20260620 Ffestiniog Double Fairlie 'Merddin Emrys'

Spotlight on Double Fairlie Locomotive 'Merddin Emrys' which was the first locomotive to be built by the Ffestiniog Railway at its Boston Lodge workshops in 1879. It's had several rebuilds since then, the last one in 2005. It sits on a 0-4-4-0T wheel arrangement. Merddin Emrys is named after a legendary Welsh wizard (more often spelled Myrddin Emrys) who later became the basis for the wizard Merlin of Arthurian legend See the locomotive at Tany-Y-Bwlch double heading with diesel locomotive 'Vale of Ffestiniog' on the 23rd June 2026, only a few days after the Extreme Steam Extravaganza Summer Gala event during which the railway ran a number of gravity trains down the line. I mention this because the gravity train wagons are notorious for dropping the wax lubricant that lubricates their axle boxes onto the track. This is why the locomotive was supported by the diesel tin order to increase adhesion. You will briefly see engineers running ahead of the locomotive before it left Tan-y-Bwlch treating the track surface in order to minimise wheel slippage which they were expecting. You will also see the locomotive the same day at Porthmadog running light and leaving the station pulling another service.