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.
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Aberllefenni main level looking down from Foel Grochan, late 1970s
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Jerry M (Hunslet No. 638) at work in the Dinorwic slate quarry, 1951
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Quarry tramway at Maenofferen, 2007
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Rhiwbach Tramway, 2007
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Croesor Tramway and Blaenycwm incline, 2007
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Nantlle Tramway wagon
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Porthgain Harbour, terminus of the Porthgain Railway
| Name | Opened | Closed | Gauge | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abereiddi Tramway | 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 | 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 | 1858 | 1868 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Arthog, Wales | Incline and horse-worked tramway |
| Blaen-y-Cae Quarry tramway | 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 | 1974 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales | Internal quarry tramway system | |
| Braich Quarry tramway | before 1877 | 1932 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Moel Tryfan, Wales | Connected to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways at Bryngwyn |
| Braich-Rhydd quarry tramway | before 1873 | 1915 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Y Fron, Wales | Connected to the Nantlle Railway |
| Bryn Glas Tramway | early 1900s | ? | 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 | 1860s | 1886 | ? | Moel Tryfan, Wales | Isolated quarry with two pits connected by a tunnel. |
| Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway | 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 | 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 | 1840s (?) | 1880s | 2 ft (610 mm) | Dolwyddelan, Wales | ¼ mile quarry incline |
| Cilgwyn Quarry tramway | before 1861 | 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 | before 1864 | 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 | 1867 | 1937 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | Tal-y-sarn, Wales | Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway. |
| Croesor Tramway | 1864 | 1948 (?) | 2 ft (610 mm) | Porthmadog, Wales | Horse-powered tramway serving the slate quarries of the Croesor valley |
| Cwm Ebol Tramway | 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 | 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 | 1974 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales | Internal locomotive-worked quarry tramway system | |
| Deeside Tramway | by 1870 | 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 | before 1873 | 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 | 1863 | 1888 | probably 2 ft (610 mm) | Llanrwst, Wales | Tramway connecting the Eigiau mine 6 miles to the shipping point on the River Conwy |
| Foel Gron Tramway | 1860 | about 1900 | 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 | 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 | 1854 | 1913 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | Nantlle, Wales | Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway. |
| Gallt-y-Fedw Quarry tramway | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | by 1814 | ? | 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 | 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 | 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 | late 1880s | 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 | 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 | 1858 | 1900 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Barmouth, Wales | Self acting incline and mile-long horse drawn tramway |
| Upper Corris Tramway | 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 |
Famous quotes containing the words narrow, railways and/or wales:
“Who said, ‘All Time’s delight
Hath she for narrow bed;
Life’s troubled bubble broken’?—
That’s what I said.”
—Walter De La Mare (1873–1956)
“There is nothing in machinery, there is nothing in embankments and railways and iron bridges and engineering devices to oblige them to be ugly. Ugliness is the measure of imperfection.”
—H.G. (Herbert George)
“I just come and talk to the plants, really—very important to talk to them, they respond I find.”
—Charles, Prince Of Wales (b. 1948)