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From this month's featured article

Moelwyn

Moelwyn is a 2-4-0DM Diesel locomotive originally built for use by the French during the First World War. Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in 1918, this locomotive was originally an 0-4-0PM. It was acquired by the Festiniog Railway in the 1920s for use on shunting and other light duties.

Rebuilt in the 1950s with a front pony truck and diesel engine to improve its ride and economy, it was named Moelwyn and was extensively used on engineering trains as well as providing back-up for passenger operations.

It has now been retired from front-line use and forms part of the railway's heritage fleet but it is still a useful locomotive and can often be seen in use around the railway. (more...)

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Purpose

Festipedia is dedicated to recording the history of the Festiniog Railway from the 19th Century to the present day. There is a user friendly index to help you find your way around the main categories. You will also find much detail on the Welsh Highland Railway.

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This month's featured picture

John Benson on the Janakpur railway in 1968

John Benson was one of the first members of the Ffestiniog Railway Society (joining in 1955) and with reorganisation of the membership list early on in the life of the Society, and a name beginning with B, he ended up with annual membership number 5. He was born at Burghill in Herefordshire and at 17 years of age was called up for National Service which was then compulsory and was sent to The Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC). He made the army his career and retired in 1977 with the rank of Sergeant Major/WO1. In his army career he went from Devizes to Singapore, Nepal, UK for additional training, Germany with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as paymaster, back to Pontefract then via Edinburgh to Donington from where he retired.

He is seen here with Bhuvan Bahadur Pradhan, the General Manager of the Janakpur Railway, Nepal, in August 1968.

Photo credit: Mark Temple

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