Vintage Weekend, 2002
A Matter of Utmost Gravity
This turned out to be a stunning event. There were wagons everywhere. 15 and 16, still pretty 'new', looked brilliant. The zoo car was green. There were wagons everywhere - behind passenger trains, behind flat-out England engines, hurtling down hills. Newly-liberated 154 was also newly painted and lettered. The gravity train actually ran by gravity - we stuck our tongues out at gradient change boards. Coal wagons looked as though they had coal in them. People had beards. All the staff (nearly all the staff - shame on those that weren't!) were dressed up Victorian style. There were wagons everywhere. People had beards. The line and the local area was busy. The sun even came out on Saturday!
source: Slate Wagon site
Also a report, which had appeared on the company site, is reproduced here
| Another successful Vintage Weekend is sadly over and a very spectacular one too! The 1890s theme was used around the railway as much as possible with modern machinery tucked away and even the oil fuelling tanks at Harbour Station being hidden behind some strategically placed rolling stock. Copyright FR Co. | 
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The ticket office windows at Porthmadog were 'converted' to a more traditional appearance; the bar and cafe was given a Victorian makeover, complete with piano and Victorian menu.Copyright FR Co. |
| Despite the threat of promised bad weather, Saturday was glorious and the best day for photographers, with shirtsleeves being the order of the day for most of the Victorian dressed staff. There was a mixture of labourers, engine men, 'working girls' and the more respectable type too! Copyright FR Co. | 
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The highlight of the weekend, apart from the traditional large mixed trains leaving Harbour Station, was undoubtedly the 50-wagon gravity train, the largest run since the original company finished in 1946. The train was made up of restored wagons of all types of construction and capacity, a truly great sight and where else in the world can you see gravity trains running? Copyright FR Co. |
| On the Sunday morning the train went from the very highest point on the line, the artificial summit near Tanygrisiau so the gravity train could travel around the spiral before rejoining the original route at Dduallt. Copyright FR Co. | 
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The observation bug box No 1 made an appearance in its new Colonel Stephens livery, following the livery scheme of No 10 and No 16 in being dark green with red ends. This is part of the plan to create two types of vintage set, one from the 1890s and the other from the 1930s Copyright FR Co. |
| Vintage Weekends always show off the best part of the heritage on the railway and they are run by a group of volunteers. We look forward to next year when another period of the railway's unique history will be recreated. Copyright FR Co. | 
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