Ffestiniog Railway. 1966/02/12, 2. One of the delights of the working parties was the possibility of a "Gravity Train" ride after the day's work was over, on the return to Minffordd Yard. This was the original method of working the line, it being downhill all the way from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the sea at Porthmadog Harbour, loaded trains of slate ran by gravity with brakesmen on board, the empties were hauled back by horses until the advent of steam locomotion. In this view, head of the PW Dept, Ron Lester, is in the first of the ex-RAF wagons as they depart over newly relaid track from Penrhyndeudraeth station, Graham "The Pipe" Westley is in the second wagon and other "LAG" members in subsequent wagons. There was, of course, an "engineering possession"! Saturday 12th February 1966.