Narrow gauge slate railways in Wales

The slate industry of North Wales was the largest user of narrow gauge railways in the whole of the United Kingdom. Many of the quarries had internal tramways and feeder lines connecting them to transhipment points on local railways, rivers, roads or coastal ports.

Gallery

Table

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Abereiddi Tramway[1] 1851 1906 3 ft (914 mm) Porthgain, Wales 2 mile long horse-drawn tramway linking St. Bride's Slate Quarry with Porthgain
Aberllefenni Slate Quarry 1880s (?) 2002 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) Aberllefenni, Wales Underground slate mine and short line to the mill. Originally joined to the Corris Railway
Alexandra Quarry[2] 1861 1934 2 ft (610 mm) Moel Tryfan, Wales Steam locomotive worked quarry feeder tramway connected to the Bryngwyn branch of the Welsh Highland Railway.
Arthog Tramway[3] 1858 1868 2 ft (610 mm) Arthog, Wales Incline and horse-worked tramway
Blaen-y-Cae Quarry tramway[2] 1870 1931 2 ft (610 mm) and 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Talysarn, Wales Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway
Blaen y Cwm Quarry [4] 1974 2 ft (610 mm) Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales Internal quarry tramway system
Braich Quarry tramway [2][5] 1877 before 1932 2 ft (610 mm) Moel Tryfan, Wales Connected to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways at Bryngwyn
Braich-Rhydd quarry tramway [2][5] 1873 before 1915 2 ft (610 mm) Y Fron, Wales Connected to the Nantlle Railway
Bryn Glas Tramway 1900s early ? 2 ft (610 mm) (?) Bethesda, Wales Short-lived horse-worked tramway built during the 1900-1903 strike at Penrhyn Quarry
Bryn-y-Fferam Quarry tramway[2] 1860s 1886 ? Moel Tryfan, Wales Isolated quarry with two pits connected by a tunnel.
Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway[6] 1850s 1915 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Nantlle, Wales Horse-worked feeder tramway from the Tan-yr-allt slate quarry to the Nantlle Railway
Cedryn Quarry Tramway[6][7] 1861 1888 2 ft (610 mm) Llanrwst, Wales 4 mile long horse-powered tramway serving the Cedryn quarry by Llyn Eigiau;
partly relaid in 1917 as part of the Eigiau Tramway
Chwarel Fedw Tramway [6] 1840s (?) 1880s 2 ft (610 mm) Dolwyddelan, Wales ¼ mile quarry incline
Cilgwyn Quarry tramway[2] 1861 before 1956 2 ft (610 mm) and 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cilgwyn, Wales Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway. Two steam locomotives survive in preservation.
Coed Madoc Quarry tramway[2] 1864 before 1927 2 ft (610 mm) Tal-y-Sarn, Wales Steam locomotive worked quarry tramway. Inclines connected to a standard gauge branch from Tal-y-sarn.
Cornwall Quarry tramway[2] 1867 1937 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Tal-y-sarn, Wales Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Croesor Tramway [6] 1864 1948 (?) 2 ft (610 mm) Porthmadog, Wales Horse-powered tramway serving the slate quarries of the Croesor valley
Cwm Ebol Tramway [6] 1868 1900 3 ft (914 mm) later 2 ft (610 mm) Llyn Bwtri, Wales 1½ mile long tramway with two self-acting inclines.
The last Welsh slate quarry connected only to a shipping point instead of a railway.
Cwmorthin Tramway [6] 1864 1939 2 ft (610 mm) Tanygrisiau, Wales 8 mile long tramway connecting the quarries of Cwm Orthin to the Ffestiniog Railway.
Cwt y Bugail Quarry [4] 1974 2 ft (610 mm) Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales Internal locomotive-worked quarry tramway system
Deeside Tramway [6] 1870 by 1947 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Glyndyfrdwy, Wales Horse-powered tramway serving the Moel Fferna slate quarry. Mostly laid with wooden rails sheathed in iron.
Dorothea Quarry tramway[2] 1873 before 1970 2 ft (610 mm) and 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Tal-y-sarn, Wales Major Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Eigiau Tramway [7] 1863 1888 2 ft (610 mm) probably Llanrwst, Wales Tramway connecting the Eigiau mine 6 miles to the shipping point on the River Conwy
Foel Gron Tramway 1860 1900 about 2 ft (610 mm) (?) Llan Ffestiniog, Wales Horse-powered tramway.
Friog Quarry ? ? 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm) Fairbourne, Wales Lightweight internal tramway around small slate quarry.
Fron Quarry tramway[5] 1864 1950 2 ft (610 mm) and 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Fron, Wales Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway and the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways via separate inclines.
Fron-heulog Quarry tramway[2] 1854 1913 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Nantlle, Wales Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Gallt-y-Fedw Quarry tramway[2] 1857 1901 2 ft (610 mm) and 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Fron, Wales Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Gorseddau Tramway/Tremadoc Tramway [6] 1855 1872 3 ft (914 mm) Porthmadog, Wales Horse-powered tramway serving the remote slate quarries of the Cwmystradllyn valley.
