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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:03,380 --> 00:00:05,675 Take a seat on the Cambrian line, 2 00:00:05,700 --> 00:00:09,155 and be whisked away on an unforgettable voyage 3 00:00:09,180 --> 00:00:10,395 to a lost world. 4 00:00:12,660 --> 00:00:15,195 We'll take you back in time 5 00:00:15,220 --> 00:00:16,955 to the land of majestic castles... 6 00:00:18,860 --> 00:00:22,835 When you see it in front of you, you realise its greatness. 7 00:00:24,140 --> 00:00:26,995 ...and ingenious Victorian engineering. 8 00:00:28,540 --> 00:00:31,595 Many a story has been told on here, on this viaduct. 9 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:37,475 We'll spend a fabulously old-fashioned day at the seaside... 10 00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:38,955 Love the beach. 11 00:00:38,980 --> 00:00:40,555 And now I've got over the fear of them, 12 00:00:40,580 --> 00:00:42,315 I'm really loving the jellyfish as well. 13 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:48,115 ...drop in at an astonishing make-believe Mediterranean village 14 00:00:48,140 --> 00:00:49,995 on the beautiful coast of Wales... 15 00:00:51,020 --> 00:00:53,555 It's a little pocket of madness, I guess you'd call it. 16 00:00:53,580 --> 00:00:55,395 And welcome the return 17 00:00:55,420 --> 00:00:57,555 of these stunning birds of prey 18 00:00:57,580 --> 00:00:59,315 to their ancient homelands. 19 00:01:01,540 --> 00:01:05,115 We'll meet the people who live and work along this special railway. 20 00:01:06,620 --> 00:01:09,035 I think in Welsh, I do everything in Welsh, 21 00:01:09,060 --> 00:01:10,835 I dream in Welsh - everything. 22 00:01:11,900 --> 00:01:14,435 This is no ordinary railway journey - 23 00:01:14,460 --> 00:01:19,075 this is one of the most scenic railway journeys in the world. 24 00:01:19,100 --> 00:01:20,955 North Wales. 25 00:01:32,140 --> 00:01:34,315 This modest railway station 26 00:01:34,340 --> 00:01:38,555 might seem an unlikely start to our train journey, 27 00:01:38,580 --> 00:01:40,595 but this little town in North Wales 28 00:01:40,620 --> 00:01:44,475 is the gateway to a spectacularly scenic railway line 29 00:01:44,500 --> 00:01:47,475 that can compete with anywhere in the world. 30 00:01:53,700 --> 00:01:57,715 The Cambrian Line begins in the coastal town of Pwllheli 31 00:01:57,740 --> 00:02:00,995 and runs 71 miles to the English border. 32 00:02:02,220 --> 00:02:04,755 It travels past ancient castles, 33 00:02:04,780 --> 00:02:06,755 Wales' highest mountain, 34 00:02:06,780 --> 00:02:09,555 and miles of gorgeous golden beaches 35 00:02:09,580 --> 00:02:12,035 from Barmouth to Aberdovey. 36 00:02:13,380 --> 00:02:16,515 The train turns inland to historic Machynlleth, 37 00:02:16,540 --> 00:02:18,995 and then passes through Caersws, 38 00:02:19,020 --> 00:02:20,875 a shrine to Welsh poetry, 39 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:24,515 before our final destination, Shrewsbury. 40 00:02:32,700 --> 00:02:35,355 This run is one of the most beautiful lines 41 00:02:35,380 --> 00:02:36,955 that you will ever be on. 42 00:02:36,980 --> 00:02:38,355 I mean, it is stunning. 43 00:02:38,380 --> 00:02:40,875 It hits the coast, it goes through the hills, 44 00:02:40,900 --> 00:02:42,395 it is magnificent. 45 00:02:43,580 --> 00:02:47,955 Archaeologist Graham can often be found excavating Roman remains. 46 00:02:47,980 --> 00:02:52,555 But the other love of his life is the history of his native Wales. 47 00:02:54,580 --> 00:02:58,155 This line starts in the early 19th century. 48 00:02:58,180 --> 00:03:02,515 There are a lot of small railways throughout North Wales 49 00:03:02,540 --> 00:03:06,235 which amalgamate to become the Cambrian Railway, 50 00:03:06,260 --> 00:03:10,195 and these lines were primarily for exporting slate, 51 00:03:10,220 --> 00:03:12,995 getting slate from the quarries to the coast, 52 00:03:13,020 --> 00:03:16,155 to be exported into England and to other parts of the world. 53 00:03:17,420 --> 00:03:21,635 Welsh slate was highly valued as far back as Roman times. 54 00:03:23,660 --> 00:03:26,515 But it was the Victorian house-building boom 55 00:03:26,540 --> 00:03:29,675 that inspired the Welsh to move the slate by rail 56 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:31,315 to cope with the demand. 57 00:03:34,940 --> 00:03:38,075 TANNOY: 'We will shortly be arriving at Criccieih. 58 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:39,395 'Thank you.' 59 00:03:41,460 --> 00:03:44,315 We've only travelled eight miles down the line, 60 00:03:44,340 --> 00:03:48,035 but it's worth getting off at the seaside town of Criccieth 61 00:03:48,060 --> 00:03:51,275 to see this awe-inspiring medieval castle. 62 00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:55,755 It's been inspiring artists for years, 63 00:03:55,780 --> 00:03:58,195 even the great JMW Turner. 64 00:04:02,580 --> 00:04:05,635 Sitting atop a dramatic rocky headland, 65 00:04:05,660 --> 00:04:07,915 it played an important part 66 00:04:07,940 --> 00:04:11,115 in Wales' constant struggle for independence from the English. 67 00:04:15,580 --> 00:04:18,155 It's an iconic symbol of Welshness. 68 00:04:19,940 --> 00:04:22,555 This castle, initially built by the Welsh, 69 00:04:22,580 --> 00:04:24,515 later conquered by the English, 70 00:04:24,540 --> 00:04:26,435 becomes a sign of oppression - 71 00:04:26,460 --> 00:04:29,155 as do many of the other castles in North Wales - 72 00:04:29,180 --> 00:04:32,235 this ring of steel that was set up by Edward I 73 00:04:32,260 --> 00:04:36,475 to compress the Welsh into their mountains and not let them out. 74 00:04:44,380 --> 00:04:47,395 Even though it's later taken by the English, it's a Welsh castle, 75 00:04:47,420 --> 00:04:49,555 and it'll always be a Welsh castle. 76 00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:04,755 The Cambrian Line wends its way along this sparkling coast. 77 00:05:04,780 --> 00:05:08,355 Having spent 20 years working on its maintenance, 78 00:05:08,380 --> 00:05:11,635 every inch of the route is familiar to Trevor. 79 00:05:12,500 --> 00:05:14,075 Although I'm a retired railwayman, 80 00:05:14,100 --> 00:05:16,915 I've travelled the railways throughout Europe 81 00:05:16,940 --> 00:05:19,675 and nobody can argue with me 82 00:05:19,700 --> 00:05:23,235 that this is probably the best railway line, certainly in Europe. 83 00:05:24,100 --> 00:05:26,275 The scenery changes 84 00:05:26,300 --> 00:05:28,075 near enough on a monthly basis. 