Perseverance and the Gherkin visit the Ffestiniog Railway
Quirks and Curiosities Gala - May 2010
Over the 2010 Spring Bank Holiday weekend, the Launceston Steam Railway attended the 'Quirks and Curiosities' gala at the Ffestiniog Railway with two items of rolling stock; Chris Parmenter's vertical boiler locomotive 'Perseverance' and the new railcar power bogie (affectionately christened "The Gherkin"). As both are normally kept in the workshops when the LSR is open to the public, the weekend provided the rare opportunity for members of the public to see Perseverance and the Gherkin on display and in operation.
Throughout the weekend, both Perseverance and the Gherkin were often on display, either at Harbour station in Porthmadog or at Boston Lodge Works. Perseverance was often to be found running around Boston Lodge yard, and occasionally ran to and from Harbour station with two other vertical boilered locomotives 'Paddy' and 'Leary'. The Gherkin was accompanied by a bogie wagon for the weekend, and was frequently used to move staff and volunteers quickly around parts of the railway.
On the Saturday evening, Perseverance made a run up the line to a point just past Penrhyn crossing, accompanied by Paddy. Meanwhile on Sunday evening, the Gherkin made a spirited run to Tan-y-Bwlch station, with around 15 passengers riding in the accompanying wagon.
