Graig Ddu 'Car Gwyllt' (photo) · AditNow Community

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Captain Scarlet
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

18 years ago

What an marvelous and extraordinary picture !
Does anyone know anything about this method of "Leaving Work" ?
Was this contrivance adapted from something normally used for another purpose or was it specifically designed for personnel transport ?
Was it electrically powered enabling the men to travel TO work by the same method ?
They look a bit poker faced for what looks like a fun thing to do.. But I suppose with a full day of "real work" behind them, anyone would look the same. Notice the preponderance of mustachios, not merely a matter of fashion or fad, but a type of rudimentary dust filter.
At the rear of the pic a solitary figure is walking. Maybe uphill ? Or was there not enough places for everyone to ride down ?

[img]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/showimage?f=/community/Graig-Ddu-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-001/[/img]

STANDBY FOR ACTION!!!!...

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simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

18 years ago

Hi Nimrod

This page will tell you more about the Car Gwyllt (wild car)...

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/17/Car_Gwyllt.htm

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

stevem
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

I remember a story about Joe Brown and his friends used to come down the Snowdon Railway using suitably sized rocks lodged in the track and would slide all the way down. 😮
Unfortunately all the good rocks ended up at the bottom 😞
Sounds fun though

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest the crotch of the person who
screws up your day and may their arms be too short to scratch.

Wormster
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

Looks a fun if not hairy way to get home at the end of the day :ohmygod:

Better to regret something you have done - than to regret something you have not done.

Captain Scarlet
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

18 years ago

"simonrl" wrote:
Hi Nimrod

This page will tell you more about the Car Gwyllt (wild car)...

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/17/Car_Gwyllt.htm

What a delightful gem of an article, Thank you.

STANDBY FOR ACTION!!!!...

grahami
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

There is some footage of these actually running on the video "Y Chwarelwr" which although fictional is based on life in Blaenau in 1935 and uses original film of daily life in the quarries. There are some good shots including some at oakeley. The last reel was lost for a long time and has now been recreated using present day scenes!

Grahami

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

18 years ago

Here's some clips from "Y Chwarelwr" from Gathering the Jewels.

http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/filmitems/30358

Am I correct in thinking this was the first Welsh language film made?

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Captain Scarlet
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

18 years ago

One of the clips is men travelling down on the "car gwyllt" ... Amazing !!

STANDBY FOR ACTION!!!!...

Barney
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

Apart from the example at Llechwedd, are there any other car gwyllt knocking around?

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

18 years ago

#10

Another GTJ link, this claims to be at the Llanberis Slate Museum - have never seen it though:

http://www.gtj.org.uk/item.php?lang=en&id=21878&t=1

On the subject of the museum - I saw the incline working for the first time (the first time I've seen it work, not the first time it has worked) over the bank holiday weekend.

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

hymac580c
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

#11

There is 1 to my knowlage owned by a local historian at Blaenau Ffestiniog.
There was a selection in our father's yard in the 1960's in differend stages of decay. I don't know what happened to them. I should have kept one under my bed.

Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.

LAP
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

#12

"simonrl" wrote:
Another GTJ link, this claims to be at the Llanberis Slate Museum - have never seen it though:

http://www.gtj.org.uk/item.php?lang=en&id=21878&t=1

On the subject of the museum - I saw the incline working for the first time (the first time I've seen it work, not the first time it has worked) over the bank holiday weekend.

How interesting... I never have and I've been going for ages.. since 1998. Im sure that they have got one, stored away somewhere, possibly in the buildings to the left when you enter.. though I think that's now a film place. Do they not have an attic?

Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

#13

There is another clip (or it might even be the same clip) on one of John Huntley's "Trains from the Arc" Videos. I have it on VHS I think it is the Edwardian Era tape. I believe all three now come on one DVD.

There was also one shown being used (erroneously) on Rhiwbach No 2 incline in the c1976 TV film "Brave Old World" narrated by the late Wynford Vaughn Thomas. I reality that incline would have been too steep, the Graig Ddu lower two inclines being shallower than the norm.

I here someone is planning to make a batch of replica Caer Gwyllt. They will be made to 2 foot gauge though.

kev notts
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

#14

There is one with a good description and photos, in The Narrow Guage Railway Museum Tywyn. Next to the Talylynn Railway...