85 00:05:33,180 --> 00:05:35,995 Next stop is the town of Porthmadog... 86 00:05:38,060 --> 00:05:41,515 ...or was that "Porthma-DOG"... 87 00:05:41,540 --> 00:05:42,955 DOG BARKS 88 00:05:45,140 --> 00:05:48,995 ...a town that seems to have a large population 89 00:05:49,020 --> 00:05:50,635 of train-loving canines. 90 00:06:00,700 --> 00:06:02,875 Thanks to the myriad of rail lines 91 00:06:02,900 --> 00:06:06,755 built to transport slate from the quarries down to the port, 92 00:06:06,780 --> 00:06:09,195 this isn't the only station in Porthmadog. 93 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:17,555 Across town, there's a blast from the past, 94 00:06:17,580 --> 00:06:20,075 a station just for steam trains. 95 00:06:26,020 --> 00:06:27,395 These narrow-gauge routes 96 00:06:27,420 --> 00:06:30,795 are run by a whole army of steam enthusiasts. 97 00:06:33,020 --> 00:06:35,155 Steve is the fireman today 98 00:06:35,180 --> 00:06:37,355 in charge of getting this engine ready to go. 99 00:06:38,500 --> 00:06:40,355 Oh, I love the teamwork, the people. 100 00:06:40,380 --> 00:06:43,715 It's a group of people coming together from all walks of life, 101 00:06:43,740 --> 00:06:46,275 working together in a passion that they love. 102 00:06:47,460 --> 00:06:50,715 All the hard graft is done at Boston Lodge, 103 00:06:50,740 --> 00:06:53,835 the oldest such engineering works in the world. 104 00:06:56,260 --> 00:06:58,715 These mighty, time-honoured locomotives 105 00:06:58,740 --> 00:07:01,555 can burn up to a ton of coal an hour, 106 00:07:01,580 --> 00:07:04,475 depending on speed and the gradient of the track. 107 00:07:05,700 --> 00:07:10,555 They take around two hours to light from cold to operating pressure. 108 00:07:12,900 --> 00:07:14,075 When I was a kid, 109 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:17,475 I just dreamt of going on the footplate, once, 110 00:07:17,500 --> 00:07:18,995 of a steam engine, 111 00:07:19,020 --> 00:07:21,355 and here I am doing this 112 00:07:21,380 --> 00:07:24,035 and, every time I come, I get a huge thrill. 113 00:07:24,060 --> 00:07:25,915 There's nothing to beat it. 114 00:07:27,140 --> 00:07:31,595 Richard's day job is in a hospital burns unit in Stockport. 115 00:07:31,620 --> 00:07:35,595 But today he's a volunteer in charge of the fire box. 116 00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:38,875 In the real world, 117 00:07:38,900 --> 00:07:42,075 driver Paul is a retired college lecturer. 118 00:07:42,100 --> 00:07:45,915 He's been escaping here for almost 50 years. 119 00:07:47,020 --> 00:07:49,315 I don't do this all the time, I do this, erm... 120 00:07:49,340 --> 00:07:52,075 two or three days a month, something like that. 121 00:07:52,100 --> 00:07:54,995 When I can escape from my wife and do it. 122 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:58,555 And what does your wife say? You'll have to cut that bit out! 123 00:07:58,580 --> 00:07:59,755 THEY LAUGH 124 00:07:59,780 --> 00:08:01,955 If you like, this is my mistress, this is. 125 00:08:01,980 --> 00:08:04,395 At least she knows where I am when I'm doing this. 126 00:08:07,660 --> 00:08:09,115 At the Harbour station, 127 00:08:09,140 --> 00:08:11,115 passengers can buy a ticket 128 00:08:11,140 --> 00:08:13,555 to ride the Ffestiniog Line to Blaenau 129 00:08:13,580 --> 00:08:16,315 or the Welsh Highland Railway up to Carnarvon. 130 00:08:19,620 --> 00:08:22,155 On this glorious trip back in time, 131 00:08:22,180 --> 00:08:23,795 you can enjoy a taste 132 00:08:23,820 --> 00:08:26,515 of old-fashioned, first-class Welsh service. 133 00:08:28,060 --> 00:08:29,755 A still cold water. 134 00:08:29,780 --> 00:08:32,955 Still water. And Welsh rarebit. 135 00:08:32,980 --> 00:08:36,195 Welsh Rarebit. As it comes, sir, or with onions? 136 00:09:37,900 --> 00:09:42,115 At the village of Rhyd Ddu, it's time to change trains. 137 00:09:42,140 --> 00:09:44,275 You can't come all this way 138 00:09:44,300 --> 00:09:47,955 and not take a trip up Wales' highest mountain, Snowdon. 139 00:09:59,340 --> 00:10:02,275 Next, our Cambrian Railway adventure 140 00:10:02,300 --> 00:10:05,435 transports us to a magical Mediterranean wonderland 141 00:10:05,460 --> 00:10:08,715 built on the coast of Wales. 142 00:10:17,380 --> 00:10:20,635 We're back on the glorious Cambrian Line. 143 00:10:20,660 --> 00:10:25,035 A voyage that takes us through the stunning scenery of North Wales 144 00:10:25,060 --> 00:10:27,515 between the sea and the mountains. 145 00:10:37,940 --> 00:10:40,515 A short hop from Minffordd station, 146 00:10:40,540 --> 00:10:42,915 we step into a totally different world. 147 00:10:46,980 --> 00:10:49,315 This is Portmeirion, 148 00:10:49,340 --> 00:10:51,075 a fairy-tale village 149 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:52,875 created a century ago 150 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:56,595 by the eccentric architect Clough Williams-Ellis. 151 00:10:58,300 --> 00:11:02,515 Location manager Meurig is passionate about the place. 152 00:11:03,580 --> 00:11:05,795 I find ii incredibly inspiring here 153 00:11:05,820 --> 00:11:09,275 because, you know, one man had this vision and he did it. 154 00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:13,155 You know, he'd waited 20 years to find the right site to do this 155 00:11:13,180 --> 00:11:14,915 and he bought it for £5,000, 156 00:11:14,940 --> 00:11:16,955 a loan from the Midland Bank, 157 00:11:16,980 --> 00:11:19,155 and I don't think any bank would ever give a loan 158 00:11:19,180 --> 00:11:21,035 to buy and build something like this again 159 00:11:21,060 --> 00:11:22,275 but, at that time, they did, 160 00:11:22,300 --> 00:11:25,635 and he then spent 50 years building it. 161 00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:42,875 Clough Williams-Ellis had a playful approach to architecture 162 00:11:42,900 --> 00:11:45,515 and loved to mix the new with the old. 163 00:11:47,380 --> 00:11:50,275 He rescued buildings from demolition, 164 00:11:50,300 --> 00:11:53,555 like this Georgian bath house from war-damaged Bristol, 165 00:11:53,580 --> 00:11:57,795 which he transported to Portmeirion stone by stone. 166 00:12:04,380 --> 00:12:06,075 The beauty of this 167 00:12:06,100 --> 00:12:08,595 was the proximity to the rail line - 168 00:12:08,620 --> 00:12:10,075 all these people were coming here, 169 00:12:10,100 --> 00:12:12,275 before cars were common and easier to get hold of, 170 00:12:12,300 --> 00:12:13,755 people come by train. 