Earlier this month, RailAdvent was invited to the Ffestiniog Railway to see the new Double Fairlie steam locomotive, James Spooner, officially named.

James Spooner is the culmination of years of work at Boston Lodge (as well as other organisations) to build a new Double Fairlie locomotive to replace Earl of Merioneth, which was withdrawn from service as it was in need of a major rebuild.

Whilst not a replica of the original James Spooner, it is a new build locomotive, but does have design features from the original locomotive, including the removable cab roof and bells.

The video showcases our day in a rather wet North Wales, including a tour of Boston Lodge Works for a select few guests, the ride to and from Blaenau Ffestiniog and ceremony at Blaenau Ffestiniog itself.

James Spooner recently made its public debut at the recent Bygones Weekend, but didnt haul any passenger trains, with Paul Lewin stating that the railway was waiting until the supporters could enjoy the first ride.

However, just this week, James Spooner has made its public passenger service debut, hauling The Woodland Wanderer to Tan-y-Bwlch and return.

You can read our Live Blog from the day by clicking here, otherwise, you can enjoy the sights and sounds from the day in the video below