May 1st 2025 will be forever remembered here at the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways as the date we celebrated the completion of a momentous £5m project, thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The celebrations primarily took place at our Boston Lodge Engineering works, which has been at the centre of this momentous project, with our staff and volunteers, along with representatives from the Heritage Fund team and leaders from the heritage and tourism industries, coming together to mark the completion of the project.
This monumental project primarily covered three main areas which were Interpretation (preserving and sharing stories), Activities (engaging with people and developing skills) and Buildings (developing Boston Lodge works).
The Interpretation element of the project was all about enhancing our ability to share stories of the railway, ensuring that every point of contact is an opportunity for visitors to find out more. The Heritage Fund support enabled us to completely refresh the way the railway is interpreted for the 200,000 visitors that come in to contact with the railway each year.
A fundamental part of this was developing the ability of storytelling by staff and volunteers, providing support to train people in both the key stories and how to tell those stories. To support the story telling, interpretation boards and panels were installed at many of our stations, allowing visitors to read and discover these stories at their own leisure.
The Activities element of the project was all about engaging with people and providing opportunities for visitors to get involved and develop skills. Skills training featured strongly in the project, for current employees, volunteers and the local community alike. An outreach program has given the opportunity for work experience for over 200 young people and more than 250 young people have been engaged with a schools’ programme. Nearly 600 individual volunteers have contributed their time to the project, amassing almost 40k hours and more than 100 of those volunteers are new to the railway.
The Buildings element of the project was perhaps the most visual development of this project, supporting the underlying principles for the Interpretation and Activity Plans. Historic buildings were brought back into use, creating space for projects and improving the overall efficiency of the site on a day-to-day basis.
Building work with a value of £3.3m was led by local contractors using local subcontractors, with specialists from elsewhere only brought in when local contractors were not available. The building work included the restoration of the Blacksmiths building to create space for volunteer projects with a new extension added to create space for an NLHF training and research centre. The building work also included a new NLHF Small Loco Shed, repairs to the Iron Foundry for use as both storage and space for volunteer projects and repairing the electrician’s workshop and oil store and extending it to provide better mess facilities, toilets and electrician’s workshop.
The building and restoration work around the site also paved the way for the introduction of Guided Tours around our Boston Lodge works. These Guided Tours are now a fundamental way of engaging with people, providing visitors with unparalleled opportunities to see behind the scenes and understand more about the development of the railway and what it takes to keep the wheels turning.
During the celebrations on May 1st 2025, visitors arrived at Boston Lodge via train, where there were opportunities to take a tour around the site, admiring the restoration work that has taken place during the course of the project. There were also opportunities to speak with staff and volunteers about their role in the project and the numerous benefits it has brought to the railway.
A ceremony in the small loco shed was a highlight of the celebrations, where speeches were provided from Paul Lewin (FFWHR General Manager), Dewi Atherton (FFWHR Training & Events Supervisor), Denise Poulton (NLHF Trustee and Deputy Chair), Dr John Prideaux (Chairman of FFWHR and FFWHR Trust) and Graham Cole (Chairman of Ffestiniog Railway Society and Director of FFWHR Board).
Graham’s speech also included the presentation of ‘The Merddin Emrys Shield’ to the Project Team of Dr Edwina Bell (Heritage Project Manager) and project team representatives.
Paul Lewin, Director and General Manager of Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways commented:
“After 70 consistent years as a leading attraction and caring for a large collection of rolling stock, buildings and infrastructure of National historic importance, the railway really needed help to refresh the offer to visitors and to make the original workshops at Boston Lodge fit for the next seventy years. The National Lottery Heritage Fund listened carefully to the complex needs of our organisation and worked with us to develop a plan that has brought significant benefits for visitors, staff and the local community.”
These celebrations were a fitting end to what has been a phenomenal team effort by all involved and we are very grateful to everyone who played their part in making it possible.
This was all made possible by the unwavering dedication of our staff and volunteers, support from local communities and the incredible support and funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The results of these efforts are now clear for all to see and enjoy for many years to come.
Bydd y 1af o Fai 2025 yn cael ei gofio am amser hir yma yn Reilffyrdd Ffestiniog ac Eryri gan ein bod wedi dathlu cwblhau prosiect arbennig, gwerth £5m, diolch i arian gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol.