171 00:12:14,740 --> 00:12:17,115 It's a little pocket of madness, I guess you'd call it. 172 00:12:18,980 --> 00:12:22,755 But all the mad details need constant maintenance. 173 00:12:22,780 --> 00:12:25,315 Hi, Nige. Hi, Meurig. 174 00:12:25,340 --> 00:12:28,555 How's it going? OK, thank you. Well done. 175 00:12:28,580 --> 00:12:33,195 Nigel Simmons has been the resident artist at Portmeirion 176 00:12:33,220 --> 00:12:34,755 since 1984. 177 00:12:38,540 --> 00:12:40,675 This wall is new. 178 00:12:40,700 --> 00:12:41,955 So, from over there, 179 00:12:41,980 --> 00:12:43,995 you can see a big blank wall, 180 00:12:44,020 --> 00:12:46,275 if I hadn't painted it. 181 00:12:46,300 --> 00:12:48,595 So now I'm just trying to camouflage it 182 00:12:48,620 --> 00:12:51,875 and make it look like the rest of the foliage. 183 00:12:51,900 --> 00:12:55,715 What I like about coming here and doing things, 184 00:12:55,740 --> 00:12:57,915 is that they're all different. 185 00:12:57,940 --> 00:13:02,155 Like these top windows of the terrace of housing there, 186 00:13:02,180 --> 00:13:04,915 they're not windows, they're just painted on. 187 00:13:04,940 --> 00:13:06,835 The bottom ones are, 188 00:13:06,860 --> 00:13:09,555 but the top ones are false windows. 189 00:13:10,740 --> 00:13:15,155 And Nigel has become infamous for pushing back his deadlines. 190 00:13:17,660 --> 00:13:19,315 You'll be finishing soon the night? 191 00:13:19,340 --> 00:13:22,155 Uh... I don't know what time it is. 192 00:13:22,180 --> 00:13:23,355 It's nearly midday. 193 00:13:23,380 --> 00:13:25,875 Oh, another half an hour and I'll jack it in. 194 00:13:25,900 --> 00:13:29,675 When I first started here, I started 9-5. 195 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:31,835 And I just... 196 00:13:31,860 --> 00:13:33,875 Bits I did... 197 00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:35,195 When I came back the next day, 198 00:13:35,220 --> 00:13:37,995 the bits I did between 3pm and 5pm were not very good, 199 00:13:38,020 --> 00:13:39,355 so I had to redo it. 200 00:13:39,380 --> 00:13:43,635 So, what I did then, was jack it in at three o'clock in the afternoon, 201 00:13:43,660 --> 00:13:47,435 but then I found all I did in the afternoon wasn't very good. 202 00:13:47,460 --> 00:13:50,195 So now I jack it in at lunchtime. 203 00:13:51,260 --> 00:13:54,275 You keep threatening to retire, don't you, Nigel? Oh, yes. 204 00:13:54,300 --> 00:13:56,155 That's right. 205 00:13:56,180 --> 00:13:59,115 I've been threatening to retire since a long time. 206 00:13:59,140 --> 00:14:00,475 But they won't let me. 207 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:03,595 Well, no. That's because, as I keep telling Nige, 208 00:14:03,620 --> 00:14:05,515 it's like the Hotel California, isn't it? 209 00:14:05,540 --> 00:14:07,715 You know, you can check out any time you like, 210 00:14:07,740 --> 00:14:09,915 but you can never leave. Never leave, yes. 211 00:14:13,780 --> 00:14:16,795 Unlike Nigel, we have no problem leaving, 212 00:14:16,820 --> 00:14:19,435 and we're soon safely back on the train, 213 00:14:19,460 --> 00:14:20,795 heading for Harlech... 214 00:14:22,660 --> 00:14:24,635 ...with retired railwayman Trevor 215 00:14:24,660 --> 00:14:27,275 and his fond memories of childhood journeys. 216 00:14:29,220 --> 00:14:30,595 It frightens me when I think 217 00:14:30,620 --> 00:14:32,795 how long I've been travelling on the train. 218 00:14:32,820 --> 00:14:34,955 But you never get bored of it. 219 00:14:34,980 --> 00:14:36,235 Having the schoolchildren, 220 00:14:36,260 --> 00:14:38,875 I think that brings you back down to earth sometimes. 221 00:14:38,900 --> 00:14:40,435 We all think we all know everything, 222 00:14:40,460 --> 00:14:42,955 and then you get the youngsters that'll tell you things 223 00:14:42,980 --> 00:14:44,195 you never even thought of. 224 00:14:44,220 --> 00:14:47,435 We're coming into Harlech now, 225 00:14:47,460 --> 00:14:50,035 1957 the school was built and I attended the school there. 226 00:14:50,060 --> 00:14:52,555 I travelled every day back and forward, 227 00:14:52,580 --> 00:14:55,395 so that was a 21-22 mile journey every day. 228 00:14:59,860 --> 00:15:03,195 The railway line passes directly underneath 229 00:15:03,220 --> 00:15:05,435 the splendid Harlech Castle. 230 00:15:09,220 --> 00:15:11,875 The castle sits on the Harlech Dome, 231 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:14,875 this great geological formation in front of us, 232 00:15:14,900 --> 00:15:17,475 which sits on the end of the Rhinogydd mountains. 233 00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:21,315 It's said that this is one of the oldest rock formations in the world. 234 00:15:23,020 --> 00:15:26,595 When the castle was built in the 13th century, 235 00:15:26,620 --> 00:15:28,795 the sea lapped at its foot. 236 00:15:28,820 --> 00:15:32,195 But since then, the water has retreated. 237 00:15:33,500 --> 00:15:36,355 Harlech Castle is a wonderful castle 238 00:15:36,380 --> 00:15:39,835 built by a Frenchman working for Edward I. 239 00:15:42,020 --> 00:15:44,475 This great bastion of power 240 00:15:44,500 --> 00:15:46,355 dominates the landscape, 241 00:15:46,380 --> 00:15:48,715 with views in every direction. 242 00:15:53,500 --> 00:15:56,395 The castle is then snatched from the English 243 00:15:56,420 --> 00:15:59,395 by the Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndwr. 244 00:16:02,420 --> 00:16:06,755 Harlech Castle, once a symbol of power for Edward, 245 00:16:06,780 --> 00:16:09,475 becomes a symbol of Welsh identity. 246 00:16:09,500 --> 00:16:11,635 And to imagine the bastions 247 00:16:11,660 --> 00:16:13,315 in the towers behind us 248 00:16:13,340 --> 00:16:16,115 having Welsh banners and Welsh flags 249 00:16:16,140 --> 00:16:18,155 and ensigns flying all around, 250 00:16:18,180 --> 00:16:21,475 it must have formed an incredible symbol for Welshness 251 00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:23,995 and for the Welsh people to rally around. 252 00:16:32,180 --> 00:16:35,435 It's time for a pint at the pub by the railway line 253 00:16:35,460 --> 00:16:38,155 at the foot of this great fortress 254 00:16:38,180 --> 00:16:42,115 which held out for seven years in a spectacular siege. 255 00:16:43,100 --> 00:16:45,675 It ended in 1468, 256 00:16:45,700 --> 00:16:48,915 and it's a very proud moment in Welsh history. 257 00:16:48,940 --> 00:16:50,075 Lloniannau. 258 00:16:53,460 --> 00:16:56,515 This siege was so epic, 259 00:16:56,540 --> 00:16:59,595 it's filled the hearts of every Welshman. 