Noise to Order!

I think that some explanation of the scandalous picture on the front page would be in order!
On the 26th August 2004 a rather interesting opportunity came my way when I was asked to make some recordings on the Welsh Highland Railway to be used with the Microsoft Train Simulator. Although this would also mean recording some diesels, as it was in a good cause I was only too happy to agree!
In due course the WHR route for MSTS will be on sale with profits going to the railway. Information about this and Spooners TS, the group producing the route can be found at the bottom of this page.
I was particularly interested in helping because, having tried over the years since the railway reopened to get recordings of the Garratts and aside from one lineside recording which has already appeared in these pages (see the steamsounds archive), generally been unsuccessful, particularly with on-train recordings so I was most interested to see if the two NGG16 Garratt 2-6-6-2 locos could be persuaded to make some noise!
After spending the morning at Dinas making recordings of various diesels moving about the yard and some static recordings of the Garratts on shed the main attempt to record was to be on the last two trains from Caernarfon up to Dinas, these being the quietest trains (from the passenger numbers point of view).
On the first of these with No. 143 on 6 bogies plus the bike wagon, after having a word with the crew to explain what we were doing and what was required, I settled back in the first coach not really knowing what to expect but, soon after departure it became apparent that Garratts could make some noise when worked hard.
With a relatively light train these locos accelerate to line speed quite rapidly and the exhaust soon becomes a roar. Probably the best bit was the start from the rarely used halt at Bontnewydd, the stop being put in especially for sound recording purposes!
Incidentally, in the photograph, that's not a small furry animal that I'm holding!

For the last train up from Caernarfon with the other Garratt, No. 138, as I had already got a satisfactory on train recording and as they had gone to the trouble of providing a footplate pass it would have been a pity not to take advantage of it!
The driver and fireman were both, I believe, drafted in for the day from the Ffestiniog Railway, and to my eyes looked rather young! However, despite their apparent youth they were both complete professionals in the way that they worked the engine. It was a real pleasure to watch them at work.
The driver did his best to produce plenty of noise from the engine for me with the regulator well open and 140 - 160 lbs indicated in the steam chests. Unfortunately we had a light shower just before starting from Caernarfon and the front engine showed a marked tendency to slip with anything more than 120 lbs in the steam chests. Bear in mind that normal running conditions rarely require more than 80 lbs in the steam chests and often less.
Once again, some of the best sounds occurred after the stop at Bontnewydd on the final rising gradient to Dinas where we ran straight into the yard as there were no 'ordinary' passengers on the train.
An unexpected and very interesting experience!

This next recording makes an interesting comparison with the two above. This is how a Garratt sounds in normal service and was made on 10th September 2003 when I took my recorder and once again tried for some noise from Garratt 143.
Approaching Snowdon Ranger Halt there is a public footpath crossing the line which, at this time, required the train to stop before proceeding. This is how the Garratt sounded restarting and passing the Halt.
Not very successful but least it was nice to have some recordings on this superb route in the first few months of it's reopening!

Although I had not had much success recording Garratts other locos running on the Welsh Highland in the past had produced plenty of noise for me.
In 2002 with the railway opened as far as Waunfawr a two train service was operated. One of the two trains was made up of vintage carriages and hauled by the England 0-4-0STT 'Prince' and is heard in this recording passing the site of Tryfan Jc. where the loco is eased for a restriction over the nearby level crossing.

The Hunslet 2-4-0ST 'Linda' visited the Welsh Highland Railway for a week at the end of May and is heard in this recording also made near the level crossing at Tryfan Jc. heading for Waunfawr at the head of 5 coaches on 26th May 2003.

Spooners TS are a group of people who, with the co-operation of the Ffestiniog Railway Co. & Welsh Highland Railway Ltd. are engaged in producing the Welsh Highland Railway as a route for use with the Microsoft Train Simulator. When completed this will be available for sale with all profits going to help fund the Welsh Highland Railway.
I gather that a web site about the project will be coming soon but, until then information can be found on the Group's message board at UKTrainSim.
Timetables and information about the Welsh Highland Railway may be found on the Ffestiniog Railway web site and more information about the Welsh Highland Railway can be found here.