This film is part of Free

The Fathew Flyer

Alan Willmott cranks up the speed on this Talyllyn Railway Special so that those visitors who wish to “do” Wales in a day can pack more in!

Amateur film 1979 6 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales

Overview

This is not for those seeking a “leisurely” or “peaceful” trip on the Talyllyn Railway. No, this is a whistle-stop tour, the train charging through the Fathew Valley as Alan Willmott, the film-maker, humorously caters for those who would “do” Wales in a day.

Alan Willmott (1931-2014) had a large collection of transport, particularly railway, films. As a young man, he worked as a projectionist in Hemel Hempstead and went on to work in the library of British Transport Films. He made films in his own time, producing them under the banner of ‘Windjammer Films’, many being shown on Channel 4. He was famous for his railway film shows at societies across Britain and was instrumental in the setting up of the annual ‘Steampipes’ film show in London which, for over 3 decades, has raised money for the Talyllyn, Ffestiniog and Welshpool & Llanfair Railways.