National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Ffestiniog Railway - Rough Cut
Coach restoration, weed killing and Bessie Jones, wearer of Welsh costume, gathering visitors for tea at her station cottage at Tan-y-Bwlch on the Ffestiniog Railway.
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Overview
A film from the Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Collection showing two men [Fred Boughey, Ken Kelsey] at work on the restoration of a coach which had been used as a hen house, the line being sprayed with weed-killer from a train [Paul Dukes, John Alexander and Allan Garraway on board], and a train arriving at Tan-y-Bwlch, where Bessie Jones, wife of the line's plate-layer Will Jones, is seen in her customary Welsh costume, offering Welsh teas to visitors in her station cottage.
The restoration of the Ffestiniog Railway brought together a dedicated group of people with a huge variety of skills. Ken Kelsey was a volunteer and Fred Boughey was a woodwork teacher who became Wagon Foreman and later a permanent member of staff in a similar role. Paul Dukes was a volunteer from London who became Works Manager at Boston Lodge. John Alexander was a chemical engineer/factory inspector who became Secretary of Ffestiniog Railway Heritage. Allan G W Garraway, the General Manager and Engineer of the Ffestiniog Railway 1955-83, was the son of a railway engineer and had worked for British Rail himself and also served in the British army.
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