The first attempt up the route on 2 May 1998 ended in disaster as the engine stalled near Pont-y-Pant and due to the water supply running low resulted in the train having to be rescued and then returned to Llandudno. A second attempt the day later, this time with just 4 coaches instead of the previous 6 proved successful, with 80079 becoming the first standard gauge steam locomotive in Blaenau for 31 years. On 1 May 1999 LMS black 5 no 45407 worked "The Conwy Climber" tour from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, from the lessons learnt with 80079 it was decided that although 45407 was a power class 5 engine (The BR standard being power class 4) 45407 would take a max of 4 coaches up the line while working solo. 45407 first took up 4 coaches to Blaenau without problems and then returned light engine to Llandudno Junction to collect the remaining four coaches, after this the eight coaches were coupled together for the return trip to Llandudno Junction. Five months later on 17 October the BR Standard tank no 80079 returned for a rematch on the route, this time she was to haul 4 coaches instead of 6 and she was working the trip with another member of her class no 80098. Once again 80079 slipped to a stand near Pont-y-Pant and 80098, which had been waiting with the second portion of the train at Llanrwst, was detached to bank 80079 up to Blaenau. Thereafter the two engines double-headed the remaining 4 coaches before reforming the train to 8 coaches for the journey back to Llandudno. In 2009, after a 10-year gap since the BR Standard tanks had worked up the route, The Railway Touring Company ran a special under the name "The Welsh Mountaineer" from Worcester to Blaenau Ffestiniog with 2 LMS Black 5's working the train from Llandudno Junction for the journey up the route to Blaenau. The Black 5's chosen for the trip were Bert Hitchen's no 45231 The Sherwood Forester & Ian Riley's no 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier. The locos' support coaches were left at Llandudno for the journey, leaving them with a load of 9 coaches to take up the line's 1 in 47 gradient. After the success of this trip a number of regular "Welsh Mountaineer" trips are run on select Tuesdays from Preston to Blaenau during the summer months, and