260 00:16:59,620 --> 00:17:01,795 The captain of the castle was a Welshman, 261 00:17:01,820 --> 00:17:03,035 it's got a Welsh garrison, 262 00:17:03,060 --> 00:17:06,755 and so this siege became immortalised in Welsh song. 263 00:17:08,100 --> 00:17:11,355 SONG: Men of Harlech # Harlech cyfod dy faneri 264 00:17:11,380 --> 00:17:16,635 # Gwel y celyn enyn yn I 265 00:17:16,660 --> 00:17:21,675 # Meion wyr oll I wnaedd I 266 00:17:21,700 --> 00:17:25,155 # Cmru f0 am byth 267 00:17:25,180 --> 00:17:30,955 # Aed y waedd ac aed y weddi 268 00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:34,955 # I bob cwr o'n gwlad uchelfri 269 00:17:34,980 --> 00:17:39,595 # Nes adsinia yr eiryri 270 00:17:39,620 --> 00:17:44,035 # Cymru f0 am byth 271 00:17:44,060 --> 00:17:49,515 # Arwyr, sawdwyr sydyn 272 00:17:49,540 --> 00:17:53,715 1% RhuKh rwyn at y sewn 273 00:17:53,740 --> 00:17:58,995 # Gyrwn ef I ffoi o nant 274 00:17:59,020 --> 00:18:03,195 # A bryn a phant a Dyffryn 275 00:18:03,220 --> 00:18:07,795 # Chwifiwn faner goruchafiaeth 276 00:18:07,820 --> 00:18:12,515 # Gorfoleddwn yn ei al aeth 277 00:18:12,540 --> 00:18:18,515 # Clywir llef ein buddugol iaeth 278 00:18:18,540 --> 00:18:24,515 1% Cymru f0 am byKh. 1% 279 00:18:24,540 --> 00:18:25,555 APPLAUSE 280 00:18:27,580 --> 00:18:31,875 The train hugs the stunning coastline for the next 12 miles. 281 00:18:33,260 --> 00:18:37,835 In Cardigan Bay you may even see seals and dolphins, 282 00:18:37,860 --> 00:18:40,555 until you arrive in Barmouth, 283 00:18:40,580 --> 00:18:42,995 a place where the sea meets the mountains 284 00:18:43,020 --> 00:18:46,755 and the Victorian engineers had a mighty problem to solve - 285 00:18:46,780 --> 00:18:50,595 how to build a lifeline linking the communities 286 00:18:50,620 --> 00:18:52,875 on each side of the estuary. 287 00:18:54,780 --> 00:18:57,795 This is the famous Barmouth Viaduct. 288 00:18:57,820 --> 00:18:59,955 It's now 152 years old. 289 00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:05,355 My late father, he worked on the viaduct before me, 290 00:19:05,380 --> 00:19:08,115 I did spend 20 years on this viaduct, 291 00:19:08,140 --> 00:19:10,035 in all sorts of weathers, 292 00:19:10,060 --> 00:19:13,075 and believe me, on a late Saturday night, early Sunday morning, 293 00:19:13,100 --> 00:19:15,315 when there's an east wind coming down the river, 294 00:19:15,340 --> 00:19:17,515 doesn't matter how well you're wrapped up, 295 00:19:17,540 --> 00:19:19,355 it's like a knife, the wind can be. 296 00:19:19,380 --> 00:19:21,355 Originally there were shelters 297 00:19:21,380 --> 00:19:25,035 so locals could take advantage of the charms of the estuary 298 00:19:25,060 --> 00:19:26,395 whatever the weather. 299 00:19:26,420 --> 00:19:29,315 When we used to have the shelters as kids, 300 00:19:29,340 --> 00:19:32,075 we played on here, the fishing from here, 301 00:19:32,100 --> 00:19:33,995 start your early courting as youngsters, 302 00:19:34,020 --> 00:19:37,035 you'd come on the viaduct with those shelters here. 303 00:19:37,060 --> 00:19:39,035 Many a story has been told on here, 304 00:19:39,060 --> 00:19:40,555 on this viaduct. 305 00:19:42,140 --> 00:19:43,555 All right, come and see my baby. 306 00:19:45,020 --> 00:19:48,035 This is the... This is what it's all about. 307 00:19:49,260 --> 00:19:51,915 The viaduct has a swing bridge 308 00:19:51,940 --> 00:19:55,755 which used to open to allow large boats to pass through, 309 00:19:55,780 --> 00:19:59,995 and Trevor was one of the railwaymen tasked with its operation. 310 00:20:01,020 --> 00:20:04,155 We would take out four little lengths of rail, 311 00:20:04,180 --> 00:20:05,195 one on each end here, 312 00:20:05,220 --> 00:20:06,915 and the same on the opposite side. 313 00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:10,515 We would get a key from the signal box in Barmouth 314 00:20:10,540 --> 00:20:13,555 which protected the railway line so there's no trains come, 315 00:20:13,580 --> 00:20:15,795 and we'd put the key in here, unlocked it, 316 00:20:15,820 --> 00:20:18,035 and we could pull the two levers forward, 317 00:20:18,060 --> 00:20:21,995 cos the levers pull the boats out to allow the viaduct to turn. 318 00:20:22,020 --> 00:20:24,275 And this is where you'd have your handles, 319 00:20:24,300 --> 00:20:28,035 three or four men - one here, one there on the other side - 320 00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:29,675 and that's how the whole viaduct 321 00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:32,595 or the whole span turned round, that way. 322 00:20:35,540 --> 00:20:38,195 Opening it was straightforward, 323 00:20:38,220 --> 00:20:42,155 but closing it could sometimes take a lot longer. 324 00:20:44,860 --> 00:20:46,835 Problem being, in the middle of the summer, 325 00:20:46,860 --> 00:20:50,835 once you'd opened it, the heat built up, the metal expanded, 326 00:20:50,860 --> 00:20:53,155 and you could never close it immediately. 327 00:20:53,180 --> 00:20:54,435 If it was a very hot day, 328 00:20:54,460 --> 00:20:56,195 you may be there several hours, 329 00:20:56,220 --> 00:20:57,835 and there'd be a welder 330 00:20:57,860 --> 00:21:00,555 perhaps just chapping off a little bit here and there 331 00:21:00,580 --> 00:21:02,355 so he could get the bridge closed. 332 00:21:02,380 --> 00:21:04,555 I can remember, as a youngster, 333 00:21:04,580 --> 00:21:06,475 we only used to have the one train on a Sunday, 334 00:21:06,500 --> 00:21:08,315 it would come in first thing in the morning, 335 00:21:08,340 --> 00:21:10,795 and same in Barmouth, so the bridge could be opened, 336 00:21:10,820 --> 00:21:13,595 and the train would come back out at six o'clock at night. 337 00:21:13,620 --> 00:21:14,995 If it had been a very hot day, 338 00:21:15,020 --> 00:21:16,835 the train never come back out of Barmouth, 339 00:21:16,860 --> 00:21:18,635 cos you couldn't close the bridge again. 340 00:21:21,380 --> 00:21:23,075 It's not a problem these days, 341 00:21:23,100 --> 00:21:26,195 as the bridge hasn't been open for more than 20 years. 342 00:21:31,580 --> 00:21:33,835 The views as you cross the river 343 00:21:33,860 --> 00:21:35,235 are truly breath-taking. 344 00:21:36,740 --> 00:21:39,875 But it seems you can have too much of a good thing, 345 00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:43,235 according to these two retired train drivers. 346 00:21:43,260 --> 00:21:45,235 I used to work on it for years, 347 00:21:45,260 --> 00:21:46,635 I used to enjoy it, 348 00:21:46,660 --> 00:21:49,515 it's especially all right in the summer, 349 00:21:49,540 --> 00:21:51,035 bit rough in the winter. 