Himself's jaunt to Wales last week resulted in him getting that chance to see two of the FR's newest toys in use, which is more than I can expect to do in the foreseeable future.
One of them was Welsh Pony and the other was the replica of carriage 21.
I confess to still being slightly puzzled by this rebuild, given this design's notoriety for not being the most comfortable of conveyances.
I only sat in it for a minute or so while it was in the carriage works at Boston Lodge and could feel the rail of the seat digging awkwardly into my lower back, and on those end benches perched up over the bogies my knees were uncomfortably high.
That was with it sitting still, so I hate to think what it's like 'Bakerlooing' up the line - to steal a phrase from the doyen of FR magazine editors, Dan Wilson.
However, I can imagine it's just the job for the Covid-safe compartment service to Tan y Bwlch, and if heritage means anything it should be an authentic experience, I suppose.
Even so, it still seems a little odd to sell off the tin cars, which although far from the standards of the current saloons were still a vast improvement on compartment stock, and be recreating what is surely their heritage equivalent? (A one-time cheap and cheerful solution to boost the carriage fleet.)
We still don't have a 21 in our fleet, but hopefully that will be corrected soon as I have one of the Worsley body kits on back order.
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