Ffestiniog 0-4-4 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Taliesin (Locobase 6481)

Data from Scientific American Supplement No. 102 -- December 15,1877 as archived on [] . Works number was 791 in 1876.

Vulcan's works #791 was a single Fairlie, which differed from the better-known double Fairlie in having a non-powered rear bogie. The single engine was a success in service. Its crews liked its soft ride and decent pulling power. According to the Scientific American, the Taliesin was rated at 40 tons up 1 in 80 (1 1/4%) at 14 mph. At the time daily mileage came to 85 miles or 3 round trips.

In 1900, the Festiniog fitted a new boiler and enlarged the cab and water tanks. By the mid 1920s the boiler needed replacement once again. When the board would not fund its replacement in 1924, the Taliesin at first was relegated to light duty, then retired altogether. It was gradually disassembled and the boiler scrapped in 1935.

Five decades later, Andy Savage and Gordon Rushton proposed building a Taliesin replica. It was a 10-year project conducted by 9-15 volunteers and described in entertaining detail in the December 2000 NSLME newsletter (look in []).