Cynhaliwyd y dathliadau’n bennaf yn ein Gweithdai Peirianneg yn Boston Lodge, sydd wedi bod yn ganolog i’r prosiect pwysig hwn, gyda’n staff a’n gwirfoddolwyr, ynghyd â chynrychiolwyr o dîm y Gronfa Dreftadaeth ac arweinwyr o’r diwydiannau treftadaeth a thwristiaeth, yn dod at ei gilydd i nodi cwblhau’r prosiect.
Roedd y prosiect anferth hwn yn ffocysu yn bennaf ar thri phrif faes, sef Dehongli (diogelu a rhannu straeon), Gweithgareddau (cydgysylltu â phobl a datblygu sgiliau) ac Adeiladau (datblygu gweithdai Boston Lodge).
Roedd elfen Dehongli’r prosiect yn ymwneud â gwella ein gallu i rannu straeon am y rheilffordd, gan sicrhau bod pob pwynt cyswllt yn gyfle i ymwelwyr ddarganfod mwy. Galluogodd cymorth y Gronfa Dreftadaeth i ni adnewyddu’n llwyr y ffordd y caiff y rheilffordd ei dehongli ar gyfer y 200,000 o ymwelwyr sy’n dod i gysylltiad â’r rheilffordd bob blwyddyn.
Rhan sylfaenol o hyn oedd datblygu gallu staff a gwirfoddolwyr i adrodd straeon, darparu cymorth i hyfforddi pobl yn y straeon allweddol a sut i adrodd y straeon hynny. I gefnogi’r adrodd o straeon, gosodwyd byrddau dehongli a phaneli mewn llawer o’n gorsafoedd, gan alluogi ymwelwyr i ddarllen a darganfod y straeon hyn yn eu hamser eu hunain.
Roedd elfen Gweithgareddau’r prosiect yn ymwneud ag ymgysylltu â phobl a darparu cyfleoedd i ymwelwyr gymryd rhan a datblygu sgiliau. Roedd hyfforddiant sgiliau yn nodwedd pwysig yn y prosiect, ar gyfer gweithwyr presennol, gwirfoddolwyr a’r gymuned leol. Mae rhaglen allgymorth wedi rhoi’r cyfle ar gyfer profiad gwaith i dros 200 o bobl ifanc ac mae mwy na 250 o bobl ifanc wedi bod yn ymwneud â rhaglen ysgolion. Mae bron i 600 o wirfoddolwyr unigol wedi cyfrannu eu hamser i’r prosiect, gan gronni bron i 40mil o oriau ac mae mwy na 100 o’r gwirfoddolwyr hynny yn newydd i’r rheilffordd.
The Buildings element of the project was perhaps the most visual development of this project, supporting the underlying principles for the Interpretation and Activity Plans. Historic buildings were brought back into use, creating space for projects and improving the overall efficiency of the site on a day-to-day basis.
Building work with a value of £3.3m was led by local contractors using local subcontractors, with specialists from elsewhere only brought in when local contractors were not available. The building work included the restoration of the Blacksmiths building to create space for volunteer projects with a new extension added to create space for an NLHF training and research centre. The building work also included a new NLHF Small Loco Shed, repairs to the Iron Foundry for use as both storage and space for volunteer projects and repairing the electrician’s workshop and oil store and extending it to provide better mess facilities, toilets and electrician’s workshop.
Efallai mai elfen Adeiladau’r prosiect oedd datblygiad mwyaf gweledol y prosiect hwn, gan gefnogi’r egwyddorion sylfaenol ar gyfer y Cynlluniau Dehongli a Gweithgareddau. Daeth adeiladau hanesyddol yn ôl i ddefnydd, gan greu lle ar gyfer prosiectau a gwella effeithlonrwydd cyffredinol y safle o ddydd i ddydd.
Arweiniwyd gwaith adeiladu gwerth £3.3m gan gontractwyr lleol a oedd yn defnyddio isgontractwyr lleol, a dim ond pan nad oedd contractwyr lleol ar gael y daethpwyd ag arbenigwyr o fannau eraill i mewn. Roedd y gwaith adeiladu’n cynnwys adfer adeilad y Gof i greu gofod ar gyfer prosiectau gwirfoddol gydag estyniad newydd wedi’i ychwanegu i greu lle ar gyfer canolfan hyfforddi ac ymchwil CTLG. Roedd y gwaith adeiladu hefyd yn cynnwys Sied Loco Bach CTLG newydd, atgyweiriadau i’r Ffowndri Haearn i’w defnyddio fel storfa a gofod ar gyfer prosiectau gwirfoddol ac atgyweirio gweithdy’r trydanwr a’r storfa olew a’i hymestyn i ddarparu gwell cyfleusterau llanast, toiledau a gweithdy trydanwr.
