A home movie made by Ken Ellwood of a family holiday to Wales featuring them travelling on four different small gauge railways; the Festiniog Railway, the Talyllyn Railway, Fairbourne Railway and finally the Welshpool and Llanfiar Light Railway. The family watches as the trains are turned at a number of stations along each of the lines. The Fairbourne Railway runs along a beach and the four children go swimming in the surf sitting in rubber rings. Title: Holiday in Wales 1968 A guidebook...

A home movie made by Ken Ellwood of a family holiday to Wales featuring them travelling on four different small gauge railways; the Festiniog Railway, the Talyllyn Railway, Fairbourne Railway and finally the Welshpool and Llanfiar Light Railway. The family watches as the trains are turned at a number of stations along each of the lines. The Fairbourne Railway runs along a beach and the four children go swimming in the surf sitting in rubber rings. Title: Holiday in Wales 1968 A guidebook for the Ffestiniog Railway changes to the platform sign for Portmadoc [Porthmadog] railway station. Along a siding an engineer stands on the footplate of the Earl of Merioneth 0-4-4-0 Double Fairlie steam locomotive. It moves off pulling its carriages reversing into and coming to a stop in Porthmadog station. The driver and firemen check over the couplings as rail enthusiasts take photographs of the engine. Five more carriage are reversed into the platform and attached to the train. On another siding the Earl of Merioneth locomotive is filled with water before being steamed back to the station and coupled up. From a carriage near the rear the Earl of Merioneth can be seen pulling train out of Porthmadog and across the harbour passing a large sandy beach before heading inland through woodland. Inside their carriage David and John Ellwood look out of the window as the train crossing a stone embankment following the Afon Dwyryd river through the countryside. A train pulls into Tan-Y-Bwlch station. As a train departs it passes a painting of the railway on the side of the station building. The train enters a tunnel and arrives at Dduallt station where the Earl of Merioneth pulls into a siding with passengers stand around on the platform. Having been moved to the other side of the train it is re-coupled to the carriages and the Ellwood family waves from a nearby hillside as it pulls out of the station to continue its journey. On an embankment overlooking the railway David, Deborah and Peter watch as the next train passes through a cutting into Ddualt station. A small crowd observes as the small engine Prince is reversed and coupled up to the train again. All four Ellwood children walk along the railway tracks crossing over a stile towards several abandoned wagons. They all climb aboard a handcart pumping the handles up and down making it move back and forth. They all run off along an overgrown narrow-gauge track towards a building in the distance. The children climb up a steep bank over a tunnel or old mine entrance resting beside a large manmade shaft. The walk continues towards a reservoir, in the distance the Ffestiniog hydroelectric power station. They turn around heading back to Dduallt station where the saddle tank and tender locomotive Linda arrives. Again, the locomotive is de-coupled so that it can be moved to the other side of the train watched by several boys. The brass plate on the side of Linda reads ‘Hunslet Engine Co. Leeds. No. 590 1893’. Another guidebook, this time for the Talyllyn Railway changes to the 0-4-2ST narrow gauge locomotive Edward Thomas pulling into a railway platform passing the 0-6-0T narrow gauge locomotive Cambrai. The driver works to de-couple the engine from its carriages before moving it to the other end of the train and re-coupling the carriages. The train departs into a tunnel and passes through the Welsh landscape. A train pulled by the 0-4-0WT locomotive Douglas pulls into a station changes to the journey continuing with Peter Ellwood looks out at the surrounding countryside. The family and other passengers disembark at Abergynolwyn station, a woman in traditional Welsh dress serves tea and other refreshments from a kiosk. The children look over Edward Thomas as it is de-coupled and moved to the other side of the train. The woman in the Welsh national dress poses beside one of the carriages before walking away. The train departs again passing through the Welsh countryside pulling into Towyn station where the passengers disembark. The locomotive Douglas passes and is coupled up to its carriages before departing watched by the Ellwood children. John waving at the train. The Talyllyn Railway guidebook again and a hand turns the pages to advertisements for the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway and the Fairbourne Railway. The type 2-4-2 narrow-gauge steam locomotive Katie slowly reverses and couples-up with passenger carriages on the platform of the Fairbourne Railway. A canopy over the platform has the name of the railway printed on large letters above it. The train begins its journey with Peter looking out at the surroundings. Near Barmouth Ferry station the train passes along the shoreline of a sandy beach, Kath and Peter Ellwood wave from the train as it passes. The 15-inch narrow gauge steam locomotive Ernest W. Twining pulls into Barwood Ferry station and reverses past its carriages so it can be re-attached at the other end. The driver checks over the engine as another man collects tickets from passengers, sitting on the train David and Deborah Ellwood. The train leaves the station heading back to Fairbourne, the town of Barmouth in the background. On a beach, possibly Barmouth, all four Ellwood children wearing bathing costumes race into the sea with John, Peter and Deborah carrying inflatable rubber rings. The children play happing together in the water swimming and paddling on their floatation rings. Another illustrated guidebook for the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway changes to a platform sign attached to a lamppost giving the time of the next departure as 11.30am. An engineer on the footplate of the 0-6-0T narrow-gauge locomotive The Earl speaks with another man in a boilersuit beside him. From the front carriage the driver can be seen at the controls of the locomotive as well as the coupling of the carriage to the locomotive. Beside a water tower the driver and fireman work to fill The Earl with the film ending on The Ear slowly passing.