recording yesterday for tomorrow welsh … recording yesterday for tomorrow welsh highland heritage...

1

Recording Yesterday for Tomorrow

WELSH HIGHLANDHERITAGE

Issue No. 67 ISSN 1462-1371

June 2015

Web : www.welshhighlandheritage.co.uk

£2.00

The water tank at Beddgelertwas one of the icons of theold W.H.R., perched as it

was on top of a massive concretetower. It features in many of theold photographs, and it was fittingtherefore that we the Heritage Group, setabout recreating the scene for the benefitof future generations. The tower was ingood condition apart from the top, wherethe tank once rested. Old CroesorTramway type rails which served asreinforcement were exposed, and onecorner of the overhanging slab hadbroken off. The opportunity wastherefore taken to make good thesedefects. The broken corner hadoffended me for years. To make itgood, the break line was drilled, rebarinserted, and secured with Epoxyadhesive. About twelve inserts wereused. Shuttering was installed tocontain additional concrete, providing arebate all round, so that the tank wheninstalled, sat on the new concrete withthe peripheral rivets overhanging therebate.

Making a new tank was a fairly straightforward job. When planning theproject, one school of thought was toconfine the design to faithful replicationof what had been there when the oldW.H.R. operated. But because of thenew layout at Beddgelert, a strictreplica tank could not have beenoperational. The whole ensemblewould have been just a piece of stagescenery. Devoid of any functionalpurpose, the new creation wouldultimately have fallen into decay.

The alternative approach was to makethe tank functional, so in its new guise itcould actually contribute to the newW.H.R. This meant providing a dischargepipe which could reach from the tower toa loco on the main line. The siting of thetank is too low to be able to serve aGarratt, but it will serve the small locos

which on occasion use the line. It is hopedthat this will included those hauling theHeritage Trains that we hope will featurein the future. During discussion, it wassuggested there was merit in providing adischarge on the siding side also. Thiswould enable small locos to be stabled in

the siding without the inconvenience ofhaving to return to the mainline for water,and also could support possible ‘footplaterides’ services on high days. It wasassumed that symmetry would prevail,and the discharges would both be from thecentre of the tank, and that is how it was

constructed. Only when it wascomplete did it come to light thatthe discharge on the main lineside was required to be at oneend! Bowing to authenticity, thedischarge was changed from the

centre to the end, where it can now be seen.During the construction phase, a watersupply was laid underground to the southend of the tower. There is a stop valvebelow ground-level, and a blueAlkathene pipe emerging at the base of thetower. The supply system is now

complete, and includes a stop valveabove ground, and a connection to ametal riser going up to the top of thetank. A tap at the bottom is included,which will allow draining down in win-ter, and a supply for domestic purposesin the vicinity of the Lamp Room.

For access for servicing the ball valve,a ladder bracket is fitted near the top.The metal riser is boxed in forinsulation and aesthetic reasons. Theboxing is square section plastic fallpipe. I considered timber, but had toacknowledge it would not lastindefinitely. The job was furthercomplicated by not being able to drillthe tank to secure the boxing. It is allsecured with Geocel sealant/adhesive.Given a paint finish, it will be difficultto tell the difference. In due course, thepipe work at the base of the tower willbe boxed in, using steel.

The discharge pipes will be 3 ins. BSPsize, being more in keeping with a tankof this size, and quite big enough forserving small locos. The new tank is anall welded construction and galvanised,the rivets being dummies.

The discharge on the siding side is quitestraight forward, although havingcompleted it, I must admit that it wouldhave been better at one end. More onthis arrangement later.

The Beddgelert Water TowerCedric Lodge has provided this updateon progress with the installation of the

Heritage water tank at Beddgelert.

A view of the ‘main line’ and ‘south’ elevations of the Beddgelertwater tower - note the bag support bracket, the discharge at the

top end of the tank and the pipe work described in the textPeter Liddell (May 2015)

2


Here we must digress, and look briefly atthe new tank at Waunfawr. This wasinstalled as part of Rebuild Phase 2, andsuffered a number of problems: it was toolow, and had to be sited far enough awayfrom the line to be clear of passing trains.I volunteered to complete the installationwhen construction of the tower wasalready almost complete, so had to dealwith the situation as I found it. Time waslimited, as it had to be working by the timethe Railway commenced operating.Looking around somerecreational railways, manywatering systems will be seen tolack coherent prior thought; theyare thrown together at the lastminute, and stay like that for thenext twenty years. I tried toimprove on that at Waunfawr.

Because of the distance of thetank from the line, a cantilevereddischarge pipe was required; thesize was 6 in. BSP. I wanted avalve which would be quick toopen and quick to close, andcould be operated from eitherground level or from the locobeing watered. For the valve, Ichose a butterfly type, andobtained one from British SteamSpecialities. I had not had anyexperience of purpose madeswivelling units, and did not havethe time to investigate. I chose amakeshift solution which couldbe changed for a swivelling unitat some time in the future. Thepipe work from the valvecomprises two elbows. Thelower elbow has a stainless steelweldable screwed coupling weld-ed on one end – the top end. Thisis screwed into the upper elbow.Together, this provides theswivel. The pitch of the thread is11 TPI. What was expected to bea short term solution has workedfaultlessly for about fifteen years – and itwas much cheaper than a purpose madeswivel unit, and does not have that ‘hightech.’ appearance.

The valve is operated by a spindle with asquare end. To this was attached acruciform lever, with a chain attached tothe extremities of one arm which goes tothe ground. For two periods in the past,ropes were attached to the other arm,leading via pulleys to the end of thedischarge pipe, thus enabling the personon the loco to operate the valve. After aperiod of (successful) operation, I was

instructed to remove the ropes, and afterthe last time, they have not been replaced.The valve operated effectively from thebeginning, requiring only modest force toopen and close. Indeed, closure is soquick that hammer blow is induced in thepipe work. It was a system such as thisthat I planned for the Beddgelert tank.

