One of Ffestiniog Railway’s most historic locomotives, will be in steam at The Greatest Gathering, hosted by Alstom in Derby from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd August.
The event will feature Prince hauling passenger trains on a demonstration line using two original Ffestiniog Railway carriages.
This special appearance comes at a significant moment in Prince’s long and distinguished career. On 2nd August, it will be exactly 70 years since the locomotive first returned to steam in preservation.
The following day marks 70 years since it hauled its first passenger train on the revived Ffestiniog Railway in 1955.
Originally built in 1863, Prince is one of the oldest narrow-gauge steam locomotives still in operation anywhere in the world.
When the Ffestiniog Railway closed in 1946, Prince was left mid-overhaul. For the reopening in 1955, it was chosen as the first locomotive to be restored, using a boiler that had been delivered before the closure.
It became the cornerstone of early revival efforts, working regular passenger services through the pioneering preservation years.
Still an active part of their fleet today, Prince recently underwent a full overhaul in preparation for the Railway 200 and Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Its upcoming visit to Derby allows visitors to see, hear and ride behind a locomotive that played a vital role in shaping the preservation movement in the UK.
Joining Prince on the demonstration line will be Trangkil No.4, built in 1971 for use on a sugar plantation in Indonesia and now based at the Statfold Barn Railway.
The Greatest Gathering is a unique event, which brings together remarkable locomotives and celebrates the legacy of industrial and narrow-gauge railways.
It is a fitting showcase for Prince, a locomotive that has inspired generations of railway enthusiasts for over a century and a half.
Set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Slate landscape of North Wales’, the Ffestiniog Railway is the world’s oldest narrow-gauge railway with almost 200 years of history, taking passengers on a 13½-mile journey from the harbour in Porthmadog to the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Historic trains climb over 700 feet from sea level into the mountains through tranquil pastures and magnificent forests, past lakes and waterfalls, round tight bends clinging to the side of the mountain or tunnelling through it.
For more information visit www.festrail.co.uk
