Boston Lodge is the engineering works of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways. The present workforce is continuing a long established tradition of innovation and quality stretching back more than 150 years. The works is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest in the world and is unique in having built steam locomotives in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The first, Double Fairlie Merddin Emrys, was built in 1879 and is still in daily use today.
We have also been successful in our application for a £3.1 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Through this ambitious and exciting project we will tell the story of the railway and so help thousands of visitors understand the area’s pioneering spirit and global impact and explain how the industry has shaped the landscape and community over 200 years. The project will enable us to involve more people in the railway and help those people develop their skills. The project will also rescue historic buildings at Boston Lodge bringing them back into use as well as creating some new buildings. More information can be found on the dedicated project website here.
The world’s oldest railway workshop
Sixty years of preservation work have resulted in a wide range of expertise in the field of engineering at Boston Lodge. Heritage locomotives and carriages can be restored and repaired on site and we also regularly produce new locomotives and stock.
In 2001 we completed the restoration of the first two iron-framed carriages built for use in the UK. This gave us the inspiration accurately to replicate the colourful trains of the Ffestiniog Railway’s past. One carriage rake has been completed in 1930s livery and another has been finished to emulate the elaborate livery used in 1878, including gold leaf lining.
Our Expertise
Our expertise in the field of railway engineering is renowned among heritage railways who frequently commission work from us. London Underground Museum selected Boston Lodge to restore its Jubilee carriage, Met 353, from a garden shed to as-new condition for its 150th anniversary in 2013. We have built three underframes for the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in North Devon and rebuilt steam loco Isaac for use on the same line.
Past projects include two vehicles designed and constructed to replicate Darjeeling Himalayan Railway examples and the construction of three replica Pickering carriages for the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway.
We have also designed and constructed a carriage based on the concept of the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad parlor car. This entailed modifying the original design to suit the customer’s specifications – including the addition of a fully fitted kitchen.
highly trained staff
Apart from the high profile launch of replica Manning, Wardle Steam locomotive Lyd in 2010, we also maintain and build other locomotives. We are particularly proud of the fact that we have built the new boiler for resident Hunslet 0-4-0ST Lilla ourselves. Our well-equipped machine shops and highly trained staff ensure the vast majority of our work is carried out in-house.
Our more unusual projects include the construction of a replica wooden footbridge for Tan y Bwlch station and the restoration of a double deck Glasgow tram. Our engineers are carrying on a great tradition of continual improvement to get the best out of our locomotives, as evidenced by the design of a single casting to replace the three used previously on each Fairlie power bogie.
For more detailed information, contact the works administrator:
Email: BostonLodgeEnquiries@ffwhr.com
Phone: 01766 512850