66-483: The Rhiwbach Tramway was a Welsh industrial , 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) narrow gauge railway connecting the remote slate quarries east of Blaenau Ffestiniog with the Ffestiniog Railway . It was in use by 1862, and remained so until progressively closed between 1956 and 1976. The route included three inclines , one of which became the last operational gravity incline in
132-672: A 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge, whereas Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand have metre-gauge railways . Narrow-gauge trams, particularly metre-gauge, are common in Europe. Non-industrial, narrow-gauge mountain railways are (or were) common in the Rocky Mountains of the United States and the Pacific Cordillera of Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia , Greece, and Costa Rica. A narrow-gauge railway
198-425: A curve with standard-gauge rail ( 1435 mm ) can allow speed up to 145 km/h (90 mph), the same curve with narrow-gauge rail ( 1067mm ) can only allow speed up to 130 km/h (81 mph). In Japan and Queensland, recent permanent-way improvements have allowed trains on 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge tracks to exceed 160 km/h (99 mph). Queensland Rail 's Electric Tilt Train ,
264-455: A design speed of 137 km/h (85 mph). Curve radius is also important for high speeds: narrow-gauge railways allow sharper curves, but these limit a vehicle's safe speed. Many narrow gauges, from 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge to 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) gauge, are in present or former use. They fall into several broad categories: 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ) track gauge (also known as Scotch gauge)
330-955: A hand-worked narrow-gauge tramway connecting to a jetty. Remains of the tramway, including track and wagons remained in 1999. Toberonochy Slate Quarry ? ? ? Luing , Scotland Slate quarry on this Hebridean Island, served by a hand-worked narrow-gauge tramway. References [ edit ] ^ Jermy, R. C. (1986). The Railways of Porthgain and Abereiddi . Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-340-0 . ^ The Corris Railway Society (1988). A Return to Corris . Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 978-0905466897 . ^ Boyd 1990 ^ Richards 2005 ^ Lewis, M. J. T. (2003). Blaen y Cwm and Cwt y Bugail Slate Quarries . Adit Publications. ISBN 0952297930 . ^ Jones, Gwynfor Pierce & Richards, Alun John (2004). Cwm Gwyrfai:
396-474: A heavy-duty narrow-gauge line is Brazil's EFVM . 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) gauge, it has over-100-pound rail (100 lb/yd or 49.6 kg/m) and a loading gauge almost as large as US non-excess-height lines. The line has a number of 4,000-horsepower (3,000 kW) locomotives and 200-plus-car trains. Narrow gauge's reduced stability means that its trains cannot run at speeds as high as on broader gauges. For example, if
462-498: A mine in Bohemia with a railway of about 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge. During the 16th century, railways were primarily restricted to hand-pushed, narrow-gauge lines in mines throughout Europe. In the 17th century, mine railways were extended to provide transportation above ground. These lines were industrial , connecting mines with nearby transportation points (usually canals or other waterways). These railways were usually built to
528-785: A number of large 3 ft ( 914 mm ) railroad systems in North America; notable examples include the Denver & Rio Grande and Rio Grande Southern in Colorado; the Texas and St. Louis Railway in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri; and, the South Pacific Coast , White Pass and Yukon Route and West Side Lumber Co of California. 3 ft was also a common track gauge in South America, Ireland and on
594-638: A quarry on the south bank of the Afon Dyfi Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway 1850s 1915 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Nantlle [REDACTED] 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 4 mile long horse-powered tramway serving
660-482: A shipping point instead of a railway. Cwmorthin Tramway 1864 1939 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Tanygrisiau [REDACTED] 1.8 mile long tramway connecting the quarries of Cwm Orthin to the Ffestiniog Railway . Cwt y Bugail quarry 1974 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Blaenau Ffestiniog [REDACTED] Internal locomotive-worked quarry tramway system, connected to
726-536: A southern Hebridean Island with hand-worked railway. Burlington Slate Quarries ? Around 1971 3 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 972 mm ) Elterwater , England Internal quarry system serving this Lake District quarry. The railway was originally horse worked, but later used battery-electric and diesel locomotives. The quarry is still in production. Delabole Quarry ? ? 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Delabole , Cornwall Extensive narrow-gauge system serving
