Images Dated 24th April 1980

The Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest independent railway company in the World - being

The Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest independent railway company in the World - being founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832.
The railway was originally built as a gravity and horse drawn line to transport slate from the quarries in the mountains around Blaenau Ffestiniog to the town of Porthmadog. Steam locomotives first ran on the line in October 1863
The railway was extremely successful and introduced many innovative engineering solutions to cope with the rapid increase in output from the quarries and in the number of passengers it carried. Engineers from around the world came to study the Ffestiniog Railway and, as a result, it has influenced the design and construction of railways across the world.
However, the slate industry slowly declined until finally the railway closed to traffic in 1946. Railway enthusiasts were determined that the railway should survive and it was re-opened in 1954.
Our Picture Shows: The fireman seen here leaning out of the cab of the locomotive called "Prince" waiting to receive a token from a signalman as the trains approach to Tan-y-Bwlch station. 24th April 1980

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