By two separate strokes of good fortune, Iacquired two 3 ins. Butterfly valvessuitable for the discharges. Or so I

thought. At the time of writing, the sidingside is operational, but the force requiredto operate the valve is more than thatrequired to operate the Waunfawr valve,and it is only half the diameter. We aretherefore in a position of ‘sucking it andseeing’. It is going to require a visit to asupplier to learn a bit more about butterflyvalves, and hopefully find out if there is aversion which is a little easier to operate.One solution – although we are not thereyet – would be to dismantle the valve, andstart shaving metal off the butterfly. Wemay simply have been ‘lucky’ with theWaunfawr valve. In the short time it hasbeen in operation, the Beddgelert watercrane is on to its second valve, and that

requires a worm and wheel gear box toopen and close it. It is a hideousarrangement. The valves (there are two)on the Up side tank at Rhyd Ddu aredefective, but I do not have details.

For our tank, the main line side dischargeuses a similar arrangement as Waunfawr.At the time of writing, screwed flangeshave been ordered and lengths of nipplingestablished. The elbows are 3 ins. BSP,the lower of which has had a bronze

threaded bush attached, securedwith Loctite. The bush engageswith the thread of the upperelbow to form a swivelling unit.We are indebted to the staff atDinas for carrying out this work.The discharge pipe needs to besupported by a tie bar, which willbe attached to the end of thebracket now bolted to the side ofthe tank. To maintain the tensionin the tie bar as the pipe swings, thetop anchor must have a thread ofthe same pitch as the 3 in. BSPelbows. The tricky bit isestablishing the axis of the swivelat the pipe to coincide with that atthe anchor. As the main line is sofar from the tank, I was hopefulthat operation of the valve could beaccomplished by the person on theloco, but as the valves in theirpresent condition require suchforce to operate them, I amdoubtful whether this is feasible.

The main line side discharge willrequire only a short length of ‘bag’– the flexible hose which goes intothe loco tank. The length of thebag fitted at the siding side is quitelong, it being my expectation thatwe can shorten it in the light ofexperience. But what to do with itwhen it is not in use? Left hanging,it will blow about in the wind, and

chafe against the concrete columns. Had Ithought of it earlier, it would have beenbetter for the discharge to have been at oneend, so the bag could have hung down oneof the columns to which brackets wouldhave been attached, to restrain it.

The following is a summary of work stillto do:

Make and fit the short pipe sectionsbetween the tank, valve and swivel, on themain line side.

Make and fit the swinging pipe, togetherwith tie bar.

The ‘lamp hut’ and ‘north’ elevations of the Beddgelert Water Tower - note thelocation of the outlet on this side of the tank, discussed at some length in the text

- Peter Liddell (May 2015)

3


Make and fit the cruciform operatinglevers for both sides.

Complete the boxing round the watersupply pipe work.

Provision of a restraint for the siding sidebag.

Investigations into the butterfly valveswill continue until a satisfactory form ofvalve is identified

Whilst this would complete thefunctioning part of the tank, I would liketo see the ground round the tank tidied up.With the tank in working order, this will

see increasing use by Railway staff. Thearea would be improved by a hand rail andsteps.

Cedric Lodge

Friends of Tryfan Junction

Fancy an occasional relaxing day spent at a remote station on the W.H.R., talking to the public, watchingthe trains go by and enjoying the wildlife and scenery?

Tryfan Junction Station is a superb reconstruction of a North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways station. It isset in beautiful countryside, has recently won a prestigious heritage award and is the focus for The SlateTrail, the conversion of the former Bryngwyn Branch into a footpath.

The building itself is now complete but cannot be left unlocked and so is rarely open!

Friends of Tryfan Junction has been set up to remedy that and thereby encourage the public to visit thestation and walk the Trail.

Membership is free to W.H.R.H.G. members but for those who are not members, there is a nominal annualmembership fee of £5.00 to cover administrative costs.

Interested? – Then please contact Mike Hadley 01386 792877 [email protected] with contactdetails and any special skills and /or expertise you have that you think might be relevant.

May 2nd was a very wet anda very windy day as acrowd of about fifty peopleassembled at TryfanJunction to witness theunveiling of the N.H.R.A.Volunteer Award Plaqueand the slate memorial toJohn Keylock. A marqueehad been provided to housethe ceremonies, but so badwas the weather that thisproved unusable andeveryone was forced tosqueeze into the stationbuilding for speeches andresponses.

John Ellis, Chairman of theN.H.R.A., presented theAward Plaque and thebackground to its awardbefore it was officiallyunveiled by Sir PeterHendy, Commissioner ofTransport for London.

Dafydd Gwyn offered aspeech in Welsh beforeDavid Allan delivered ashort eulogy in memory ofJohn Keylock, culminatingwith his signature commentfrom the end of so manytelephone conversations -“Speak Anon”.

After the crowds haddispersed, by car and bytrain, the N.H.R.A. Plaquewas mounted on the officewall, in pride of placebelow the print of Paget-Tomlinson’s well-knownpainting of Tryfan Junction.

John’s slate memorial nowrests in the station garden -a quiet spot he would haveloved alongside thebuilding and railway towhich he contributed somuch!

A Pair of Unveilings

4


The Sir Douglas Fox Archiveis a rich source ofinformation that often sheds

further light on established facts.

