot, September 1999
Lovely sunny Sunday in early September, midway through my 6-week placement at Glanypwll depot as part of my university Engineering course. Andy Putnam says, we need a rake of eight skips, with a red spot (denoting capable of taking a red coupling block) at each end.
Shunting motive power is "The Colonel", 20/28hp Dorman engined Motor-Rail Simplex (Builder's number 8788 of 1943). Previously it was used by Colonel Andrew Campbell (Gwynedd solicitor and former member of The Black Watch) as his private locomotive, and means of access to Y Dduallt, a fifteenth century manor house by the line-side with no road access. Before that it was used by St. Albans Sand and Gravel. It was acquired by the FR on The Colonel's death in1982 and named in his memory.
In 2009 it was dismantled, the power unit (not the original - from a more modern Simplex "Sandra", 22119 of 1961) into the frames of another FR Simplex "The Lady Diana" (21579 of 1956), together with Sandra's gearbox, new bodywork and windows recovered from a Ford Transit. Cobbletogetherer -in-chief, aforementioned Andy Putnam didn't get to see the new creation completed before his death, but it is named "Andy" in his memory.
Ffestiniog Railway Simplex "The Colonel" at Glanypwll Depot, September 1999
Lovely sunny Sunday in early September, midway through my 6-week placement at Glanypwll depot as part of my university Engineering course. Andy Putnam says, we need a rake of eight skips, with a red spot (denoting capable of taking a red coupling block) at each end.
Shunting motive power is "The Colonel", 20/28hp Dorman engined Motor-Rail Simplex (Builder's number 8788 of 1943). Previously it was used by Colonel Andrew Campbell (Gwynedd solicitor and former member of The Black Watch) as his private locomotive, and means of access to Y Dduallt, a fifteenth century manor house by the line-side with no road access. Before that it was used by St. Albans Sand and Gravel. It was acquired by the FR on The Colonel's death in1982 and named in his memory.
In 2009 it was dismantled, the power unit (not the original - from a more modern Simplex "Sandra", 22119 of 1961) into the frames of another FR Simplex "The Lady Diana" (21579 of 1956), together with Sandra's gearbox, new bodywork and windows recovered from a Ford Transit. Cobbletogetherer -in-chief, aforementioned Andy Putnam didn't get to see the new creation completed before his death, but it is named "Andy" in his memory.