Ffestiniog Vintage Weekend 2002

Over the weekend of 12/13th October 2002 the Ffestiniog Railway held their now traditional Vintage Weekend, this time with a Victorian theme attempting to recreate the trains that would have run in the 1890's.
As the line was originally built to carry slate from the mines and quarries around Blaenau Ffestiniog it was only right that slate trains should be a major feature of the event.
In this recording made during the morning of Saturday 12th October 2002 England 0-4-0STT 'Prince' takes a train of about 25 slate wagons away from Tan-y-Bwlch. This train continued to Dduallt where the wagons were detached and returned to Porthmadog by gravity.
Please note that this is a large download (but well worth it!).

Later the same morning a mixed train ran from Porthmadog. This was hauled by Double Fairlie 'David Lloyd George' and was made up of two 4 wheel 'Bug boxes', 4 vintage bogie coaches with another 25 slate wagons and a van attached at the rear. Once again heard a little way above Tan-y-Bwlch station this mixed train departs and passes with the slate wagons rattling past at the rear of the train.

On the morning of Sunday 13th October 2002 all the available slate wagons were combined into one train and these were taken up to the summit just before Tanygrisiau by Single Fairlie 'Taliesin' and the other England loco 'Palmerston'. This point is now the highest point on the railway from which gravity trains can be run. Originally the railway was built to have a falling gradient throughout so that trains could be gravity worked all the way from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the harbour at Porthmadog. However, the building of a new route to deviate around that part of the original route flooded by the CEGB reservoir at Tanygrisiau has resulted in a short uphill gradient in the otherwise downhill run back from Blaenau Ffestiniog at that point.
In this recording 'Taliesin' and 'Palmerston' are heard arriving at this summit.

This next recording was made soon after the last one when, with the locomotives uncoupled, the brakes on the wagons are released and 'Taliesin' and 'Palmerston' provide a gentle push to get the train rolling. Whistles from the engines are answered by a brakesman with a bugle. He sounds to be having a little difficulty raising steam at first but, as the train begins to accelerate on the falling gradient soon has his instrument working well as the train rattles past on it's way down to Porthmadog.
This train consisted of no fewer than 50 wagons and was billed as the longest gravity slate train in the world!

The England loco 'Palmerston' is something of a rarity on the railway as, it is difficult to find suitable workings for it and, as it is coal fired it can only used above Penrhyn when there has been sufficient rain to remove the risk of starting line side fires.
In the days proceeding this particular weekend we were fortunate to have suitable weather and 'Palmerston' was able to work over the whole line.
During the afternoon of Sunday 13th October 2002 'Palmerston' is heading for Blaenau Ffestiniog with 25 slate wagons in tow heard not far from Glan-y-Pwll.