A recent trawl in the archiverevealed an interesting letter fromJ.K. Prendergast, the site agent, toMr. Freeman of Sir Douglas Fox &Partners and dated June 21st 1922.In this Prendergast draws attentionto an Ordnance Survey map (whichdoesn’t appear to have survived inthe archives) on which he hadcolour coded the properties to beaffected by the cross townconnection in Portmadoc.

Evidently Henry Joseph Jack hadcalled on Prendergast the daybefore, and opined that the proposedFestiniog Railway order should

cover only the section betweenPortmadoc Harbour station and ‘thebridge’ – apparently meaning theBritannia Bridge. The remainder ofthe route, including the connectionsto the wharves, would be coveredby “The Welsh H. Railway revisedorder”. Quite why Jack was of thisopinion isn’t clear.

It would seem that Prendergastcouldn’t establish ownership of theland between the High Street -Madoc Street junction and the ‘cornmill’, nor of the shed that had beenbuilt across the Croesor route at thispoint. The remainder of the letter isself explanatory and full of interest.It is perhaps a shame that theBeddgelert sidings drawing – notethe name given to it by Prendergast

– didn’t survive in view of recentcorrespondence in this Journal!

There follows a transcript of theactual letter and its associated table,which provides an interestinginsight into the properties or parcelsof land, their landowners andoccupiers, and the uses to which theland was put. There were a handfulof handwritten amendments on theoriginal and these have beenpreserved as far as possible. Thetable ends with a reference to landowned by the Tremadog Estate andoccupied by the Rhosydd Slate Co.and the Park and Croesor SlateQuarry. Though not stated in somany words, this must surely be at“Beddgelert sidings”.

Richard Watson

Crossing Portmadoc - an insight into the thinking in 1922

Welsh Highland Railway Offices Beddgelert

North WalesJune 21st 1922

Sir Douglas Fox & Partners, 38 Bedford Place London W.C.I.

Mr. Freeman, Welsh Highland Railway

Dear Sir, I enclose herewith ordnance sheets Nos. CarnarvonshireXXXIV 16 Merionetshire (sic) X16 and Carnarvonshire XXXIV 12. on which Ihave coloured and referenced the properties to be covered by theproposed new order. Mr. Jack called here yesterday and he considers that the Festiniogorder should only include the connection between the Festiniog Railwaystation and the bridge and the reconstruction of the bridge. The portion across the High Street including the relaying of theexisting line to the slate sidings and the proposed new connectionacross the High Street to the bridge should be included in the Welsh H.Railway revised order. Kindly let me know if the enclosed particulars referring to thenumbered plots on the ordnance sheets are as required.

5


I understand that the Tremadoc Estate are the road and bridgeauthorities who will have to be approached in connection with thereconstruction of the bridge and the connection across the road. I have not been able to find out what the position is as regardsownership between the Tremadoc Estate and the Welsh Highland Railway ofthe portion of the route between the junction of High Street and Madocstreet, and the corn mill shown on plan. The owners of the corn millhave a small shed built across the line. The ownership of this is alsoin doubt. I understand that Mr. Colley is having the agreements betweenthe Tremadoc Estate and the Company looked up on these points. As regards the Beddgelert sidings I enclose enlarged plan showing theareas owned by the company, edged in red. The contractors are preparing reference book for the W.H. Railwayand they hope to be able to complete it to day. Mr. Jack in conversation yesterday said that the line for which anorder was obtained some months ago and the line proposed by theContractors should be shown on the plan in two distinctive colours. I have not had a copy of this order and do not know what route it hasbeen obtained on but understand it is substantially the old 1904 routeas shown on the ordnance maps. We will require a copy of this order ifwe are to show the two routes in distinctive colours. Mr. Jack asked meto write to Mr. Davies for a copy. You might obtain a copy for me if youthink it necessary. Yours sincerely,

“FESTINIOG RAILWAY EXTENSION” PORTMADOC.

Ref Owner Tremadoc Estate. High Street, Portmadoc.Plot No. Description Public road and bridge, known as Britannia1 Bridge. The roadway and bridge is maintained by the Tremadoc Estate. The road maintenance is carried out by the Portmadoc Urban District Authority, under an agreement whereby the Estate pays the Urban District a sum covering the cost of maintenance. ( The Urban District thereby act simply as contractors )

Ref Owner Tremadoc Estate. High Street PortmadocPlot No. Occupiers Oakleys Quarries Co. Portmadoc.1a Description Slate Yard, wharf and slate office.

Note. The first proposal for the new connection and reconstruction of the Britannia Bridge showed that it would be necessary to acquire portion of the slate wharf and office building this proposal is being modified to bring the line outside this property.

WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY�i��in �i�its of ��ia�i��

Land to be acquired at Portmadoc f�� i�e� �r��

Ref Owner Tremadoc Estate, High Street Portmadoc.Plot No. Occupier Oakley Quarries Co. Portmadoc.1 Description Slate Yard

This land may not be required as it is proposed to keep the new connection outside this property

6


Ref Owner Tremadoc Estate.Plot No. Description High Street Portmadoc, public road ( see remarks under 2 plot No. 1 Festiniog Railway Extension above

Ref No. Owner Tremadoc Estate. 3 Occupier Vacant

Description Garden Plot

Ref No. Owner Tremadoc Estate. 4 Occupiers Richard Hughes and The Rhosydd Slate Quarry Co.

Description House and Garden and Office.

Ref No. Owner Tremadoc Estate 5 Occupier W.E. Morris, Chemist, High Street Portmadoc

Description Small Yard or enclosure

Ref No. Owner Tremadoc Estate 6 Occupier Tremadoc Estate

Description House used as an office or store room for books and documents

Ref No. Owner Tremadoc Estate 7 Occupier Glaslyn Foundry Co., Portmadoc

Description Foundry, fitters shop, smithy and store

Ref No. Owner Tremadog Estate 8 Occupier Portmadoc Water Co.

