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Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri The Restoration of NG15 Class Locomotive №134 LATEST NEWS.............. It has been announced that the restoration of NG15 №134 has been shortlisted for the Heritage Railways Association's award for a locomotive restoration project...... "Always one of the most talked about categories, the Steam Locomotive Award will this year be competed by an unusually diverse range of finalists. Watercress Line-based Bulleid’ ‘Merchant Navy’ Class ‘Pacific’ No. 35005 Canadian Pacific, former South African Railways ‘NG15’ Class 2-8-2 No. 134 on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, Barclay fireless locomotive Boots No. 1 based at the West Somerset Railway, and the diminutive 2ft gauge Telford Town Tram." Following an inspection by the boiler inspector we now have our next 12 months boiler certificate. NG15 №134 now has a name!
№134 proudly displaying its new nameplates having just been uveiled at the Society's AGM at Caernarfon Station. (Photo Laurence Armstrong) Whilst №134 had always been casually referred to as Kalahari by the team its nice to have it formalised. More details can be found on the Latest News page. №134 Continues to be used on the Gelert Explorer service between Caernarfon and Beddgelert on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays and so more details can be found on the Company's website: https://www.festrail.co.uk/trains/, and 'What's in steam this week' is available on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/festrail/ Over the weekend of 7th & 8th June №134 made its first appearance in public service hauling the shuttle trains between Caernarfon and Waunfawr as the railway's RailAle festival.
№134 at Dinas hauling the RailAle shuttle service fron Caernarfon the Waunfawr. (Photo: Ben Abbott) 134 fits, just, all the way to Porthmadog. On Monday 19th May №134 conducted another gauging test run, this time getting beyond the previous furthest point of Nantmor and all the way to Porthmadog. This can be viewed in the recent special edition of Moving Pictures: 134 stars on the Rhyd Ddu section of The Snowdonian special train. Its first revenue earning trip double heading with NGG16 No87:
(Photo: Andie Shaw) 134 took part in three days of photo charters on the 7th to 9th March and conducted a further gauging run, this time to Nantmor: A second load test, this time pulling 10 carriages, was successfully completed on the 16th February 2025. The latest Video from the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways highlighting the run is here: A view of 134 on the climb up to Tryfan Junction. (Still from a video by Ben Abbott)
A video of 134 on the climb up to Tryfan Junction as seen at Plas Bodaden with thanks to Gwion Clark: Merchandise Items are still available to support the final stages of 134's restoration:
Help the restoration - we have a number of prints, polo shirts, a cap and a mug for sale and all the funds generated from these will go directly towards the restoration of №134. These items are being sold through the Welsh Highland Railway Society's website and can be accessed here: Want to Help? Our working parties are held on a regular monthly basis - more details are available on the Working Party News page and the dates for future working parties can be found on the 'Dates' page. |
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Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri, also known as the Welsh Highland Railway Society, is currently restoring to service the NG15 class narrow gauge locomotive number 134, formerly of South African Railways. This website is tracking the restoration of the locomotive as it is brought back into active service.
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The locomotive is being restored at Dinas, just outside Caernarfon in
North Wales, for use on the Welsh Highland
Railway where there are already a number of other ex South
African Railways locomotives in operation in the form of NGG16 class
Garratts. Rather than a
'cosmetic' restoration the locomotive is being given a thorough rebuild
and this involves changing a number of features in order to make the
locomotive
more suitable for use on the Welsh Highland Railway.
A summary of the progress with the restoration can be found here.
The NG15s, also sometimes known as Kalaharis, were popular engines with their South Africa crews and were capable of stable running in both forward and reverse. This has led to them being regarded as an ideal choice for the WHR. The view above gives an idea of how it will look, especially as regards a modified tender for improved rearwards visibility.
Full details of the whole of the restoration process and blow by blow details of the current activities cane be found in the Restoration section.
