A very moving reminder of how our forbears took risks daily so slate barons could obtain slate to roof buildings around the world took place recently.

On 22 June, a train hauling slate travelled from Porthmadog up to Dduallt was pulled by a steam engine, but travelled down as it did 200 years ago - by gravity only - with men (and in this instance, also a lady) operating hand brakes on the wagons.

The earliest trains were hauled back up to the slate mines of Blaenau by horse power!

The photos show the gravity train passing through Tan y Bwlch station.