Cultural Exchange #4

Paul drives No 4 through Pendre 

(Photo: Mark Carwadine)

One aspect of being involved with any hobby over a number of years is the forming of friendships with other like minded people. Through our involvement with the Trent Valley Area Group of the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association, Paul Martin (Mr EDM Models) and I have known each other for nearly thirty years. We also share a second hobby, driving steam engines in Wales, Paul on the Ffestiniog Railway and me on the Talyllyn. 

Friendly banter between us over the merits of our respective railways evolved over time into us instigating a ‘Cultural Exchange’ where we spend a day on each other’s engines, followed by a pint or three after. You could say I widen Paul’s horizons by about 3 3/8ths inches and Paul narrows mine by the same amount. When you’ve been driving on a railway for several years as we have both done, driving becomes second nature. The Talyllyn and Ffestiniog are very contrasting railways. As a result, needing contrasting driving styles taking us out of our usual comfort zones and we both enjoy the challenge that brings.

Following a break caused by the pandemic, this year we have managed to arrange our fourth exchange. Paul has now driven two thirds of the Talyllyn steam fleet and I’ve enjoyed double engines and Lyd. A badly kept secret is that Paul’s favourite loco is ‘Blanche’ and he suggested that we should try and get a day with his “other women”. With both of us in Wales this week, arrangements were made with our respective roster clerks and the stage was set for Cultural Exchange No 4.

Paul and No 4 having arrived at Nant Gwernol.

Hosting first, Paul joined me for a day on No 4 ‘Edward Thomas’, by chance we were given my favourite Talyllyn loco. We enjoyed a crisp autumnal day after some overnight rain. A fun day was had with two trips of the Fathew Valley, fuelled by cake and washed down with plenty of tea.

Two days later and I was heading north to Porthmadog. Sadly, ‘Blanche’ had decided at the weekend that it had done enough for the season and we were on ‘Lyd’, a marmite loco amongst the Ffestiniog loco crews, I quite like it (but then I don’t work the loco as the norm). 

On our last exchange, the Ffestiniog was a railway using double engines as much as possible hauling lengthy trains of saloon carriages to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Post pandemic, the Ffestiniog is a railway that has evolved a great deal with short workings to Tan-Y-Bwlch bringing a new purpose to the smaller locos and it was one of these that we were working, rather than one of the full line trips. A seven mile trip to spend some time at your cafe in the woods is a business model I recognise!

Boston Lodge and The Cob are some of the more scenic locations for a railway, alas, I arrived to find heavy rain being blown sideways by a strong wind! 

Do we have to go out there? Getting locos ready al fresco sometimes has its drawbacks…

We set sail into the elements and had a good day despite the conditions, with two trips to Tan-Y-Bwlch fuelled by cake and tea (some things both railways share!) whilst seeing some old friends on my visit and making some new ones. 

Ready to set sail for Tan-Y-Bwlch.

Through the round window. 

Widening our waistbands.

One of us is enjoying the novelty of a wet day on the Ffestiniog, the other is enduring the normality of a wet day on the Ffestiniog. 

All good fun and a very sociable few days. It’s always good to test yourself every now and again, plus the social side of our exchanges is most enjoyable. The quest for ‘Blanche’ continues, so maybe a fifth Cultural Exchange beckons one day…