Gorseddau Junction and Portmadoc Railways 1872 1887 2 ft (610 mm) Porthmadog, Wales Regauged and extended Gorseddau Tramway.
Hendre-Ddu Tramway [6] 1867 1954 2 ft (610 mm) Aberangell, Wales Network of branch lines serving slate quarries and timber forests west of the Dyfi valley.
John Robinson Tramway [6] 1868 c. 1875 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Nantlle Valley, Wales Horse worked tramway connecting Fron quarry with the Nantlle Railway
Llechwedd Slate Mine[8] 1860s? 1980s? 2 ft (610 mm) Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales Extensive slate mine, once supported by nearly 100 miles of internal railway.
Commercial railway use has now ceased by a short tourist train is operated.
Maenofferen Quarry[9] 1860s? 1999 2 ft (610 mm) Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales The last slate mine in Blaenau Ffestiniog to use an internal quarry tramway and incline
Moel Siabod tramways[7] 1863 1901 2 ft (610 mm) Capel Curig, Wales A pair of remote quarries served by a short tramway to a wharf for transshipment onto the Capel Curig road.
Nant Col quarry ? ? 2 ft (610 mm) (?) Llanbedr, Wales Internal slate quarry tramway.
Nantlle Railway 1828 1963 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Penygroes, Wales Horse-hauled slate tramway serving the quarries of the Nantlle vale.
Oakeley Quarry 1814 by ? 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm) Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales One of the largest slate mines in Wales, a major source of the Festiniog Railway's traffic.
Oernant Tramway [6] 1856 1900s 3 ft (914 mm) Llangollen, Wales Three mile long tramway connecting the Clogau quarry with the Llangollen Canal
Padarn Railway 1843 1961 4 ft (1,219 mm) Llanberis, Wales Slate hauler serving the Dinorwic Quarry which itself had an extensive narrow gauge rail system.
Pant-Dreiniog Quarry 1903 1911 2 ft (610 mm) Bethesda, Wales Quarry set up by striking Penrhyn Quarry miners during the historic lock-outs.
Penrhyn Railway 1874 1962 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm) Bethesda, Wales Slate hauler serving the Penrhyn Quarry which itself had an extensive narrow gauge rail system.
Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways[2] 1862 1979 2 ft (610 mm) and 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Nantlle, Wales Internal quarry system feeding the Nantlle Tramway.
Porthgain Railway[1] 1880 slate 1931 3 ft (914 mm) Porthgain, Wales Locomotive worked railway connecting the Pen Clegyr and St Bride's quarries to Porthgain harbour.
Built over part of the route of the earlier horse-worked Abereiddi Tramway.
Ratgoed Tramway 1860s 1950s 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) Aberllefenni, Wales Horse and gravity worked light tramway connecting the Cymerau and Ratgoed quarries with the Corris Railway
Rhiwbach Tramway 1863 1961 2 ft (610 mm) Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales Locomotive and incline worked tramway connecting the remote quarries around Cwt y Bugail to the Ffestiniog Railway
South Snowdon Tramway[6] 1868 1880s 2 ft (610 mm) Hafod y Llan, Wales Series of inclines and tramways connecting the quarries above Hafod y Llan to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways
Tyddyn Sieffre Tramway[6] 1858 1900 2 ft (610 mm) Barmouth, Wales Self acting incline and mile-long horse-drawn tramway
Upper Corris Tramway[6] 1859 1930 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) Corris, Wales Horse-drawn tramway connecting the quarries around Corris Uchaf with the Corris Railway at Maespoeth Junction

References

  1. 1 2 Jermy, R. C. (1986). The Railways of Porthgain and Abereiddi. Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-340-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Boyd 1990
  3. ↑ Richards 2005
  4. 1 2 Lewis, M. J. T. (2003). Blaen y Cwm and Cwt y Bugail Slate Quarries. Adit Publications. ISBN 0952297930.
  5. 1 2 3 Jones, Gwynfor Pierce & Richards, Alun John. Cwm Gwyrfai: the Quarries of the North Wales Narrow Gauge and the Welsh Highland Railways. Llanrwst: Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 0863818978.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Richards 2001
  7. 1 2 3 Boyd, James I. C. (2001). Narrow Gauge Railways in North Caernarvonshire; Volume Three: The Dinorwic Quarry and Railways, The Great Orme Tramways and Other Rail Systems. Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-328-1.
  8. ↑ "Industrial narrow gauge railways".
  9. ↑ Boyd, James I. C. (1988). Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire; Volume One (2nd ed.). Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-365-6.

Bibliography

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