2004's event was based on those of the previous two Septembers, but with some new and some altered attractions. What many may remember best, however, is the weather! WHR(C) had been fortunate with the weather for most previous special events, but on this occasion it would be the understatement of the year to say that it rained - and by the end of Sunday there were also winds approaching gale force. While all this had a certain dramatic quality, it did not make for easy conditions for photography. The stalls and layouts in Dinas Goods Shed found themselves competing for space with visitors sheltering from the weather - which demonstrated that the roof is not quite weather-tight - and even with Morris dancers obliged to perform indoors. The shed displays included an SM32 scale live steam layout by the 16mm Garratt Owners & Operators Association, featuring various types of model Garratt.

The weather failed to dampen enthusiasm for the completion of the WHR with the funding package announced earlier in the week; the symbolic cheque was on display, and during the weekend a pleasing number of supporters signed up for the Phase 4 appeal (but there's still room for plenty more!).

Services to Rhyd Ddu featured the usual variety, including mixed trains each day.

Saturday's afternoon train ran double-headed with both NGG16s, but on Sunday the failure of diesel Castell Caernarfon with a turbocharger fault meant a Garratt had to cover its duties, so 143 took the mixed alone. It is seen below entering Waunfawr, and then approaching Snowdon Ranger in appalling conditions - in the distance the wind was whipping clouds of spray from the surface of the lake.

The recently introduced Dinas shunt token allowed a new feature, regular shuttle services to Caernarfon. Prince paid a flying visit from its FR duties to run these, together with FR carriage 26. This is nominally an ex-WHR vehicle. It started out as one of the 1894 NWNGR "summer cars", and the body was sold off in 1942. Recovered by the reopened FR from a farm at Y Groeslôn, it was fitted first with bogies from scrapped FR Ashbury no. 21, then with a steel underframe, and then in the 1980s it received an entirely new body using the current FR roof profile. It now contains no original components. On the shuttles it ran with the ex-Admiralty no.1001.

Prince arrived after dark on Friday, having worked a wedding special on the FR, and could not be unloaded until Saturday morning, after which steam had to be raised. Conway Castle thus found itself pressed into passenger service for perhaps its first public passenger turns since it ran double-headed with Mountaineer in 2001. The diesel worked the first shuttle on Saturday and Sunday mornings (Sunday below).

It also worked the last shuttle service on Sunday (below) as Prince was prepared for the return road journey.

In between, the two small locos found themselves with some unusual duties, some planned as part of the weekend, others imposed by the failure of Castell Caernarfon. On Saturday evening Prince propelled the shuttle set e.c.s from Waunfawr to Dinas, a first for WHR(C), and is seen below approaching Tryfan Crossing.

On Sunday the locos topped and tailed a service to Waunfawr, seen below approaching Tryfan Junction, and leaving Waunfawr on the return run.

WHR (Porthmadog)'s Bagnall 0-4-2T Gelert also visited, and spent the weekend giving footplate rides in Dinas yard. A good job that this year's loco on this duty has an enclosed cab!

More pictures of Gelert at Dinas at the WHR(P) site

On its return to WHR(P) on the Monday, Gelert was unloaded facing south for the first time, which gives new photographic opportunities for visitors to WHR(P). The loco is seen below awaiting unloading at Pen y Mount.

An Aveling & Porter traction engine was also displayed in steam at Dinas.

In the bay platform road, the Matisa tamper gave occasional demonstrations of its capabilities, which required temporarily closing off a short length of the platform.

It had been hoped that pioneer 1909-built Garratt K1 would be at Dinas in time for the weekend. Unfortunately this did not prove possible, with some remaining tasks to be done at Boston Lodge. However, K1 was in steam and on show at Boston Lodge on Sunday September 12th, and made movements within the yard.

Also "down South", WHR (Porthmadog) offered cab rides on the recently revived big East European LYd2 diesel Eryri at Gelert's Farm on both days.

Reports from the 2002 and 2003 events.