Description Store and yard

Ref No. Owner R. Newell 9 Occupier R. Newell, Butcher, Portmadoc

Description Field

Ref No. Owner Portmadoc Urban District 10 Description Field used as allotments 11

Ref No. Owner Tremadoc Estate 12 Description Roadway

Ref No. Owner Great Western Railway Co. (Cambrian Railway) 13 Description Cambrian railway (Coast section) and field

Ref No. Owner R. Newell, Butcher, Portmadoc 14 Occupier ,, ,, ,,

Description Field

Ref No. Owner Tremadog Estate 15 Occupiers The Rhosydd Slate Quarry Co. and the Park and Croesor Slate Quarry Co.

(The table ends here)

7


The North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways;As Pictorial an History as Possible.

By John Keylock (Part 4)

We ended our previous installmentwith the appearance on theN.W.N.G.R. scene of one James

Cholmeley Russell. We left the historicalaccount as it were in mid-meeting, specificallythe half-yearly meeting held in mid-August1878. Before profiling the very significantJ.C.R., it is appropriate to reproduce after-the-event coverage of the adjourned half-yearlymeeting, as reported in The Times newspaper.

49. “The makers and owners of theremaining rolling stock were now pressing forpayment of rents in arrear and if theyexercised their powers of removing stock theCompany would be deprived of earning halftheir revenue; and unless some arrangementscould be made with the rolling stock owners -which at present the directors were not in aposition to effect - the line would have to beclosed. The proprietors would thereforeclearly understand that with the outstandingliabilities and in the present incomplete stateof the line such a result would involve thecomplete loss of share capital of theundertaking. The Board had been anxiouslyconsidering for some time how to raise capitalto meet the rentals falling due on the rollingstock, and accordingly laid before theproprietors a scheme for forming a rollingstock company.

“The Chairman said he could only express hisregret that the report did not disclose a moresatisfactory state of things. It was unfortunatethat so large an amount of money had beenexpended in the early career of the Companyin the miserable litigation arising fromdisputes between the engineers and thecontractors. It was an old proverb thatmisfortunes never came singly and, oddlyenough, the line was no sooner open thangeneral depression occurred in the slate trade.Great improvements however had since takenplace and the Company would receive thebenefits of it, and it was also hoped that thecompletion of the line to Rhyd Ddu wouldresult in a large accession of traffic.

“The Chairman said he should endeavour tobring to bear all the energies that he possessedin the interests of the Company. He wasperfectly satisfied that if the line had beenmade for the money that it ought to have beenmade for, and if such a large amount of capitalhad not been wasted in litigation, its affairswould now have been in a very different

condition. He moved the adoption of thereport.

“Mr. J.C. Russell, Queens Gate, London, inseconding the motion, said that the Companywould more than clear its way during the nexthalf year, because the traffic had improvedand there was considerable interest to add. Hehad a strong opinion that the extension toRhyd Ddu would be of considerableadvantage to the Company.

“He admitted however that it would bedifficult, if not impossible, to raise the moneynecessary to carry out the work. The Directorshad tried to get the debenture holders topostpone the interest on their debentures to theextent of £5,000, but they had not succeededin getting sufficient assents to make theschemes practicable. But just at this momentthe most important point was the preservationof the rolling stock. They were already sixmonths in arrears with their payments. He(Mr. Russell) had advanced considerablesums to the Company, and if it was consideredthat his position of being able to stop the linewas incompatible with his office as a directorof the Company he should be glad to retirefrom the Board. He was the owner of three ofthe locomotives, three passenger carriages,and four coal trucks. That stock wasabsolutely necessary to carry on the traffic. Ifthey had nor possessed that stock they couldnot have conducted the tourist traffic duringthe season. Messrs. Brown Marshall and Cowere the owners of the slate waggons (sic) andit could not be supposed that they would waitforever for their money. Looking to the stateof affairs, the Directors were induced toattempt the formation of a Rolling StockCompany to which the shareholders mightsubscribe, and be repaid out of the netearnings of the line. The only other coursethat he could conceive was to try to lease theline to the London and North WesternCompany, and he was strongly convinced thatthey would be able to make better terms a yearhence than they could make now. Theworking expenses had been reduced to thelowest possible point. Some of their station-masters were paid only 10s or 12s per weekand had no house allowed them to live in.

“The Chairman explained that Mr. Russell hadcome to the Company’s aid in a most generousway and but for the advances he had made itsaffairs would have had to be wound up.

“Mr. Russell said that his object in buying therolling stock was to get as good as security ashe could for the money he had advanced.

“In reply to a question, the Chairman statedthat there were 238 shareholders, but many ofthem were people of small means.

“The report was adopted; and a resolution waspassed approving of the action of the Directorsin expending £2,250 for additional rollingstock, £440 in completing the line to SnowdonRanger and £5,000 in completing the line toRhyd Ddu.

“A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Russellfor the assistance he had rendered to theCompany, and the meeting then terminated.”

50. James Cholmeley Russell was the eldestson of James Russell Q.C. (1790 - 1861), andMaria, the daughter of the Reverend RobertCholmeley. He was born at 40 RussellSquare, Bloomsbury, London on 26th June1841, some two years after his parent'smarriage and christened James Cholmeley,thus perpetuating his mother's maiden name.His parents later had two further sons and fivedaughters. James Russell senior had a largechancery and bankruptcy practice and thismay give a clue to his eldest son's futureactivities.

