Interactive Weekend III
May 1st-3rd 2004

The 2004 May Bank Holiday saw WHR(C) running activities in parallel with others on the FR; these trend-setting Interactive events give members of the public the opportunity to get involved with all sorts of activities around the railways, not least on the footplate. This weekend also provided a focus to the May Bank Holiday, which is now well established as a time for FR special events.

Beyer Garratt Millennium returned to service on Saturday 1st after an extensive winter overhaul - having been declared fit to run at 0100 on that morning! The two Garratts worked the two-train passenger service on Saturday and Sunday.

Also back in service, after a shorter break, were the two bicycle/rucksack wagons first introduced at Easter - now featuring appropriate pictograms, and notices about use of the loading doors.

Special workings included evening "goods" trains from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu and return; those at the weekend were diesel-hauled.

Monday evening's train, with guest drivers from the USA, was to have been hauled by Millennium, but the loco was failed with post-overhaul teething troubles in the main steam feed to the front power unit; no. 143 deputised.