File:1967-08 Festiniog Calendar Aug.jpg

Built in 1836 to carry slate by gravity, the Festiniog Railway was the world’s first public narrow-gauge fine, passengers being carried for the first time on such a narrow gauge in 1865. Unintendedly it became Britain’s most scenic railway route and is run by our oldest surviving private railway company. More than one third of the season’s passengers are carried during August and the line is working at full capacity for most of the month. Eight trains run between Portmadoc and Tan-y-Bwlch on Monday to Thursday, six on Friday and three each on Saturday and Sunday.

N. F. Gurley Double Fairlie ‘Merddin Emrys’ and 0-4-0 ‘Prince’ storm into Tan-y-Bwlch with a packed train. Behind the locomotives are a restored quarrymen’s coach and four of the Festiniog’s original four-wheeled carriages dating back to 1865 and now only used on high days like this.