Moel Tryfan was an 0-6-4T Single Fairlie locomotive.
History[]
1875 - 1903: Origins to first rebuild[]
The original Moel Tryfan was a 14-ton single Fairlie 0-6-4T built in 1875 by the Vulcan Foundry in Lancashire (Builder's number 738* of 1874) for the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways. Moel Tryfan and its sister, Snowdon Ranger, were the first British 0-6-4Ts. In 1902 and 1903 the two engines were given new boilers and fireboxes by Davies & Metcalfe of Romiley, near Stockport. It seems that a boilersmith (Thomas Kay), from Gorton Works, Great Central Railway, was engaged for the occasion.
In the well known Dinas photograph of Moel Tryfan the worksplate reads 739 of 1874. This photo is pre 1903, as the whistle is still mounted on the firebox. When Davies & Metcalfe fitted new fireboxes the whistle was moved to the cab roof. The works photo of Snowdon Ranger seems to read 738. (The original should be perfectly clear). These are also the numbers quoted by W.J.K. Davies in "ABC of Narrow Gauge Railways". Numbers and names of many locomotives as actually turned out are at variance with Order Books or Drawing Office Records; It is generally accepted that the true identity is that actually turned out. On this basis, Moel Tryfan was No.739.
1908 - 1922: Accident and amalgamation[]
In March 1908 J.C. Russell as Receiver and Manager swore an affidavit and applied to the High Court (having been informed by the Locomotive Supt., G.C. Aitchison) saying that one of the original engines which had been running since August 1877 when the line opened was quite worn out and had to be replaced with a new one, (and he needed money from the funds 'in Court' to pay for it). (see full text under Gowrie) Of the two - Moel Tryfan or Snowdon Ranger, the most likely candidate in the light of subsequent events, being Snowdon Ranger, which, in the event, was repaired, Hunslet Engine Company supplying a set of frame plates in 1908; it was photographed at Dinas in June 1909. Hunslet continued to provide spare parts for Moel Tryfan until 1919, and Snowdon Ranger until May 1913. In February 1914 G.C. Aitchison (having become Receiver and Manager after Russell's death) swore an affidavit for presentation to the Court, saying that two of the three engines had 'collapsed', (and he needed £500 from the funds 'in Court' for the repairs), the two being Moel Tryfan and Russell. The third must have been Gowrie, bought in 1908, suggesting that Snowdon Ranger had now been retired from service.
At some stage during WW1 the 'frames' of Snowdon Ranger were placed under the superstructure of Moel Tryfan. Almost certainly this would have benefited from Snowdon Ranger's new frames (presumably the fairly new driving bogie), and as the combination carried Moel Tryfan's nameplates, it probably included the tanks of Moel Tryfan. Published histories give 1917 for this, although a paragraph headed 'North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway' in a Magazine of 24 May 1919 said ‘We have heard it on the highest authority that last year the Locomotive ‘Gowrie’ was sold to the Government and that the two locomotives ‘Moel Tryfan’ and ‘Snowdon Ranger’ have been dismantled and rebuilt as one locomotive with dimensions etc. about the same as the separate locomotives before rebuilding.’
What remained of Snowdon Ranger was then scrapped.
By November 1922 Moel Tryfan was in poor condition . As an alternative the re-purchase of Gowrie was even considered, but rejected.
1923 - 1936: Serving both railways[]
In June 1923 she was retubed at Dinas. Between January & April 1924 she received maintenance at Boston Lodge and was probably cut down at this time to fit into the very restricted Festiniog Railway loading gauge. She was used from 1924 to 1935 on the Welsh Highland Railway and FR between Dinas and Blaenau Ffestiniog. She probably entered the FR stock as No.11 in 1924. Entering Boston Lodge for repairs in 1936, she was dismantled for boiler repairs, but then set to one side.
1954: Scrapped[]
At the start of the preservation era she was judged to be beyond repair and on 2 October 1954, the boiler and driving bogie were towed across the Cob to Harbour station for scrapping, providing invaluable income for the success of the nascent preservation effort. The remains of the rear bunker were still in Boston Lodge Bottom yard in the Spring of 1955 but were soon scrapped.
The trailing bogie frames, one side tank sheet, the air receiver and (as of 2017) the trailing bogie wheelsets are currently on display at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway.
The trailing bogie wheels were used for the pony trucks on Linda and Blanche until they became life expired and were removed and donated for display at the WHHR in 2017.
Was the scrapping necessary?[]
Hindsight allows us to wonder whether the locomotive could possibly have been resurrected. This was not a reasonable proposition in 1954 and those pioneers of preservation should not be unduly criticised for the decision. The loco would have needed a new boiler, a new bogie frame and much else. It can be argued that it would have been quicker and cheaper to build an entirely new locomotive, and that we are better off with a new single Fairlie to the FR design.
As an aside, it is noteworthy that of the four locos in the Old Engine Shed during the closure, only Merddin Emrys has been restored to service - and that was an epic.uge Railways in 1875. By the time of First World War it was run down and was amalgamated with Snowdon Ranger to create one good locomotive. It later saw use on the Welsh Highland Railway and Festiniog Railway.
Having last run in 1935, it survived to play a significant, if rather inglorious, part in the early history of the revived FR when it was scrapped in 1954 to provide much needed funds.
Moel Tryfan was named after the local mountain where the slate quarries that provided most of the railway's commerce were located.
More recently the name was tentatively endowed on a Bagnall scheduled for restoration on the Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog), but which eventually went elsewhere.
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