One wet weekend in late October 1996, the volunteers of the Welsh Highland Railway held their third annual gala known as Dirty Chappies III. Amongst the displays, this demonstration freight train showed off the splendid and varied set of ex-Royal Navy box vans, recently regauged from 2'6" to 600mm. At the head, Russell is about to couple up, then to wait for its return to Porthmadog once the awaited passenger train has cleared the section.

P. Grover Cleveland

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The Mines Rescue van is seen here on RED shed 'B' Road. One end of the van has a small balcony, the other end has a galley kitchen inside. Bench seats run along each side, making this a cramped but effective engineer's gang transporter.

To the left sits a Barclay Diesel.

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The Mines Rescue van is seen here on RED siding at Pen-y-Mount. It is parked and serving as a galley during Spring Bash project week. Unusally, one end is missing a bogie, which has been temporarily removed to be taken to the works for overhaul.

Beyond the Mines rescue van sits a four-wheel RNAD flat wagon.

Rick Beton, March 2003

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Hudson Bogie No.10, newly restored in early 2004.

Rick Beton, April '04

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Hudson Bogie No.12, newly restored in early 2004.

Rick Beton, April '04

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Slate quarry wagon.

Rick Beton, April '04

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RNAD flat wagon with low ends. Others in the collection have medium or high ends.

Rick Beton, April '04

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RNAD Box Van built by Pickering. This unique vehicle has sliding doors, unlike all the other RNAD box vans. It has the nickname the 'dog kennel'.

Rick Beton, April '04

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Wagons and box vans. In the front is Hudson Bogie No.12, newly restored in early 2004, and one of the two four-wheel open wagons. Behind is a row of RNAD box vans, two in fresh condition and one needing attention.

Rick Beton, April '04

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Volunteer Ben Riley is seen here cleaning up one of the four-wheel RNAD chassis. Ben's work here is cleaning off the rust and then repainting to ensure that this chassis will last much longer.

These vehicles were built to 2'6" gauge and were re-gauged to 600m after their arrival at Gelert's Farm. Re-gauging involved pressing the wheels closer together and re-building the brake gear to align with the repositioned wheels.

Rick Beton, Aug'05

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RNAD Trecwn box vans arrive at Porthmadog.

Andy Goodwin

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Unloading RNAD Trecwn box vans at Pen-y-Mount.

Andy Goodwin

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Regauging the RNAD Trecwn box vans. They were all originally 2'6" gauge. The photo shows one wheelset being turned on our big lathe before the wheels were pressed into the new gauge (600mm).

Andy Goodwin

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Unloading more box vans from RNAD Trecwn.

Andy Goodwin

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The two brake vans from RNAD Trecwn, prior to restoration (one of them, restored, is shown above).

Andy Goodwin

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A typical pair of ex-RNAD box vans at Gelert's Farm, standing in No. 8 Road.

Behind stands the civil engineering shed, to the right of which is the locomotive shed.

Andy Goodwin

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Loaded with fencing materials, a typical ex-RNAD flat wagon is standing in No. 5 Road at Gelert's Farm.

The water and diesel oil tanks are visible behind; the locomotive shed is just off to the right. Beyond is the row of garages which house construction plant machinery.

Andy Goodwin

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'Weedy' the weedkiller wagon was recently rebuilt. Its wooden four-wheel chassis was replaced with the Hudson bogie seen here. The wooden chassis itself became a heritage restoration project.

Weedy serves as a weedkiller spraying wagon once or twice a year. For the rest of the year it is stored with a full tank of water and can be used for combatting the rare grass fires along the line, perhaps started by a passing steam locomotive.

Rick Beton

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