Over the last few years the group has been involved in restoring the 6-wheeled “Iron bogie” which is actually a simplification of the unsuccessful Cleminson design. This needed dismantling, cleaning, painting and refurbishment of all moving parts. It also required the replacement of the floor. One final job, yet to be done, is the provision of a corrugated iron roof as it once carried.
  (Photo: Martin Cowgill)

Then the group installed a dummy double arm signal at Tan-y bwlch, which is shown here together with the restored gravity train to which the Group has had some input. This signal does not form part of the Railway’s signalling but is just to show a feature that once existed on the line. It is hoped to install other, similar signals elsewhere on the railway possibly at Penrhyn and especially at Minffordd near the replica down platform shelter.
  (Photo: Martin Cowgill)

The shelter is by far the biggest project the Group has undertaken and has been over ten years in planning and fund raising. It replicates as far as possible an earlier shelter demolished in 1956 although some modifications were made to help it survive the rigours of the Welsh climate. It was finished in spring 2002 and was later shortlisted in the National Railway Heritage Awards 2002.
  (Photo: Stewart MacFarlane)

Apart from the iron slate wagons mentioned already, the group recently repaired a wooden slate wagon (No. 475) which had previously been totally rebuilt by the group about 10 years before. This is the only Festiniog wooden slate wagon that can run although there is another in the Museum collection. It is planned to build replicas of other long lost types.
  (Photo: Jim Hewett)

Our previous Group Chairman, Michael Seymour, wanted to see a replica of "The Boat", a whimsical gravity inspection vehicle used by the Spooner family in the 19th century. The original came to a sticky end when its owner disobeyed his own rules and crashed into an up train. When Michael died, a few years ago, he left money to build a replica. After intensive, last minute efforts, it was ready to make an appearance at the Vintage Weekend 2005 as shown in the photo. Unfortunately, it was not able to gravitate down the line as planned due to the braking system not having been completed.
(Photo: Adrian Gray)

The project to restore the line’s disc signals continues to run in the background. A broken post has been repaired and the whole reassembled by the Old Engine Shed at Boston Lodge in time for the 2005 Vintage Weekend. The next job will be to remove, in turn, the two which remain in position. They will be refurbished and re-erected. When that is complete we will consider which of the remaining 9 posts should be reinstated. These will all have to be made from scratch.
(Photo: Peter Asquith)