Ffestiniog Railway Quirks & Curiosities Weekend April 30th - May 3rd

Part 3 now up, several new spots that I found in this one.

[video=youtube;5mChI2RwdGM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mChI2RwdGM[/video]

Another 2 parts including Tuesday footage to come.

 

Part 4 picks up the Gravity Train footage from early Tuesday morning.
[video=youtube;agoRlU7_zMw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agoRlU7_zMw[/video]

 

Final part
[video=youtube;lZL3Y3Qu2AI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZL3Y3Qu2AI[/video]

 

Without starting a new thread, just to say how interesting it was to see the coverage of the Gravity Train on BBC TV "Countryfile" yesterday, and three questions if you dont mind: First, the train appeared to start somewhere above the Moelwyn tunnel, where actually does it start its descent from? Secondly, does it run down to Porthmadoc non-stop, and does it pick up/set down tokens if that is the signalling method? Thirdly, it appeared to run across the Cob into Porthmadoc terminus, does it actually have enough momentum to cross the Cob without a "push" ?

Thanks in anticipation.

46118

 

'Normally' the gravity trains start their descent from just below the bridge at Dduallt. Occasionally the gravity trains will complete the maximum possible length of run by starting from the line's summit, above the Tanygrisiau power station. In this particular instance, the gravity train shown on film started from the top end of the Dduallt spiral, short of the Moelwyn tunnel...

The gravity trains run non-stop - with signalmen exchanging tokens "on the fly" with the Head Brakesman as the train passes...

Although it 'appeared' to run into Porthmadog, we don't actually do that these days. The gravity trains are braked to a halt shortly after passing Pen Cob - the entrance to Boston Lodge - from where they are propelled across the Cob into Harbour Station. As the gravity train passed Boston Lodge in the film you could see 'Merddin Emrys' waiting in the yard to complete this task...

 

Though apparently you can get accross the cob if you go too fast!

 

Roger: Many thanks. Most interesting.

The train shown on the BBC Countryfile programme did pass through a tunnel, which I "assumed" was Moelwyn, but I am not that familiar with the line.

Thanks again.

 

I think the tunnel is a smaller one further down after Dduallt.

They started just short of the Moelwyn, if you see part 5 of my film, the second shot after leaving Ddualt, start at around 2 mins in aand finished at 3, I think they started in this area.

The train would normal run all the way down without stopping but they stopped and started with the aid of Merddin Emrys, again in you can see this in part 4 which covers the footage I got of the same gravity train they were filming. Of course they were stopping and starting for filming reasons, namely all the camera crue would have been left at ddualt with me and penny.