2017-06 UK 5. FfFFF - EoM

Ffestiniog's Fantastic Fairlie Four: Earl of Merioneth, "The Square"
During our UK holiday we spent a week close to Porthmadog's Harbour Station where the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways meet.
I made many photos over the week and rather than per day I grouped these photos in an album per locomotive.
DSC06479b Earl of Merioneth (Iarll Meirionnydd) is a Double Fairlie of the Ffestinog Railway. It was built in Boston Lodge in 1979 to provide for the direly needed motive power to keep a decent schedule going on the preservation era Ffestiniog Railway. Its angular appearance, like it or not, gave it the monicker "The Square". 2017 is, as far as we now know, the last season the Earl will run. It will be withdrawn after its boiler ticket has expired. Bringing her up to standard has been deemed beyond economic reason. DSC04918 DSC04919 DSC04920 Moving close to her rake of coaches for the day.
DSC04923 DSC04928 Getting ready to depart for Blaenau DSC04931 DSC04932
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DSC04943 DSC04947 DSC04948 DSC04949
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DSC04983 DSC05284 Wainting for the return of EoM. The weather wasn't too favourable, but on the other hand Porthmadog was dry so I should not complain. DSC05286 There it (she, he ?) is. DSC05293 Closing the carriage doors after the day.
DSC05308 EoM returning from the coal stage. DSC05310 DSC05314 DSC05318
DSC05321 DSC05326 DSC05330 DSC05331 Off to Boston Lodge for the night.
DSC05333 On Wednesday I met EoM again and made loads of detail photos, some of which I have included in this album. DSC05334 DSC05337 DSC05993 On Thursday I travelled to Blaenau Ffestiniog, in the morning by car and in the afternoon by train. Eom arriving at Tan-y-Bwlch.
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DSC06003 DSC06004 DSC06007 CIMG4458
DSC06468 EoM at the coaling stage in Porthmadog on Friday DSC06471 DSC06472 DSC06474
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DSC06523 DSC06527 When being at a steam railway never forget that people are important too. This picture is the image and testimony for me to all those people who dedicate a significant part of their lives to make a railway as the FR possible. DSC06542 DSC06543
DSC06545 DSC06552 Taking the train up to Blaenau DSC06563 DSC06571
DSC06577 A rare ray of sunshine to brighten the goodbye. I will probably never see her run again. DSC06580b DSC06585