THE BOAT
For the learned enthusiast.
By Mike South.
By Mike South.
The Ffestiniog Railway's 'Boat' is one of those delightful eccentricities which surface in rail mythology from time to time, and was its existence not (none too well) documented, one might be seriously tempted to dismiss it as too improbable to have ever existed.
As far as can be determined there has only ever been one photograph published of the Boat (see Boyd, Vol 1, 3rd. Edition, p40), and this is so indistinct and so much is obscured by foreground clutter, that - frankly - the photo might be of just about anything!
Colin Binnie has long been fascinated by this aberration of the coach builder's art. A couple of years ago he got hold of some chairs, his children and a tape measure and proceeded to move the said seated children around until he had achieved a proportionately realistic relationship between his seated offspring and the seated figures in the Lee engraving (of which more anon). Then by nefarious Binnie means, he produced the original pencil tracing of the drawing which accompanies this article.
Ray Wyborn then sat down to produce a three-dimensional representation. Due to the unusually large wheels the form of drive is novel, being a transversely mounted double-ended slot-car motor with rubber sleeves on the motor spindles bearing directly onto the top of the front wheel rims. Wheel spin as the model gets under way is spectacular, but once this is overcome, the model - like its prototype - has a phenomenal turn of speed.
Very little is known of the origins of the full-size vehicle, such hard 'facts' as do exist being the subject of considerable controversy regarding the proper interpretation to be placed on them. The source of the (*1*)' only known drawing (engraved from a photograph?) has not been established. Mr.. C.E. Lee, who first reproduced it in 'Narrow Gauge Railways In North Wales' dates it back to 1871, and the occupants' dress seems to fit that period. A very close copy of that engraving appeared in Scribner's Monthly Magazine in 1879, so we can assume that it was officially supplied and was regarded as a fair representation. Close examination of the engraving reveals bows having at the top a knob, rather like the 'bobble' on a rowing eight, with a T-shaped metal projection below, and a short rubbing strip running back from this; outside the wheels is a horizontal strip running the length of the body (*1*).'
There is a considerable amount of circumstantial evidence to suggest that the peculiar shape of the Boat, plus the rubbing strips down the side, was a direct consequence of the vehicle being designed to force open certain level crossing gates on the line when it impacted with them whilst gravitating down the line to Portmadoc. Michael Seymour (*2*)' would suggest that the gates in horse days were held closed but not latched across the line by some arrangement of chain and weight. They would be forced open in the down direction only against the weight by ... gravity trains ... The Boat would be hauled up the line and run down by gravity, prow first, a practice also adopted for the Oakeley Car (*2*)' - see Boyd, Vol 2, 4th. Edition, Illustration 23R, p458/9. For fuller details concerning the pros and cons of the gate opening arguments see 'Ffestiniog Railway Magazines' Nos. 78 (p25), 79 (p26), 80 (p28/9) and 81 (p31/2).
(*2*)' It would be of interest to know when the Boat was built; its existence is recorded back to 1869 and a "passenger carriage", which must be a gravity vehicle, appears in Boston Lodge accounts back to 1859 at least. An account for painting a railway carriage occurs in 1844, so that it may be that the Boat, or an ancestor, dates back to the earliest days of the (Ffestiniog) Railway. It is also recorded as having a sail, so (Michael Seymour) suspects that it was used for popping across from (Portmadoc) Harbour to Boston lodge ... (*2*).'
In contrast to the obscurity concerning its origins, the spectacular end of the Boat is well documented. Charles Easton Spooner (*3*)' lost patience waiting for the up train at Tan-Y-Grisiau and proceeded assuming a breakdown (*3*)1. The diaries of A.G. Crick take up the story: (*4*)"12.2.86. Mr.. Spooner went up with 10.30 train today with Miss Tidderman, Mr. and Miss Robinson and started down without the (train) staff and consequently came in collision with an up Passenger Train near the Tunnel causing the boat to smash to pieces and Mr. Spooner and Miss Robinson badly hurt. Miss Tidderman and Mr. Robinson came off luckily. Parkins driving the up train and did his best to stop the train but unsuccessfully. They were bandaged up and are now laid up in beds - damage to Engine, slight."
The words used by Crick suggest that this was the end of the Boat. No little embarrassment must have been caused to Spooner by this accident, for it stemmed directly from a breach of the rules for staff operating (*4*)'.
References:
*1* Michael Seqmour, 'Festiniog Railway Magazine' No. 81, p 31/2
*2* Michael Seqmour, 'Ffestiniog Railway Magazine' No. 79, p 26
*3* D.H. Wilson, 'Ffestiniog Railway Magazine' No. 77, p 22
*4* Michael Seqmour, 'Ffestiniog Railway Magazine' No. 4, p 10/1
In contrast to the obscurity concerning its origins, the spectacular end of the Boat is well documented. Charles Easton Spooner (*3*)' lost patience waiting for the up train at Tan-Y-Grisiau and proceeded assuming a breakdown (*3*)1. The diaries of A.G. Crick take up the story: (*4*)"12.2.86. Mr.. Spooner went up with 10.30 train today with Miss Tidderman, Mr. and Miss Robinson and started down without the (train) staff and consequently came in collision with an up Passenger Train near the Tunnel causing the boat to smash to pieces and Mr. Spooner and Miss Robinson badly hurt. Miss Tidderman and Mr. Robinson came off luckily. Parkins driving the up train and did his best to stop the train but unsuccessfully. They were bandaged up and are now laid up in beds - damage to Engine, slight."
The words used by Crick suggest that this was the end of the Boat. No little embarrassment must have been caused to Spooner by this accident, for it stemmed directly from a breach of the rules for staff operating (*4*)'.
References:
*1* Michael Seqmour, 'Festiniog Railway Magazine' No. 81, p 31/2
*2* Michael Seqmour, 'Ffestiniog Railway Magazine' No. 79, p 26
*3* D.H. Wilson, 'Ffestiniog Railway Magazine' No. 77, p 22
*4* Michael Seqmour, 'Ffestiniog Railway Magazine' No. 4, p 10/1
Ray Wyborn's Boat.