In Easter 1855, at the age of 13, JamesCholmeley Russell was sent to HarrowSchool, leaving there at Christmas 1859 andgoing up to Magdalen College, Oxford as aCommoner. Here he remained until June1864, graduating with a B. A., 3rd ClassModerations and 2nd class in Law andModern History.

Until now the only photographs of JamesCholmeley Russell known to us were those inthe possession of Evelyn Pangman, his

J.C. Russell on board his Steam Yacht ‘Madge’ -photo courtesy of Eve Pangman

8


granddaughter, and these largely dated fromthe last ten years or so of his life. However,we now have access to one taken whenRussell was a young undergraduate, thanks toone Alfred Earle and to Dr. Robin Darwall-Smith the archivist of Magdalen College,Oxford.

Dr. Darwall-Smith has recently been makingthe College’s archives catalogue available onthe Internet with the express objective ofhelping researchers and generally making theCollege’s archives more publicly accessible.This excellent policy resulted in the HeritageGroup’s chairman, Nick Booker, visiting thearchive one Friday morning in October 2014to look though the Photograph Album ofAlfred Earle, preserved in the archives. MrEarle matriculated from Magdalen in 1859and took his BA in 1865 and his MA in 1866.He was thus a contemporary of Russell.

The large bound album is a personalphotographic collection of local scenes andbuildings, including pubs(!), But moreparticularly photographs of many of Earle’sfellow students including photographic studioportraits, group photographs taken around theCollege, photographs of the OxfordUniversity Volunteer Force on parade withtheir uniforms and rifles and at camp in

Wimbledon. Interestingly there are severalphotographs devoted to the Prince of Wales,later King Edward VII, and his entourage.The Prince was at Magdalen from October1859 to the summer of 1860; Russell may wellhave met the future King.

The photograph of Russell shown here isbelieved to have taken around this time. Dr

Darwall-Smith commented that, in Russell’stime, it was the practice for undergraduates tohave a number of photographs taken ofthemselves, which would then be passedround in exchange for one from the recipient,a sort of analogue Facebook!

What is remarkable about this album is that isthat it was assembled some twenty yearsbefore George Eastman of Kodak famedeveloped roll film (in 1884) to replace thephotographic plates and toxic chemicals thatthe photographer had hitherto to carry around.

We extend our thanks to Dr Darwall-Smithand his Archives Assistant Mr Ben Taylor fortheir help and co-operation. The photograph ofRussell is reproduced courtesy of thePresident of Magdalen College.

James Russell followed his father into thelegal profession and he was called to the Barat Lincoln's Inn in 1867. He practised at theChancery Bar and was for several years anExaminer at the High Court. (An Examinerexamined on oath the witnesses of both partiesinvolved in civil proceedings.) The annuallaw lists for the period show him to havepractised from various chambers in Lincoln'sInn, including 23 Old Buildings, as an equitydraftsman and conveyancer. A Chambers’address of 14 Old Square is last given in theannual law lists for 1899, indicating a possibledate of retirement from the law.

Russell had three elements to his career, law,property development and railways, with lawbeing the corner stone.

51. The precise details of Russell'scareer following his call to the bar in 1867 arecurrently not known, but by November 1876he was involved with hiring locomotives tothe North Wales Narrow Gauge RailwaysCompany. In 1878 Russell is first recorded asan N.W.N.G.R. Company Director but thewriter would venture to suggest that he hadbeen elected a year or two e arlier. Hisacquaintance Chaloner William Chute waselected in March 1876 and Russell’s firstagreement with the railway company was thefollowing December. One may speculate thatRussell suggested Chute’s ‘volunteering’ tosee what it was all about and having ‘reportedback’ Russell may in fact have volunteered hisservices as a director at the September half-yearly meeting.

By November 1878 (three lease agreementsdated the 18th November 1876, 27th April 1878and 18th October 1878 respectively) Russellwas hiring most of the stock he owned (seeIssue 66, page 9) to the N.W.N.G.R. eventhough it was to be the following year beforesaid stock of locomotives and carriages would

be in revenue earning service. The three leaseagreements listed covered all of his itemisedstock except the locomotive “Beddgelert” butthis was included in the hire arrangements byNovember 1878.

By 3rd December 1878 the Moel TryfanRolling Stock Company Limited (the ‘RollingStock Company’ discussed by theN.W.N.G.R. Directors at the half-yearlymeeting reported above) was incorporated “topurchase, or otherwise secure, thelocomotives, engines, carriages, waggons,trucks and rolling stock now in use by theNorth Wales Narrow Gauge RailwaysCompany”. The capital was £10,000 – thedirectors were Russell, Chaloner W. Chute,and Ernest E. Lake, another legal friend ofRussell who later became an executor of hisestate. Other subscribers were Russell’sbrother-in-law A.C. Humphreys Owen MP ofGarthmyl, Montgomery, W.L. Wiggett Chuteand two other legal gentlemen, Robert J.Tidswell and Alexander Mortimer.

In an agreement between J.C. Russell and theMoel Tryfan Rolling Stock Company, madeon the 7th December 1878, but officially datedthe 18th of that month, Russell sold to theM.T.R.S.C. The rolling stock he had beenhiring to the N.W.N.G.R. for £3,630, of which£3,000 was to be in shares and the balance of£630 in cash, but with an option to take sharesinstead of this cash. Russell also assigned tothe M.T.R.S.C. a judgement debt for£882.10.7 and costs of £4.6.0 which had beenobtained by him against the N.W.N.G.R. in acourt case – in the Exchequer Division of theHigh Court – the previous month. As theN.W.N.G.R. were unable to pay this debt, theM.T.R.S.C. Immediately petitioned theChancery Division of the High Court ofJustice to appoint a Receiver to control thefinances of the N.W.N.G.R.