350 00:21:52,180 --> 00:21:56,075 Just going once and back is nice, have a nice day. 351 00:21:56,100 --> 00:21:57,915 But, you know... 352 00:21:57,940 --> 00:22:00,515 when we had to do it twice, it was a bit, like... 353 00:22:00,540 --> 00:22:03,355 It were a bit boring and monotonous, weren't it? 354 00:22:03,380 --> 00:22:06,515 You know, you're stopping in all these 27 stops. 355 00:22:10,220 --> 00:22:11,715 Here the train squeezes 356 00:22:11,740 --> 00:22:14,555 between the sand dunes, and even a golf course, 357 00:22:14,580 --> 00:22:19,115 until it reaches the ever-popular seaside resort Aberdovey, 358 00:22:19,140 --> 00:22:22,795 with it's fantastic, unspoiled sandy beach 359 00:22:22,820 --> 00:22:25,235 stretching for miles. 360 00:22:42,340 --> 00:22:45,235 There's nine of us. There's my mum. 361 00:22:45,260 --> 00:22:47,395 When my children were young, 362 00:22:47,420 --> 00:22:49,355 Mum and I used to bring them every year. 363 00:22:49,380 --> 00:22:52,035 We used to come and stay in a caravan here. 364 00:22:52,060 --> 00:22:53,795 So now that we've got grandchildren 365 00:22:53,820 --> 00:22:56,115 and Mum's got great-grandchildren, 366 00:22:56,140 --> 00:22:58,595 we've decided to carry on the tradition 367 00:22:58,620 --> 00:23:00,275 and bring the new ones along. 368 00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:08,315 The water is the clearest water I've swum in in ages. 369 00:23:08,340 --> 00:23:10,515 It's beautiful, and I love the beach 370 00:23:10,540 --> 00:23:12,515 and, now I've got over the fear of them, 371 00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:14,835 I'm really loving the jellyfish as well. 372 00:23:20,460 --> 00:23:22,995 It's all the fun of the seaside here. 373 00:23:23,020 --> 00:23:25,835 But on the grassy side of the tracks, 374 00:23:25,860 --> 00:23:29,195 the sand gives way to hard work. 375 00:23:33,380 --> 00:23:37,395 David is the third generation of his family to farm this land. 376 00:23:38,980 --> 00:23:41,915 "Taid" is a grandfather in Welsh. 377 00:23:41,940 --> 00:23:44,435 So, Taid came here in 1926, 378 00:23:44,460 --> 00:23:46,115 year of the General Strike, 379 00:23:46,140 --> 00:23:49,075 and then they stayed on here till 1957 380 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:51,635 when my mum and dad took over. 381 00:23:51,660 --> 00:23:54,155 Taid, he farmed with horses, 382 00:23:54,180 --> 00:23:56,595 so he didn't have a tractor, 383 00:23:56,620 --> 00:23:58,195 but he'd use a train. 384 00:23:58,220 --> 00:24:02,555 But a lot of livestock from this area was moved by train, 385 00:24:02,580 --> 00:24:04,035 cattle and sheep. 386 00:24:04,900 --> 00:24:07,115 They're all organic. 387 00:24:07,140 --> 00:24:09,355 Here's the bull here, his name is Glyn. 388 00:24:09,380 --> 00:24:11,955 He's very calm, which is a good thing in a bull. 389 00:24:11,980 --> 00:24:13,515 They've all got names. 390 00:24:13,540 --> 00:24:15,195 Livvy, George. 391 00:24:15,220 --> 00:24:19,115 George is far more vicious than any other of the cows here, 392 00:24:19,140 --> 00:24:20,795 so we give her plenty of space. 393 00:24:21,900 --> 00:24:25,595 If I wanted to move them, I'd call them. 394 00:24:25,620 --> 00:24:27,435 I just do it a couple of times. 395 00:24:27,460 --> 00:24:29,635 I'm sure it's been used since ancient times. 396 00:24:29,660 --> 00:24:30,955 You know, I'd say... 397 00:24:30,980 --> 00:24:32,635 HE CALLS THEM 398 00:24:32,660 --> 00:24:34,955 And they'd follow. 399 00:24:34,980 --> 00:24:37,155 They think I'm joking now, cos they're happy here. 400 00:24:38,540 --> 00:24:39,555 I love the estuary, 401 00:24:39,580 --> 00:24:42,715 it changes colour and it changes shape every day, 402 00:24:42,740 --> 00:24:45,195 every hour, every minute. 403 00:24:45,220 --> 00:24:46,955 The trains arrive - 404 00:24:46,980 --> 00:24:49,395 enigmatic, the way it hugs the estuary there. 405 00:24:51,140 --> 00:24:53,035 Somebody had the vision to build that line, 406 00:24:53,060 --> 00:24:54,835 and it's not an easy place to build - 407 00:24:54,860 --> 00:24:57,035 there's five tunnels along this piece, 408 00:24:57,060 --> 00:24:58,875 goes through the golf course as well. 409 00:24:58,900 --> 00:25:02,075 And there's a friend of mine playing golf 410 00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:05,555 and he hits the ball- bang - and hits the train. 411 00:25:05,580 --> 00:25:07,755 The train driver stops to remonstrate 412 00:25:07,780 --> 00:25:09,435 and my friend shouts back at him, 413 00:25:09,460 --> 00:25:12,315 "if you'd been on time he wouldn't have hit you!" 414 00:25:13,500 --> 00:25:14,755 True story. 415 00:25:28,100 --> 00:25:29,755 My grandfather, Taid, 416 00:25:29,780 --> 00:25:31,595 if he could hear the train in Dovey Junction, 417 00:25:31,620 --> 00:25:33,475 it would mean that the wind was up in the east, 418 00:25:33,500 --> 00:25:35,795 and it would be one of the factors he'd use 419 00:25:35,820 --> 00:25:37,995 to decide whether he was going to cut hay or not - 420 00:25:38,020 --> 00:25:39,195 my father the same. 421 00:25:46,980 --> 00:25:49,595 As it has done for over 100 years, 422 00:25:49,620 --> 00:25:53,355 the train continues to mark the rhythm of time 423 00:25:53,380 --> 00:25:56,555 for all the people living and working along its route. 424 00:26:03,340 --> 00:26:06,675 Our next stop is so remote 425 00:26:06,700 --> 00:26:10,275 that it's only one person's commute to work. 426 00:26:20,660 --> 00:26:23,515 The wide Dovey Estuary was a big obstacle 427 00:26:23,540 --> 00:26:28,515 for the engineers working on the next part of the Cambrian Line. 428 00:26:30,180 --> 00:26:32,955 A bridge was deemed too difficult to build. 429 00:26:35,180 --> 00:26:36,955 Instead, the line was routed 430 00:26:36,980 --> 00:26:39,195 along the north side of the estuary 431 00:26:39,220 --> 00:26:41,835 from Aberdovey to Dovey Junction station. 432 00:26:43,020 --> 00:26:44,835 The line then splits - 433 00:26:44,860 --> 00:26:47,635 one branch running southwest to Aberystwyth, 434 00:26:47,660 --> 00:26:49,995 and the other running eastwards 435 00:26:50,020 --> 00:26:51,595 to Machynlleth and England. 436 00:27:04,460 --> 00:27:07,315 Dovey Junction appears to be in the middle of nowhere. 437 00:27:08,540 --> 00:27:11,915 And today only one person gets off. 438 00:27:13,820 --> 00:27:16,995 I am pretty much the only commuter at Dovey Junction. 439 00:27:18,260 --> 00:27:19,635 And if I go anywhere else, 440 00:27:19,660 --> 00:27:21,835 the train staff like to point out to me 441 00:27:21,860 --> 00:27:23,715 that I'm not at my correct station. 