Fe wnaeth y gwaith adeiladu ac adfer o amgylch y safle hefyd baratoi’r ffordd ar gyfer cyflwyno Teithiau Tywys o amgylch Boston Lodge. Mae’r Teithiau Tywys hyn bellach yn ffordd sylfaenol o ymgysylltu â phobl, gan roi cyfleoedd arbennig i ymwelwyr weld y tu ôl i’r llenni a deall mwy am ddatblygiad y rheilffordd a’r hyn sydd ei angen i gadw’r olwynion i droi.
During the celebrations on the 1st of May 2025, visitors arrived at Boston Lodge via train, where there were opportunities to take a tour around the site, admiring the restoration work that has taken place during the course of the project. There were also opportunities to speak with staff and volunteers about their role in the project and the numerous benefits it has brought to the railway.
A ceremony in the small loco shed was a highlight of the celebrations, where speeches were provided from Paul Lewin (FFWHR General Manager), Dewi Atherton (FFWHR Training & Events Supervisor), Denise Poulton (NLHF Trustee and Deputy Chair), Dr John Prideaux (Chairman of FFWHR and FFWHR Trust) and Graham Cole (Chairman of Ffestiniog Railway Society and Director of FFWHR Board).
Graham’s speech also included the presentation of ‘The Merddin Emrys Shield’ to the Project Team of Dr Edwina Bell (Heritage Project Manager) and project team representatives.
Yn ystod y dathliadau ar y 1af o Fai 2025, cyrhaeddodd ymwelwyr Boston Lodge ar y trên, lle cafwyd cyfleoedd i fynd ar daith tywys o amgylch y safle, gan edmygu’r gwaith adfer sydd wedi digwydd yn ystod y prosiect. Roedd cyfleoedd hefyd i siarad â staff a gwirfoddolwyr am eu rôl yn y prosiect a’r manteision niferus i’r rheilffordd sydd wedi eu creu oherwydd y prosiect.
Roedd seremoni yn y sied loco fach yn uchafbwynt i’r dathliadau, lle cafwyd areithiau gan Paul Lewin (Rheolwr Cyffredinol RhFfE), Dewi Atherton (Goruchwylydd Hyfforddiant a Digwyddiadau RhFfE), Denise Poulton (Ymddiriedolwr a Dirprwy Gadeirydd CTLG), Dr John Prideaux (Cadeirydd RhFfE ac Ymddiriedolaeth RhFfE) a Graham Cole (Cadeirydd Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Ffestiniog a Chyfarwyddwr Bwrdd RhFfE).
Roedd araith Graham hefyd yn cynnwys cyflwyno ‘Tarian Merddin Emrys’ i Dîm Prosiect sef Dr Edwina Bell (Rheolwr Prosiect Treftadaeth) a chynrychiolwyr tîm y prosiect.
Dywedodd Paul Lewin, Cyfarwyddwr a Rheolwr Cyffredinol Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog ac Eryri:
“Ar ôl 70 mlynedd gyson fel atyniad blaenllaw a gofalu am gasgliad mawr o gerbydau, adeiladau a seilwaith o bwysigrwydd hanesyddol Cenedlaethol, roedd gwir angen cymorth ar y rheilffordd i adnewyddu’r cynnig i ymwelwyr ac i wneud y gweithdai gwreiddiol yn Boston Lodge yn addas ar gyfer y saith deg mlynedd nesaf. Gwrandawodd Cronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol yn ofalus ar anghenion cymhleth ein sefydliad a gweithio gyda ni i ddatblygu cynllun sydd wedi dod â manteision sylweddol i ymwelwyr, staff a’r gymuned leol.”
Roedd y dathliadau hyn yn ddiweddglo teilwng i’r hyn sydd wedi bod yn ymdrech tîm aruthrol gan bawb a gymerodd ran ac rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn i bawb a chwaraeodd eu rhan i’w wneud yn bosibl.
Roedd hyn oll yn bosibl oherwydd ymroddiad diwyro ein staff a’n gwirfoddolwyr, cefnogaeth cymunedau lleol, a’r gefnogaeth a’r cyllid anhygoel gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol.
Mae canlyniadau’r ymdrechion hyn bellach yn glir i bawb eu gweld ac I fwynhau am flynyddoedd maith i ddod.