The M.T.R.S.C. Petition is reproduced here;

“IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICECHANCERY DIVISION

V.C. HALL In the matter of the North WalesNarrow Gauge

Railways Companyand The Railway Comps

Act 1867

To her Majesties High Court ofJustice Petition for appointment of

receiver.Joseph Oldham Secy & Manager of Co.

North Rd,Caernarvon Mr J L Price & Co

7/12/78

J.C. Russell at Magdalen College Oxford c.1860 -courtesy The President of Magdalen College

9


The humble Petition of the Moel TryfanRolling Stock Compy Limited sheweth asfollows: -

1. The North Wales Narrow Gauge RlysCompy (hereinafter called the Rly Comp) is aCompy incorporated by Act of Parlt for thepurpose of constructing + working and haveconstructed and are now working a line orlines of Railway in the County of Caernarvon

2. Your Petrs are a Limited Compy dulyincorporated under the Comps Acts 1862,1867 and 1877.

3. On the 18th day of Novr 1878 JamesCholmeley Russell obtained a judgment inthe Exchequer Division of Her Majesty'sHigh Court of Justice agst the said RlyCompy for the sum of £882.10.7 and costsamounting to £4.6.0 making in the whole thesum of £886.16.7

4. By an Indre dated the 18th day ofDecember 1878 and made between the saidJames Cholmeley Russell of the one part andyour Petrs of the other part the said JamesCholmeley Russell for the contract thereinexecuted, assigned amongst other things thesd sums of £882.10.7 and £4.6.0(making together £886.16.7) secured bythe sd Judgment and the interest due &which are due for the same and the saidjudgment and the full benefit thof andyour Petrs their successors and a ssignsabsolutely for their own use & benefit

5. Express notice in writing of the saidassignment has been given to the said RlyCompy

6. No part of the said £886.16.7 has beenreceived by your Petrs or any person on theirbehalf from the said Rly Compy or anyperson on their behalf and the said sum is stilldue and owing by the sd Rly Compy

7. The sd Rly Compy are quite unable to paythe sd debt and there is no uncalled Capitalby means of which payment could be made

Your Petrs therefore humbly prayyour Lordships

1. That a right & proper person beappointed receiver of the tolls rentsand all other monies arising uponor out of the Railway andUndertaking

2. That the said Receiver shall out ofthe monies received provide for andpay all expenses proper andnecessary for the maintenancemanagement and working of the sdRailway including the hire of

Rolling Stock and other outgoingsin respect of the undertaking andshall apply the balance after suchpayments as approved under thedirection of this Honble Court in ortoward payment of the liabilitiesand debts of and otherwiseaccording to the rights + prioritiesof the Persons for the time beinginterested therein

3. Or that such further or other ordermay be made as shall seem fit Andyour Petrs will ever pray &c

Note It is intended to serve this Petition on theNorth Wales Narrow Gauge Rlys Compy”

Some of the language and abbreviations usedin this document were, at best, quaint. Mostof the abbreviations are self-explanatory.However for clarity note that ‘V.C.’ = ViceChancellor, ‘Petrs’ = Petitioners and ‘Indre’ =Indenture.

Russell was appointed as Receiver in the samemonth as the High Court heard the petition ofthe Rolling Stock Co.

As Company Secretary, Joseph Oldham mighthave reasonably been appointed as theN.W.N.G.R. Receiver but with Russell firmlyentrenched he would doubtless have beenregarded as a more ‘right and proper person’.Effectively, therefore, Russell now controlledthe N.W.N.G.R. but now being an Officer ofthe Court he had to act under its directions.

Russell was not only appointed Receiver inpreference to Oldham but he also dislodgedSir Llewelyn Turner as Chairman. Turnernevertheless remained on the board. Alongwith Russell, Turner, Fitzgibbon and Chutewere the only Directors to have survived theforegoing trials and tribulations. One Richard

Seymour Guinness (1826 - 1915) who wasliving at the time in a fashionable part ofLondon and described as 'magistrate andbanker' joined the N.W.N.G.R. Board at thistime. His banking involvement was with theGuinness Bank Co founded by RobertGuinness earlier in the century (GuinnessMahon). He was also a director of theBanbury & Cheltenham District Railway andparticularly represented B debenturestockholders on the N.W.N.G.R. board. Heremained on the Board until March 1890from which date Russell was reported ashaving the responsibility of representing Bdebenture stockholders.

52. With the railway now completeapart from the section between SnowdonRanger and Rhyd Ddu there remained to beinstalled the largest single engineeringfeature; a bridge over the Afon Treweunyddjust south of Snowdon Ranger. As evermoney was tight and the owners of Glanrafon

Quarry – just south of the river – were anxiousto get a rail connection for the dispatch of theirslate production. Consequently in August1879 the Glanrafon Quarry Company signedan agreement to subscribe for 80 £10First Preference Shares in the N.W.N.G.R.Company. This agreement is reproducedbelow, almost in its entirety;

Heads of Agreementbetween John Owen, Ty Coch, Carnarvon,Edward Humphrey Owen, Ty Coch,Carnarvon, Richard Roger Williams, BankQuay, Carnarvon and William HumphreyOwen, Plas yn Penrhyn, Anglesey, carrying onbusiness as the Glanrafon Quarry Company ofthe one part and James Cholmeley Russell of86, Queens Gate, London, Chairman of theNorth Wales Narrow Gauge Railways

Moel Tryfan with a two coach train comprising Ashbury Brake Composite No. 2 and oneof the two Gloucester (Cleminson) Brake Composites at Snowdon Ranger in the earlydays. Note that the locomotive had not yet been fitted for continuous brakes when the

photograph was taken (F. Moore’s Railway Photographs)

10


Company on behalf of the said RailwayCompany of the other part.