442 00:27:28,100 --> 00:27:31,635 We have a collection of wildlife here that is quite unique. 443 00:27:32,700 --> 00:27:34,195 There's not many commutes 444 00:27:34,220 --> 00:27:37,875 where you could count 15 white egrets, or spot three herons, 445 00:27:37,900 --> 00:27:42,635 or come past a collection of shell ducks every morning. 446 00:27:42,660 --> 00:27:45,595 And the way with the tides on the saltmarshes as well, 447 00:27:45,620 --> 00:27:47,875 you never know quite what you're going to get. 448 00:27:55,980 --> 00:27:59,075 Kim's commute is remarkable in another way, too. 449 00:28:02,140 --> 00:28:05,835 Her journey takes her back into Wales' wild past 450 00:28:05,860 --> 00:28:10,635 where magnificent birds of prey flew free across the country. 451 00:28:15,060 --> 00:28:17,835 A short bike ride from the station, 452 00:28:17,860 --> 00:28:22,235 and Kim clocks in at the Cors Dyfi Wildlife Reserve. 453 00:28:23,580 --> 00:28:24,795 So, through this window here, 454 00:28:24,820 --> 00:28:27,155 you can see right the way across to the osprey nest. 455 00:28:30,900 --> 00:28:32,475 When the ospreys come back each year, 456 00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:34,515 it's an absolutely amazing feeling, 457 00:28:34,540 --> 00:28:37,675 just to know they've made it safely through their migration, 458 00:28:37,700 --> 00:28:40,155 they've made that journey back from West Africa, 459 00:28:40,180 --> 00:28:43,155 and then they're here, and then we look forward to the eggs, 460 00:28:43,180 --> 00:28:45,795 to the chicks and to those chicks then going on 461 00:28:45,820 --> 00:28:49,195 and hopefully starting nests of their own in a few years' time. 462 00:28:50,860 --> 00:28:52,355 We just have one breeding pair here, 463 00:28:52,380 --> 00:28:54,915 they've got three chicks at the moment. 464 00:28:54,940 --> 00:28:57,355 There are five breeding pairs in Wales, 465 00:28:57,380 --> 00:28:59,795 so very much a recovering population. 466 00:29:01,700 --> 00:29:04,795 In the 1990s, ospreys were extinct in the UK. 467 00:29:04,820 --> 00:29:07,875 In the 1950s, they began to recover in Scotland 468 00:29:07,900 --> 00:29:10,035 and it's not until recent years, 469 00:29:10,060 --> 00:29:12,915 20 years ago, that they've begun to recover in Wales. 470 00:29:12,940 --> 00:29:17,195 They were persecuted and their habitat destroyed, 471 00:29:17,220 --> 00:29:19,635 which meant we had no breeding pairs left. 472 00:29:22,900 --> 00:29:26,755 The male osprey, just about to jump onto the perch out here, 473 00:29:26,780 --> 00:29:28,475 with a fish in his talons. 474 00:29:35,620 --> 00:29:38,595 The osprey barely look up from their fish dinner 475 00:29:38,620 --> 00:29:40,995 when the train passes their nest. 476 00:29:42,740 --> 00:29:46,355 These mighty birds don't need permission to cross the track, 477 00:29:46,380 --> 00:29:49,515 but everything else on two or four legs does. 478 00:29:51,820 --> 00:29:53,355 Even though it might look as though 479 00:29:53,380 --> 00:29:55,395 the trains can take care of themselves 480 00:29:55,420 --> 00:29:57,635 as they trundle their way along the line, 481 00:29:57,660 --> 00:30:00,755 in fact, they, and everyone crossing the track, 482 00:30:00,780 --> 00:30:04,275 are totally dependent on this control room, 483 00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:07,075 the most hi-tech in the UK. 484 00:30:08,460 --> 00:30:10,595 Machynlleth Signalling Centre. 485 00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:14,715 One car. One minute. 486 00:30:14,740 --> 00:30:17,715 Yes, you're safe to cross the railway now. 487 00:30:17,740 --> 00:30:19,755 ALARM WAILS Thank you. Ta-ra. 488 00:30:22,020 --> 00:30:24,155 That was Borthwen Farm. 489 00:30:24,180 --> 00:30:26,955 It's got quite a large caravan park there. 490 00:30:26,980 --> 00:30:28,835 One of the users wanted permission 491 00:30:28,860 --> 00:30:30,515 to go across the railway line. 492 00:30:35,180 --> 00:30:37,555 Despite its sophisticated equipment, 493 00:30:37,580 --> 00:30:41,835 this nerve centre still requires...a human 494 00:30:41,860 --> 00:30:45,275 to tell people when it's safe to cross on foot. 495 00:30:45,300 --> 00:30:47,875 Machynlleth Signalling Centre. 496 00:30:49,460 --> 00:30:51,075 One minibus. One minute. 497 00:30:51,100 --> 00:30:53,075 Hold on, I'll just see where the train is. 498 00:30:53,100 --> 00:30:54,595 Just bear with me. 499 00:30:54,620 --> 00:30:55,795 No, it's not safe to cross. 500 00:30:55,820 --> 00:30:58,515 There's a train coming towards you from the Barmouth direction. 501 00:30:58,540 --> 00:31:00,555 Can you wait for that train to pass you, please? 502 00:31:00,580 --> 00:31:02,795 Thank you. Ta-ra. 503 00:31:02,820 --> 00:31:03,915 Some months of the year, 504 00:31:03,940 --> 00:31:06,115 we move more people across our railway line 505 00:31:06,140 --> 00:31:07,795 than we move along our railway line. 506 00:31:07,820 --> 00:31:11,435 We've got open access now to the coast, 507 00:31:11,460 --> 00:31:13,835 moving the sheep for shearing, 508 00:31:13,860 --> 00:31:15,435 the caravaners. 509 00:31:15,460 --> 00:31:18,595 It gets very busy now - school holidays are always busy. 510 00:31:18,620 --> 00:31:20,435 That's fine. OK. Bye. 511 00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:23,755 Because it's a single line, 512 00:31:23,780 --> 00:31:26,475 we have to have two bits of track 513 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:28,235 in somewhere like Harlech here, 514 00:31:28,260 --> 00:31:30,075 where we've got a crossing point. 515 00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:33,595 So each train comes in and waits for the other train to pass it, 516 00:31:33,620 --> 00:31:36,035 and then it can carry on on its journey. 517 00:31:36,060 --> 00:31:38,275 If a train is late, if it's late coming in, 518 00:31:38,300 --> 00:31:41,195 then the other one will be late leaving as well. 519 00:31:41,220 --> 00:31:45,435 This now is where two trains are actually crossing as we speak. 520 00:31:45,460 --> 00:31:47,915 It is a challenge to keep it running, 521 00:31:47,940 --> 00:31:52,155 because we have so many things that trip us up, you know. 522 00:31:52,180 --> 00:31:54,515 It's just anything from a large group of golfers 523 00:31:54,540 --> 00:31:57,875 turning up at Harlech, for instance, with their golf carts. 524 00:31:57,900 --> 00:31:59,635 It takes three minutes 525 00:31:59,660 --> 00:32:01,835 to get them on a train when we allow two - 526 00:32:01,860 --> 00:32:04,435 and that's enough to put us out one minute. 