Peco OO9 GR-570UY Festiniog Railway 4 wheel Quarrymans Coach Grey Unlettered
The Festiniog Railway ordered a small fleet of very basic 4-wheel coaches to provide accommodation for quarry workers travelling to and from the slate quarries. Similar quarrymens, miners or workmens coaches were used by other narrow gauge lines.
The models feature crisply reproduced printing, separate vacuum pipes, standard OO-9 coupler mounted in an NEM pocket, and metal-rimmed wheels for free running.
These coaches make an ideal train for the Festiniog Small England locomotives, in addition to the Bug Box coaches provided for regular passenger services and slate wagons for the quarry products.
From 1867 the Ffestiniog Railway used dedicated carriages to carry workmen to and from the slate quarries around Blaenau Ffestiniog. From 1885 to 1887, eighteen of what are now referred to as the ‘Type 3’ Quarrymen’s carriage were built featuring sprung axle boxes, one central door on each side and droplight windows. More of the same design were made to replace the older carriages and there were a total of thirty-six in the 1900s. Archive images show a significant number of these coaches being used to transport workers to the quarry site.
From 1908, a few Quarrymen’s carriages were converted into brake vans for goods trains, one with a single balcony and two with a balcony on both ends.
Today a ‘Type 3’ Quarrymen’s carriage No.8, single balcony Van No.6 and replica Van No.7 are all still used on the Ffestiniog Railway during special events to recreate historic goods and passenger train formations.