(1). The Glanrafon Quarry Company herebyagree to subscribe for Eighty Ten pound FirstPreference Shares in the North Wales NarrowGauge Railways Company at par and to payfor the same during the progress of the workshereinafter mentioned by four installments ofTwo hundred pounds in cash to be paid to thecredit of Messrs. James Cholmeley Russelland John Menzies at Messrs. Williams & Co.Bankers, Carnarvon on the fifteenth day ofSeptember, the fifteenth day of October, thefifteenth day of November and the fifteenthday of December 1879 on the condition thatthe money is applied solely in the constructionof the Railway Company’s Line of Railwaysfrom the Snowdon Ranger Station to the pointhereinafter mentioned and the worksconnected therewith. Provided that the lastinstallment shall not be payable until theRailway Company's line of Railwayhereinafter mentioned is completed fit forgoods and mineral traffic but shall be payableimmediately on such completion whether thesame happen before or after the 15thDecember 1879.

(2). The Railway Company shall forthwithconstruct and complete on or before the thirtyfirst day of January 1880 fit for goods andmineral traffic their line from Snowdon Rang-er Station to such a point of their line of worksthat a junction of the railway from theGlanrafon Quarry can be effected with theRailway Company's line of Railway.

(3). The approaching lines of the tramway ofthe Glanrafon Quarry Company to theproposed junction and the siding thereat shallbe constructed by the Glanrafon QuarryCompany according to plans approved by theRailway Company or their Engineer.

(4). The Railway Company to construct attheir cost a short connecting line with properpoints between their line of Railway and thesiding of the Quarry Company, the working ofthe siding points to be under the sole controlof the Railway Company.

(5). In the event of the continuation of theRailway Company’s line to Rhyd-ddu and ofthe opening of the same for public passengertraffic the Glanrafon Quarry Company willcontribute half the cost of the necessary signalapparatus required to be erected in conse-quence of the connection of their tramwaywith the Railway Company as aforesaid, suchpayment not to exceed Fifty pounds, suchsignals and their working to be under the solecontrol of the Railway Company.

(6). In consideration of such payment theRailway Company will when the line iscompleted to Rhyd-ddu and open for publicpassenger traffic so long as the GlanrafonQuarry is working and the other conditions ofthe heads of agreement to be performed by theQuarry Company and the owners for the timebeing of the said Quarry are observed andperformed upon, notice being given to theguard at the previous station stop at or near thesaid siding one train each way during the day( except Sunday, Christmas Day and GoodFriday ) in addition to the trains mentioned inthe next clause for the benefit andconvenience of the owners of the GlanrafonQuarry Company their agents and workmen.

(7). The Railway will also in considerationof such payment as last aforesaid and on the

guarantee of a minimum of forty third classpassengers daily each person holding a specialcontract or ordinary ticket from Dinas toWaenfawr and intermediate stations andtravelling to and fro by the trains hereinaftermentioned run daily (except Sunday,Christmas Day and Good Friday ) specialworkmen's trains or adapt the times of theordinary trains so as to arrive at the GlanrafonQuarry Siding from Dinas between 6.30 a.m.and 7 a.m. in summer and 7 a.m. and 7 a.m. inwinter and so as to leave the Glanrafon Sidingfor Dinas between 5.45 p.m. and 6.15 p.m. oras near as possible to these times as theordinary working of the line will permit.

(8). Special workmens tickets available by lastmentioned trains will be issued at a single farefor the Return journey for a period of onemonth and for a period of six or twelvemonths at a rate less than a single fare for theReturn journey.

(9). These heads of agreement shall, ifrequired, be developed into a full agreementwith all proper and necessary provisions.

(10). These heads of agreement shall remainin force for twenty one years from the datehereof and be subject to extension upon therenewal of the Lease held by the GlanrafonCompany.

As witness the hands of the said John Owen,Edward Humphrey Owen,Richard Roger Williams and William Hum-phrey Owen and James CholmeleyRussell the sixteenth day of August One thou-sand Eight hundred and Seventy nine.

Furthermore, it was the Owens who, havingobtained a lease on additional land, built theGlanrafon embankment thus providing a level‘shelf’ on which to lay the exchange sidings.

The ‘old’ and the ‘new’ at Afon Treweunydd (DavidAllan 1997 and 2003)

The extent of the civil engineering required to create the ‘shelf’ on which the Glanrafon Exchange Sidings werelaid is not fully apparent when viewed from passing trains. The wall behind which the shelf was built with theQuarry and its access incline beyond can better be seen from the Snowdon Ranger to Ryd Ddu road - Peter

Liddell (May 2015)

11


From the EditorLetters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Many thanks for my copy of W.H.H.Issue 66, which is, as ever, full ofinterest. Having opted for theelectronic version, may I say that I wasvery impressed with the reproductionstandard. No member, wonderingwhether to opt to receive it by email,should hold off doing so on grounds ofquality.

Yours Sincerely,

Graham Thorne Member No.452

I thank Graham for his testament and Ireiterate that any member who wishesto switch from paper to ‘electrons’ hasonly to contact me and I will make thenecessary distribution changes.

Of Baldwins and Flanges

My notes on the back page of Issue 66have prompted quite a volume ofcorrespondence! I am not complaining- I appreciate the additional inputs onthe topics raised, or indeed on any topiceven loosely Welsh Highland.

Establishing the actual standard of eachof the 495 Baldwin 10-12 Dlocomotives ordered for the War

Department Light Railways is clearlyproblematic and there are distinctdifferences in the interpretationsoffered by published sources.

