Template:Featured picture/September 2009

Carriage 22 was built for the Festiniog Railway's Quarrymens' Train in 1896 by the Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Company of Manchester, after justified criticism of the existing Quarrymens' Train by Government Inspectors of Mines. Both carriages were known as "The Yellow Cars" after an early livery. No 22 was restored to traffic in 1958 and is shown here at Harbour Station in 1965. Having lost the tension in the wooden underframe, a pronounced sag appeared in the body shape so it was known as "the banana van." It held 56 in some discomfort; guards had to load the middle compartment first, shut the door, then load the side compartments, shutting the doors, ending with the compartments over the bogies. This was because the doors jammed and if you loaded the ends you could not shut the middle doors. Rebodied in 1984, it now bears little resemblance to its original appearance. It now has a metal underframe; however it is still uncomfortably crowded and passengers' knees have to interlock with the people opposite. It was downgraded from 56 to 42 passengers around 2003 to allow for the greater bulk of modern passengers. Photo credit: Michael Bishop Recently featured: Tan y Bwlch – Railway Letter Service stamp issue 62 – Prince