Mountaineer at WHR (Caernarfon)

The Ffestiniog Railway's Alco 2-6-2T Mountaineer served as the railway's spare steam loco during the first weeks of operation in Autumn 1997, following which it was returned to the FR. In the event it was little used, as Garratt 138 hauled most trains. It is seen on the left standing in the loop at Dinas; the right-hand picture (credit: John Savage) shows interesting detail comparison with no.138.

The engine was built in the USA for use by the British army in World War One, and is one of only three survivors of the hundred built. After the Great War, this example was used on reconstruction work in northern France and then passed into the sugarbeet industry, eventually becoming no. 3-23 of the famous Pithiviers system. The loco was imported into the UK by an enthusiast in the early 1960s and passed to the Ffestiniog in 1967, where it was given the name of the long-scrapped original FR loco Mountaineer. The engine has been substantially modified since.

Mountaineer (this time in lined black livery) returned to WHR (Caernarfon) in time for the 2000 season, replacing Blanche as the preferred choice for steam workings when loadings did not justify the use of a Garratt.

The pictures below show Mountaineer at work on its first day back in WHR service, coping well with a three-coach load despite damp conditions.

A few weeks later, the Alco is seen below in better weather conditions.

At the end of July 2000, the loco is seen standing at Dinas after arrival with the day's last train from Caernarfon.

Mountaineer remained in use on the railway in 2001. Despite some early doubts about whether or not the loco's water and fuel capacity would prove adequate for the longer and steeper run to Waunfawr, Mountaineer proved capable of handling four-coach trains over the full distance, and thus saw use on off-peak and Winter services - seen below at Waunfawr in the first weekend of the 2001 timetable.

Mountaineer was returned to the Ffestiniog Railway for workshop attention (routine Winter overhaul, plus attention to the boiler and firebox) in the week prior to the September 2001 Vintage Weekend.