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.

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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[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]	before 1877	1932	2 ft  (610 mm)	Moel Tryfan, Wales	Connected to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways at Bryngwyn
Braich-Rhydd quarry tramway [2] [5]	before 1873	1915	2 ft  (610 mm)	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[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]	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[2]	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[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]	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[2]	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 [7]	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[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	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 [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]	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[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. ^ ^{a b} Jermy, R. C. (1986). The Railways of Porthgain and Abereiddi. Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-340-0. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Boyd 1990
3. ^ Richards 2005
4. ^ ^{a b} Lewis, M. J. T. (2003). Blaen y Cwm and Cwt y Bugail Slate Quarries. Adit Publications. ISBN 0952297930. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} 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. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} Richards 2001
7. ^ ^{a b c} 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". http://www.ingr.co.uk/. 
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

• Richards, Alun John (2001). The Slate Railways of Wales (1st. edition ed.). Llanwrst, Wales: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 0-86381-689-4. 

• Boyd, James I.C. (1990). Narrow Gauge Railways in North Caernarvonshire, Volume 1: The West. Headington, Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-273-0.