IN 1873, when the curly roof van at Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways (FfWHR) was originally built, a daughter would never have been allowed to follow in her father’s footsteps and work at a carriage works – let alone been allowed to paint it!
However, times have changed and signwriters Glenn Williams and his daughter Sarah have lined the curly roof van together, this year.
Glenn joined the FfWHR carriage works in 2000 on a Lottery funded apprenticeship to learn from craftsmen at the Boston Lodge Works.
He said: “I am very proud of Sarah picking up the skills and keeping this craft in our family.”
Sarah, who joined the railway during ‘Young Volunteers Week’ in 2016, added: “I was in one of the groups that joined the carriage works that week, so at just 14, I did the lettering on ‘166’ and ’99 van’.
“I realised this was the job that dad did. The next summer, I volunteered again and at 15 did my first lining work with dad on Lilla. I was taught to look at the old photos and plan exactly where to paint.”
In 2021, Sarah joined the staff in the Boston Lodge Carriage Works and is currently lining and putting gold leaf on ‘19’ alone for the first time. It’s the same carriage Glen worked on solo during its last refurb in 2007.
Glen added: “Gold leafing takes patience and we will use 23 books of gold leaf on ‘19’ during the job. Sarah will be working on this for another few weeks yet.”
