Colour footage of North Wales Narrow Gauge in 1956 (?)

Another facebook find, this rather delightful bit of film, hosted on the BFI website. As far as I can tell it's not been posted up on here before.


It's called 'Their Purpose Served and is marked as 1977 but looks to have been shot in the 1950s.


http://player.bfi.or...qyT__E.facebook

It includes shot of a rather butchered 'Russell' at the beginning, and plenty of lovely colour footage of the Penrhyn Quarry Railway (still carrying slate), Vale of Rheidol (under BR ownership with early crests in evidence), early-preservation Ffestiniog with 'Prince' and 'Livingston Thompson' aka 'Taliesin' in primer working trains across the Cob, and pre-closure Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway.

 

A good find. From memory, the W&L shut in 1956 so I'd say it dates from about 1955. Need to check when TR No.3 was turned to face east. It could be a compilation filmed over several years, though.

 

There's also

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-the-tal-y-llyn-railway-1949/

I haven't checked if this has been posted before. I'm surprised how many passengers are around while the way water is taken on at Abergynolwyn is delightful!

 

And this one.......

 

The F.R. shots are evidently taken at different times. We are told that W&LLR 823 did not run after early February 1956, leaving 822 to continue until closure in November of that year.

I have never seen any film of 823 in B.R. days before or of all four cattle vans in service together/

Paul H

 

I suspect the V of R shots may also have been taken on two separate occasions as the stock first appears in faded carmine & cream then later in chocolate & cream introduced from 1956.
Ray.

 

The TR clips are from two different years and possibly three. The first shows Pat Whitehouse (in white decorators overall) clipping tickets. A very slim Tom Rolt is observing and walking towards the loco. Rolt was General Manager in 1951-2, but there is no platform at Wharf in the film. This was built in the winter of 1951-2, so this rare clip must be 1951. The TR Brown Marshalls coaches are still in pre-preservation livery.
No 6 Douglas was delivered to the TR in 1953, and No 3 Sir Haydn was tried in traffic again in 1953 following some improvements to the track. Note that No 3 still hasn't had side buffers fitted.
Russell wasn't delivered to Towyn (as it was then) until August 1955.

 

Ah yes, the famously 'generous' gauge!