We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for two prestigious awards at the upcoming HRA 2024 Annual Awards.
Our new double Fairlie, James Spooner has been shortlisted for the Coiley Award for Steam Locomotive Engineering and our Marketing Lead, Osian Hughes has been shortlisted for the HRA Award for Rising Stars.
The Coiley Award for Steam Locomotive Engineering is awarded to a HRA member organisation who has completed an outstanding engineering project in the overhaul, restoration, or preservation of a steam locomotive or self-propelled vehicle.
Our newest double Fairlie, ‘James Spooner’ is the 5th new build loco built by Boston Lodge works since 1979 and it was officially launched on the 20th of October 2023 in a ceremony staged at Blaenau Ffestiniog station.
Since it was first announced in early 2016 that work to build a new double Fairlie would commence, the outstanding efforts of both our staff and volunteers at Boston Lodge workshops along with significant financial contributions from supporters has resulted in what is one of the most significant engineering achievements in our recent history.
Our newest locomotive pays homage to the original ‘James Spooner’ of 1872 and several Victorian-era features have been incorporated in the design – including the iconic boiler-mounted bells, stovepipe chimneys, square sand boxes and an open cab – featured on the early double Fairlies.
Our Marketing Lead, Osian Hughes, has also been shortlisted in the Rising Star category.
Since joining the company in 2020, it was clear Osian was going to make a significant contribution with his positive attitude and problem solving ability which has greatly aided the railway over the past three years as it has changed its business model. He has worked hard to learn about the company and the world of railways taking an active role in Great Little Trains of Wales and with the Wales on Rails project which connects GLTW with the community rail partnerships in Wales to encourage leisure rail travel into and around the country.
A fluent Welsh speaker, he has worked with the Welsh Language Commission to create a Welsh Language Development Plan for the railway so that our improvement in this area can be monitored. He recently organised an exhibit of loco and carriages at the National Eisteddfod, manned largely by Welsh speaking staff and volunteers to highlight the importance of the Welsh language to the company.
The winners will be announced at the 2024 HRA Awards in Brighton on the evening of Saturday, 10th February.
Rydym yn falch iawn o gyhoeddi ein bod wedi cael ein cynnwys ar y rhestr fer ar gyfer dwy wobr fawreddog yng Ngwobrau Blynyddol HRA 2024.
Mae ein Fairlie dwbl newydd, ‘James Spooner’ wedi ei chynnwys ar rhestr fer Gwobr Coiley am Beirianneg Locomotifau Stêm ac mae ein Harweinydd Marchnata, Osian Hughes wedi cael ei chynnwys ar rhestr fer Gwobr HRA ar gyfer ‘Rising Stars’.
Dyfernir Gwobr Coiley am Beirianneg Locomotifau Stêm i aelod-sefydliad HRA sydd wedi cwblhau prosiect peirianneg rhagorol wrth ailwampio, adfer neu gadw locomotif stêm neu gerbyd hunanyredig.
Ein Fairlie dwbl diweddaraf, ‘James Spooner’ yw’r 5ed loco â adeiladwyd yn newydd gan weithfeydd Boston Lodge ers 1979 ac fe’i lansiwyd yn swyddogol ar yr 20fed o Hydref 2023 mewn seremoni a gynhaliwyd yng ngorsaf Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Ers y cyhoeddwyd yn gynnar yn 2016 y byddai gwaith i adeiladu Fairlie dwbl newydd yn dechrau, mae ymdrechion rhagorol ein staff a’n gwirfoddolwyr yng ngweithdai Boston Lodge ynghyd â chyfraniadau ariannol sylweddol gan gefnogwyr wedi arwain at un o gyflawniadau peirianneg mwyaf arwyddocaol yn ein hanes diweddar.
Mae ein locomotif diweddaraf yn talu teyrnged i ‘James Spooner’ gwreiddiol 1872 ac mae nifer o nodweddion o’r oes Fictoraidd wedi’u hymgorffori yn y dyluniad – gan gynnwys y clychau eiconig ar y boeler, simneiau pibelli stôf, blychau tywod sgwâr a chaban agored – â oedd yn nodwedd o’r dwbl Fairies cynnar.
Mae ein Harweinydd Marchnata, Osian Hughes, hefyd wedi ei gynnwys ar rhestr fer yn y categori ‘Rising Stars’.
Ers ymuno â’r cwmni yn 2020, roedd yn amlwg bod Osian yn mynd i wneud cyfraniad sylweddol gyda’i agwedd gadarnhaol a’i allu i ddatrys problemau sydd wedi bod o gymorth mawr i’r rheilffordd dros y tair blynedd diwethaf wrth iddo newid ei fodel busnes. Mae wedi gweithio’n galed i ddysgu am y cwmni a byd y rheilffyrdd, gan gymryd rhan weithredol yn Nhrenau Bach Gwych Cymru a gyda phrosiect Cledrau Cymru sy’n cysylltu GLTW â’r partneriaethau rheilffyrdd cymunedol yng Nghymru i annog teithio hamdden ar y rheilffyrdd i mewn ac o gwmpas y wlad.
Yn siaradwr Cymraeg rhugl, mae wedi gweithio gyda Chomisiwn y Gymraeg i greu Cynllun Datblygu’r Iaith Gymraeg ar gyfer y rheilffordd fel y gellir monitro ein gwelliant yn y maes hwn. Yn ddiweddar trefnodd arddangosfa o loco a cherbydau yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, gyda staff a gwirfoddolwyr Cymraeg eu hiaith yn bennaf yno i amlygu pwysigrwydd yr iaith Gymraeg i’r cwmni.
Bydd yr enillwyr yn cael eu cyhoeddi yng Ngwobrau HRA 2024 yn Brighton ar nos Sadwrn, 10fed Chwefror.