527 00:32:06,380 --> 00:32:09,995 Running the Cambrian Line is a very exacting business... 528 00:32:10,020 --> 00:32:12,955 TANNOY: 'We are now at Machynlleth.' 529 00:32:12,980 --> 00:32:15,435 ...but Carl loves his job. 530 00:32:17,340 --> 00:32:21,315 The people who work on the railway are all very talented, 531 00:32:21,340 --> 00:32:22,635 they enjoy their job 532 00:32:22,660 --> 00:32:26,435 and it's a pleasure to be amongst them all day, to be honest. 533 00:32:26,460 --> 00:32:28,235 I'm a very lucky man. 534 00:32:28,260 --> 00:32:31,755 The control centre is based here, in Machynlleth, 535 00:32:31,780 --> 00:32:33,915 which is a very special place. 536 00:32:36,060 --> 00:32:39,115 Some of the town's inhabitants are still reeling 537 00:32:39,140 --> 00:32:43,595 from the shock decision in 1955 538 00:32:43,620 --> 00:32:46,955 to make the city of Cardiff the capital of Wales, 539 00:32:46,980 --> 00:32:49,195 and not Machynlleth. 540 00:32:52,020 --> 00:32:54,315 We see before us here 541 00:32:54,340 --> 00:32:55,795 the Parliament House, 542 00:32:55,820 --> 00:32:57,955 the Senedd-Dy, 543 00:32:57,980 --> 00:33:00,235 Owain Glyndwr, 1404. 544 00:33:00,260 --> 00:33:03,515 Where he called two from each comote in Wales 545 00:33:03,540 --> 00:33:06,755 and he was crowned Prince of Wales. 546 00:33:07,820 --> 00:33:10,195 What more cultural heritage 547 00:33:10,220 --> 00:33:11,835 would you want than that? 548 00:33:11,860 --> 00:33:13,155 It's massive. 549 00:33:21,700 --> 00:33:23,035 Here we are. 550 00:33:26,940 --> 00:33:32,075 This picture shows Owain Glyndwr crowned with his scepire. 551 00:33:33,620 --> 00:33:36,995 He transformed himself from rebel leader 552 00:33:37,020 --> 00:33:41,395 to ruler of a virtually, at that time, independent Wales. 553 00:33:42,780 --> 00:33:45,275 Owain Glyndwr hammered the English 554 00:33:45,300 --> 00:33:46,995 up on Hyddgen Mountain. 555 00:33:48,100 --> 00:33:50,915 1401, he hammered them. 556 00:33:50,940 --> 00:33:53,515 Even bigger hammerings than they get at Twickenham. 557 00:33:53,540 --> 00:33:55,035 He hammered them. 558 00:33:55,060 --> 00:33:58,035 He came down the mountain to Machynlleth 559 00:33:58,060 --> 00:33:59,075 and he felt so sure 560 00:33:59,100 --> 00:34:02,235 that this place should be the first parliament of Wales. 561 00:34:02,260 --> 00:34:06,155 And it was, and it is known as the ancient capital of Wales. 562 00:34:08,700 --> 00:34:11,035 MUSIC: "Highland Cathedral" 563 00:34:18,020 --> 00:34:20,835 There is nothing the town likes more 564 00:34:20,860 --> 00:34:24,435 than Owain's modern counterpart, Prince Charles, 565 00:34:24,460 --> 00:34:26,395 the present Prince of Wales, 566 00:34:26,420 --> 00:34:27,595 to pay a visit. 567 00:34:37,900 --> 00:34:40,035 We're leaving the realm of princes 568 00:34:40,060 --> 00:34:44,315 and heading to a station that's a shrine to its past manager, 569 00:34:44,340 --> 00:34:47,835 who loved his job and his poetry. 570 00:34:55,900 --> 00:34:59,075 We're making our way down the Cambrian Line... 571 00:35:02,100 --> 00:35:04,235 and our next stop is a village 572 00:35:04,260 --> 00:35:06,275 that's steeped in the music and words 573 00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:08,195 so important to Welsh tradition. 574 00:35:10,340 --> 00:35:14,075 THEY SPEAK IN WELSH 575 00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:19,715 Delma Thomas is a retired teacher 576 00:35:19,740 --> 00:35:24,675 who runs an organisation devoted to keeping her native language alive. 577 00:35:25,860 --> 00:35:27,595 I'm very proud to be Welsh. 578 00:35:27,620 --> 00:35:30,435 I think in welsh, I do everything in Welsh, 579 00:35:30,460 --> 00:35:32,315 I dream in Welsh - everything, 580 00:35:32,340 --> 00:35:34,955 through the medium of the Welsh language. 581 00:35:34,980 --> 00:35:36,675 I do speak English a little bit. 582 00:35:36,700 --> 00:35:40,315 But I prefer speaking in Welsh 583 00:35:40,340 --> 00:35:42,795 and I translate as I'm going along now. 584 00:35:44,020 --> 00:35:48,035 There's no longer a station master at Caersws. 585 00:35:48,060 --> 00:35:49,995 But the spirit of one man 586 00:35:50,020 --> 00:35:53,755 who spent almost 20 years running the station 587 00:35:53,780 --> 00:35:55,435 is still very much present. 588 00:35:57,140 --> 00:36:00,155 Ceiriog. That's a Welsh... Very famous Welsh poet. 589 00:36:00,180 --> 00:36:02,315 John Ceiriog Hughes. 590 00:36:02,340 --> 00:36:04,755 He was station master here 591 00:36:04,780 --> 00:36:07,835 and he collected old Welsh tunes 592 00:36:07,860 --> 00:36:11,595 and he wrote very many of his poems 593 00:36:11,620 --> 00:36:15,075 to fit onto these tunes as songs 594 00:36:15,100 --> 00:36:17,675 and they've become very, very popular. 595 00:36:17,700 --> 00:36:20,995 I mean, if you showed him that shed, 596 00:36:21,020 --> 00:36:23,355 he could make a song about it. 597 00:36:23,380 --> 00:36:27,715 You know, he could write about anything and everything. 598 00:36:29,900 --> 00:36:32,715 The old ticket office on the other side of the track 599 00:36:32,740 --> 00:36:34,715 has hardly been touched 600 00:36:34,740 --> 00:36:37,915 since the days of John Ceiriog Hughes. 601 00:36:37,940 --> 00:36:39,275 It's as it was. 602 00:36:39,300 --> 00:36:41,875 I think it's the same carpet. 603 00:36:41,900 --> 00:36:43,835 THEY LAUGH 604 00:36:45,140 --> 00:36:48,755 He would sell the tickets there for you. 605 00:36:48,780 --> 00:36:51,915 And this is where he was sitting down. 606 00:36:53,620 --> 00:36:55,475 Had the fire, here, lit. 607 00:36:55,500 --> 00:36:57,675 All his cupboards and the shelves there 608 00:36:57,700 --> 00:37:00,715 with all the things that he needed to get the service going. 609 00:37:00,740 --> 00:37:05,755 This is a tangible connection, isn't it, with Ceiriog? 610 00:37:05,780 --> 00:37:07,435 It's wonderful. Wonderful. 611 00:37:09,620 --> 00:37:11,475 Oh, yes. Now, then. 612 00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:14,635 They're still storing a few things here. 613 00:37:14,660 --> 00:37:16,515 He probably sat down here 614 00:37:16,540 --> 00:37:19,555 and got his pencil out to write his poems. 615 00:37:19,580 --> 00:37:22,835 He used to boil a kettle on there 616 00:37:22,860 --> 00:37:25,115 and have his cup of tea in here. 617 00:37:25,140 --> 00:37:27,755 Would it be tea or would he have something stronger? 618 00:37:27,780 --> 00:37:28,955 Well, yes. 619 00:37:28,980 --> 00:37:32,195 I mustn't tell tales about him, must I? 620 00:37:32,220 --> 00:37:35,195 He allegedly did like his tipple, 621 00:37:35,220 --> 00:37:37,515 I'm not quite sure which brand. 