Ffestiniog Railway 150th Anniversary - The Gravity Slate Train

In this film I take a look at The Gravity Slate Train that operated as part of the railways 150th Anniversary event in 2013, When the Festiniog Railway first opened in 1836 and before steam arrived, all "down" trains were worked by gravity.
A horse would pull the empty wagons to the top of the mountain and after being loaded with slate they would be allowed to travel back down under their own weight with the horse riding in specially designed dandy wagons. When Steam was introduced to the railway (in 1863) they took the place of the horses in leading the trains. My film features the locomotive Prince working hard to lead the wagons on wet tracks before being uncoupled and allowing the wagons to travel back down the line with a brakesman at the front sounding his horn to alert the station master to the trains imminent gravity powered arrival.
images follow