On the rails
Community reporter
Jacqui Thomas goes on an adventure tour aboard the Festiniog Railway for a ruby wedding anniversary celebration in a report for Radio Wales programme, The View From Here.
She hears how the train once carried slate and is now a top tourist attraction. Whole families volunteer to work on the trains and Jacqui talks to the driver and the first woman guard.
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Festiniog Railway
Old slate trains draw visitors and volunteers.
your comments
Bob Battersby - Merstham
I was a 'deviant' in 1975 and 76 working on the deviation and the new tunnel. We lived in an army hut set up on the old track bed by the mouth of the old tunnel. Memories include helping 'Bunny' blast rocks with plastic explosive and accompanying the Cornish tin miners into the tunnel workings to check that all the charges had blown! Oh yes, and chucking sheep back over the fence every morning. Communal living, killer curries and very cheap beer. Went back in the 1980s - great to see it all finished.
Thu Dec 11 09:53:37 2008
Dave Sugden from Bury
As a teenager with others from the railway club at Bury Grammar School I used to spend 2 weeks of my annual hols camping or sleeping in old carriages, Portmadoc or Boston Lodge station whilst rebuilding the Festiniog.
In these times (mid 50s) Only Prince, Baldwin and Simplex locomotives ran.We relaid sleepers on the cobb.
Thu Aug 25 14:02:48 2005
David Jones, Porthmadog
The railway attracts all kinds of people, all are made welcome. They have a volunteer officer who was very helpful, I now work as a fireman. In a few years i might qualify as a driver. It's so much fun.
Wed Jun 15 09:17:48 2005
Kenneth Woods from Bristol
Sitting on a bench at Abergynolwyn Station
Talyllyn Railway, in 1970, I wrote a postcard and gave it to the guard to carry on the train. Looking at the address, he asked if I was from Bristol, Yes, I said, I am the Chairman of the Bristol Area group, he said, why don't you join us. I did, and from that day, have worked with the Railway Letter Service. I travel to Tywyn five times a year to prepare postcards and covers. One of the nicest places on earth is Dolgoch Falls Station. To sit there on a late summer afternoon, watching the Kites, Squirrels, listening to the stream as it meanders along side the rails, here the whistle of the train as it approaches the station, I can see it now as I write. The journey to Tywyn is 147 miles from my home, three and a half hours driving, but no problem. I shall be there again at the end of August, sticking stamps on Postcards, envelopes, making up packets of stamps, meeting people from all over the world, all in all, a wonderful time on a wonderful railway.
Wed Aug 11 22:12:53 2004
Tell us about your experiences as a railway volunteer.