622 00:37:37,540 --> 00:37:40,715 And then he adopted, shall I say, 623 00:37:40,740 --> 00:37:42,515 the Bohemian lifestyle. 624 00:37:43,740 --> 00:37:47,915 A shopkeeper was complaining one day 625 00:37:47,940 --> 00:37:50,795 that he was two weeks late getting two bags of flour 626 00:37:50,820 --> 00:37:53,995 because Ceiriog was so involved in writing the poetry, 627 00:37:54,020 --> 00:37:55,835 he forgot to put them on the train. 628 00:38:05,940 --> 00:38:08,315 This now-celebrated poet, 629 00:38:08,340 --> 00:38:11,035 sometimes called the Wordsworth of Wales, 630 00:38:11,060 --> 00:38:12,555 is buried close by. 631 00:38:14,420 --> 00:38:18,035 He died in poverty at the age of just 54. 632 00:38:23,500 --> 00:38:25,635 John Ceiriog Hughes. 633 00:38:25,660 --> 00:38:29,395 Born 25th September 1832 634 00:38:29,420 --> 00:38:33,675 and died 23rd April 1887. 635 00:38:34,540 --> 00:38:38,235 And then this is one he himself wrote, 636 00:38:38,260 --> 00:38:40,275 for his own epitaph. 637 00:38:41,500 --> 00:38:45,835 “Carotid eiflau cerddorcfl' - carodd iéwdd, 638 00:38:45,860 --> 00:38:47,435 "Carodd fyw'n naturiol, 639 00:38:47,460 --> 00:38:49,755 "Carodd gerdd yn angerddol: 640 00:38:49,780 --> 00:38:52,675 "Dyma ei lwch, a dim lol" 641 00:38:55,340 --> 00:38:58,195 "He loved musical words, he loved poets, 642 00:38:58,220 --> 00:39:00,195 "he loved to live naturally, 643 00:39:00,220 --> 00:39:03,035 "He loved poems passionately: 644 00:39:03,060 --> 00:39:06,155 "This is his dust, no nonsense." 645 00:39:06,180 --> 00:39:09,115 He's got a great sense of humour. Yes. 646 00:39:09,140 --> 00:39:12,315 You know, here's my dust and no nonsense, 647 00:39:12,340 --> 00:39:14,875 you know, that's the end of it. 648 00:39:32,020 --> 00:39:35,755 Back on the train, and we'll soon be leaving Wales behind. 649 00:39:37,780 --> 00:39:40,795 The movements of all trains coming in to Shrewsbury 650 00:39:40,820 --> 00:39:43,795 on the Cambrian Line are controlled here. 651 00:39:49,300 --> 00:39:52,235 This is currently the world's largest mechanical signal box 652 00:39:52,260 --> 00:39:53,675 that's left in operation. 653 00:39:53,700 --> 00:39:56,475 There were, of course, others that were bigger 654 00:39:56,500 --> 00:39:57,995 but, as this technology 655 00:39:58,020 --> 00:40:00,195 has been closed down and got rid of, 656 00:40:00,220 --> 00:40:03,115 this is now the largest left in the world. 657 00:40:04,700 --> 00:40:07,595 Unlike the hi-tech setup at Machynlleth, 658 00:40:07,620 --> 00:40:11,395 this remarkable historic control room 659 00:40:11,420 --> 00:40:14,595 is 117 years old and still going strong. 660 00:40:19,860 --> 00:40:23,355 Jamie is a Signalman who revels in the fact 661 00:40:23,380 --> 00:40:26,155 that he's still using the old technology. 662 00:40:26,180 --> 00:40:27,195 BELLS RINGS 663 00:40:28,620 --> 00:40:30,835 I love the fact that you're sort of dealing with stuff 664 00:40:30,860 --> 00:40:32,555 that's happening right in front of you. 665 00:40:32,580 --> 00:40:34,475 You're dealing with mechanical signals, 666 00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:36,755 mechanical points, watching the trains go past. 667 00:40:36,780 --> 00:40:39,035 It's not all happening on a computer screen. 668 00:40:41,060 --> 00:40:42,795 So that's for that freight train there, 669 00:40:42,820 --> 00:40:45,835 which will now pass the box on its way to near Shotton, 670 00:40:45,860 --> 00:40:47,115 demarcates junction. 671 00:40:48,460 --> 00:40:51,195 Each colour has a different meaning. 672 00:40:51,220 --> 00:40:54,595 White levers are no longer in use, regrettably. 673 00:40:54,620 --> 00:40:57,155 Black levers are the points. 674 00:40:57,180 --> 00:40:59,995 So that's where we change the direction of the tracks 675 00:41:00,020 --> 00:41:02,475 and route the trains in different directions. 676 00:41:02,500 --> 00:41:04,275 Blue levers lock the points 677 00:41:04,300 --> 00:41:07,835 and then the red levers are the signals themselves. 678 00:41:07,860 --> 00:41:10,715 I actually started my signalling career 679 00:41:10,740 --> 00:41:12,475 as a volunteer on a steam railway 680 00:41:12,500 --> 00:41:15,715 and the job that I'm doing now is exactly the same. 681 00:41:15,740 --> 00:41:17,315 BELL DINGS TWICE 682 00:41:18,340 --> 00:41:22,595 Basically, we communicate from box to box by bell code - 683 00:41:22,620 --> 00:41:25,235 it's a bit like Morse code, it's absolutely unequivocal, 684 00:41:25,260 --> 00:41:26,595 you can't mistake a bell code 685 00:41:26,620 --> 00:41:28,595 in the way a phone call could be mistaken. 686 00:41:28,620 --> 00:41:30,755 Those two beats on the bell then 687 00:41:30,780 --> 00:41:33,395 was Abbey Forgate telling me that we've got a train 688 00:41:33,420 --> 00:41:38,115 entering the section between me and him, coming toward me, on the line. 689 00:41:38,140 --> 00:41:40,835 So I acknowledge it by sending two beats back to him 690 00:41:40,860 --> 00:41:43,315 and I move the indicator over to "Train On Line" 691 00:41:43,340 --> 00:41:45,035 and, when it gets to me, I will tell him 692 00:41:45,060 --> 00:41:47,715 that it's got to me, complete with its red lights on the back 693 00:41:47,740 --> 00:41:49,435 and then we're ready to start again. 694 00:42:00,580 --> 00:42:02,555 When you're here sort of in the late evening 695 00:42:02,580 --> 00:42:04,555 and the sunlight's falling on it, 696 00:42:04,580 --> 00:42:06,715 you think, wow, this has been here 697 00:42:06,740 --> 00:42:08,355 for 116-odd years now 698 00:42:08,380 --> 00:42:10,715 and, you know, we're just the latest in a long line 699 00:42:10,740 --> 00:42:13,275 of signalmen to be working it. 700 00:42:14,140 --> 00:42:15,435 BELL DINGS 701 00:42:15,460 --> 00:42:16,915 BELL DINGS THREE TIMES 702 00:42:18,180 --> 00:42:20,755 Jamie has given our train the all clear 703 00:42:20,780 --> 00:42:23,595 to proceed into Shrewsbury station. 704 00:42:31,860 --> 00:42:36,595 Our glorious journey has taken us from grand mountains 705 00:42:36,620 --> 00:42:40,235 to bastions of Welsh historic battles, 706 00:42:40,260 --> 00:42:42,195 steam-train heaven... 707 00:42:43,980 --> 00:42:47,795 and the turquoise-blue waters of Aberdovey and beyond. 708 00:42:50,420 --> 00:42:54,395 A nostalgic voyage through Wales' heartland 709 00:42:54,420 --> 00:42:57,035 on the great Cambrian Line. 710 00:43:11,180 --> 00:43:14,595 Subtitles by Red Bee Media 55730

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