Double Heading (Pictorial Views)

• Double Headers at the ready
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  Welsh Pony and Taliesin at Tan y Bwlch in the 1920s. A young Tom Davies stands beside the tender of Welsh Pony on a working that is almost certainly designed to get WP to Blaenau at the beginning of a week to serve as Top Shunter.
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  Moelwyn, Earl of Merioneth and Merddin Emrys at Harbour Station in 1962. The stone building on the right is the Britannia Foundry, since replaced by a modern building, offices for the Inland Revenue.
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  Merddin Emrys pilots Earl of Merioneth on a Convention Special. Convention 70 . . . then on Sunday morning there was a get-together of members of Company and Society Boards whilst the Group representatives went off up the line behind a double double Fairlie headed train, Merddin being on her first passenger working after fitting of the new boiler, with the Earl behind . . .? Boston Lodge curve, drivers Morgan and Davies.
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  Prince leading Conway Castle onto The Cob. On this particular day in 1986 the only Double Fairlie in traffic was Earl of Merioneth and the only Penryhn Quarry Lady in traffic was Blanche resulting in Prince double heading with Conway Castle.
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  Taliesin & Blanche prepare to double-head an afternoon train at Harbour.
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  Criccieth Castle pilots Blanche at Archer Dam
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  Prince and Taliesin at Cutting Naddu. During August and September 2004 the railway was occasionally short of either mainline diesel locos or double engines. This resulted in some interesting double heading of heavy service trains. Here, Friday's 10:20 from Port sees Prince and Taliesin deputising for a double engine.
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  Prince & Earl of Merioneth, Summit Cutting.
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  Palmerston and Prince departing Porthmadog with the 13:40. On several occasions during 2005 Palmerston and Prince double headed on service trains. The above picture shows the second instance of 2005 on the second day of the year as seen from the Control Office. (The first instance had been the first train that day at 10:20).
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  Prince & Moelwyn at Capel Nazareth Bridge.
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  Englands, Palmerston and Prince pass Plas Halt during FR50.
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  Merddin Emrys pilots Earl of Merioneth on an AGM Special. AGM '05 . . . society members went off up the line behind a double Double Fairlie headed train, Merddin being on her first passenger working after fitting of new tanks and new power bogies, with the (new) Earl behind. Approaching Weigh Bridge crossing, drivers Bond and Willmore.
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  Alco (and Blanche) on her last run before overhaul.

On the last two pictures, Poor weather, but worth recording the event! Note the minor changes in appearance made to the Earl for coal firing (comparing this picture with the one above taken at the same place). The brass domes have been swapped for the original 'dustbins' which have now been painted green and the chimney caps have been painted black. Both the domes and the caps would have been a challenge for crews to keep clean now that the loco is burning coal.

See also

• Locomotives