In a future edition of W.H.H. I wouldhope to explore these interpretationsand to develop an understanding of therelativity between W.D.L.R. Nos. 590and 794 (the latter hopefully soon to beour 590 ‘look-alike’).

The remainder of the L.P.C. 16xx-series of Welsh Highlandphotographs (see page 12).

Above left, L.P.C. 1659 (W.H.R. 158) shows Russell at Beddgelert andis clearly ‘very’ contemporary with L.P.C. 1661, showing a Dinas-boundtrain standing on the main line. Above right is L.P.C. 1662 (this imagedoes not appear in the ‘official’ W.H.R. Photo lists) showing anassortment of both W.H.R. and Festiniog goods stock at Dinas Junction.Finally, below left, we see L.P.C. 1663 (W.H.H.G. 25), a view lookingtowards the original Portmadoc New across the standard gauge/narrowgauge level crossing - the Cambrian Crossing.

590 at Beddgelert in 1936 - S.W. Baker

12


Peter Liddell’s Photo Analysis

Editor: Peter Liddell E-mail [email protected] Secretary: Cedric Lodge E-mail [email protected] Membership Secretary: Derek Lystor, 14 Teign Village, Bovey Tracey, NEWTON ABBOT, TQ13 9QJ Telephone 01626 853963 E-mail [email protected]

Russell with train at Beddgelert (L.P.C. 1660 - W.H.R. 157) Russell with train at Beddgelert (L.P.C. 1661 - W.H.R. 24)

The Locomotive PublishingCompany’s photograph listsinclude a consecutive series of

images, from L.P.C. 1655 to 1663,covering Festiniog and Welsh Highlandsubjects. 1665 to 1658 were renumberedin their Festiniog series by RealPhotographs when they absorbed theL.P.C. Collection.

The five Welsh Highland images in thisseries, 1659 to 1663, were given numbersin Real’s W.H.R. Series as 77875, 77876,77878. 77879 and 77880 respectively.The ‘missing’ number, Real 77877, was aphotograph of Russell and Gowrietaken c. 1910 (originally L.P.C. 2566).

I made passing reference to one of theseimages (L.P.C. 1661) in this column inIssue 62, but I would now like to take acloser look at this photograph in conjunc-tion with L.P.C. 1660. Given their L.P.C.image numbers it is tempting to considerthem as contemporary, but does analysisbear this out? (For the record, the otherthree W.H.R. photographs in this seriesare reproduced on Page 11.)

As to their more obvious content, eachimage shows Russell with a Dinas-boundtrain at Beddgelert. The train make up ismore visible in L.P.C. 1660 and comprisedthe Buffet Car, a semi-glazed Ashbury‘Summer’, Road Van No. 2 (providing thebraking function in the absence of aPickering Brake/Composite) and, behindthe Road Van, one of the Railway’s twocovered goods wagons. In L.P.C. 1661much of the train is concealed by thecurvature of the track, but we can see that

the Buffet Car was coupled behindRussell with an Ashbury ‘Summer’behind that. Both of these photographshave been published several times before.In some cases inappropriate, even wildlyinappropriate, dates have been suggestedin their captions. For example, in NarrowGauge Railways in South Carnarvon-shire Volume 2, Boyd dated L.P.C. 1660to 1936!

What do these photographs tell usregarding dates? In both we see views ofBeddgelert Station that confirm that, whentaken, the station building still carried theboiler flue at its Portmadoc end and thatthe bookstall had disappeared. Thepresence of the Buffet Car limits the dateto 1927, 28 or 29 and the presence of theflue but the absence of the bookstallindicates 1928. Examples of other datingconstraints include the style of numberingon Russell’s rear buffer beam (pre–leasestyle), the installation of trap pointinterlocking on the Goods Shed point lever(post 1926), and the lack of the prominentside tank patch on Russell’s left-handside (therefore pre-September 1929).

But what of the differences between thephotographs. Most obviously, in 1660 thetrain is standing on the loop whereas in1661 it is on the main line. As Beddgelertwas designed for left-hand running, thescene in 1660 would have resulted if atrain had arrived at Beddgelert from thenorth and reversed there prior to returningto Dinas. However, in 1661 we appear tosee a train that has arrived in Beddgelertfrom the south.

When we carried out timetable analysesin support of the Group’s book “TheBuffet Car”, we found that, uniquely in1928, trains containing the Buffet Carindeed reversed at Beddgelert onweekdays, but on Saturdays the sameservice carried on from Beddgelert toreverse at Croesor Junction beforereturning to Dinas. Of course in this lattercase, on its return journey to Dinas, thetrain would have passed throughBeddgelert on the left-hand, or main, line– exactly as shown in 1661. We do notknow which Saturday this was, but we doknow that 1661 would have been taken ona Saturday in the Summer of 1928.

By way of additional comparison, note in1661, visible just above the open door atthe far end of the Ashbury ‘Summer’, wesee the roof of one of the Railway’scovered vans on the Coal Sidingalongside the more obviously visiblelorry – perhaps this was the same vanseen in 1660 at the extreme rear of thetrain? We could speculate that the vanspent the weekend ‘parked’ in the CoalSiding and then was picked up by a Dinastrain early in the following week. Werethis so, and were the photographers inBeddgelert for only a short period oftime, we might tentatively conclude that1660 was taken after 1661, possibly, oreven probably, on the following Monday.However it is clear that other explanationsas to how the two circumstances cameabout are entirely possible.

Nevertheless, here we have evidence ofvisits by covered vans to the BeddgelertCoal Siding in 1928.

mailto:[email protected]

recording yesterday for tomorrow welsh … recording yesterday for tomorrow welsh highland heritage...

Documents