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#1732858114196792-477: A tourist incline railway is operated. Maenofferen quarry 1860s? 1999 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Blaenau Ffestiniog [REDACTED] 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 A pair of remote quarries served by a short tramway to
858-661: A tunnel under the main road and to a siding near Bonwm Halt railway station on the Ruabon–Barmouth line . Penrhyn Railway 1874 1962 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) Bethesda [REDACTED] 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 Internal quarry system feeding
924-651: A wharf for transshipment onto the Capel Curig road. Nant Col quarry ? ? 2 ft ( 610 mm ) (?) Llanbedr Internal slate quarry tramway. Nantlle Railway 1828 1963 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Penygroes [REDACTED] 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 [REDACTED] One of
990-487: Is a track gauge of 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ). It has about 95,000 km (59,000 mi) of track. According to Italian law, track gauges in Italy were defined from the centre of each rail rather than the inside edges of the rails. This gauge, measured 950 mm ( 3 ft 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) between the edges of the rails, is known as Italian metre gauge . There were
1056-480: Is one where the distance between the inside edges of the rails is less than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). Historically, the term was sometimes used to refer to what are now standard-gauge railways , to distinguish them from broad-gauge railways , but this use no longer applies. The earliest recorded railway appears in Georgius Agricola 's 1556 De re metallica , which shows
1122-470: The Dinorwic quarry which itself had an extensive narrow-gauge rail system. Pantdreiniog quarry 1903 1911 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Bethesda [REDACTED] Quarry set up by striking Penrhyn quarry miners during the historic lock-outs. Penarth quarry 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Corwen 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km)_long tramway that passed in
1188-584: The Dyfi valley. John Robinson Tramway 1868 c. 1875 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Nantlle Valley Horse worked tramway connecting Fron quarry with the Nantlle Railway Llechwedd quarry 1860s? 1980s? 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Blaenau Ffestiniog [REDACTED] Extensive slate mine, once supported by nearly 100 miles of internal railway. Commercial railway use has now ceased but
1254-1013: The Isle of Man . 900 mm was a common gauge in Europe. Swedish three-foot-gauge railways ( 891 mm or 2 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 32 in ) are unique to that country and were once common all over the country. Today the only 891 mm line that remains apart from heritage railways is Roslagsbanan , a commuter line that connects Stockholm to its northeastern suburbs. A few railways and tramways were built to 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) gauge, including Nankai Main Line (later converted to 3 ft 6 in or 1,067 mm ), Ocean Pier Railway at Atlantic City , Seaton Tramway ( converted from 2 ft ) and Waiorongomai Tramway . 800 mm ( 2 ft 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge railways are commonly used for rack railways . Imperial 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) gauge railways were generally constructed in
1320-748: The Nantlle Railway Blaen y Cwm quarry 1974 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Blaenau Ffestiniog [REDACTED] Internal quarry tramway system, connected to the Rhiwbach Tramway via a short uphaul incline . Braich quarry tramway before 1877 1932 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Moel Tryfan Connected to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways at Bryngwyn Braich-Rhydd quarry tramway before 1873 1915 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Y Fron Connected to
1386-594: The Nantlle Railway Bryn Glas Tramway 1900s early ? 2 ft ( 610 mm ) (?) Bethesda Short-lived horse-worked tramway built during the 1900-1903 strike at Penrhyn quarry Bryn-y-Fferam quarry tramway 1860s 1886 ? Moel Tryfan Isolated quarry with two pits connected by a tunnel. Cardigan Slate Works ? about 1910 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Glandyfi 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km)-long tramway serving
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#17328581141961452-572: The Nantlle Railway . Croesor Tramway 1864 about 1944 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Porthmadog [REDACTED] Horse-powered tramway serving the slate quarries of the Croesor valley Cwm Ebol Tramway 1868 1906 3 ft ( 914 mm ) later 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Pennal [REDACTED] 1½ mile long tramway with two self-acting inclines. The last Welsh slate quarry connected only to
1518-636: The Nantlle Railway . Eigiau Tramway 1863 1888 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Llanrwst [REDACTED] 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 Horse-powered tramway. Friog tramway ? ? 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Fairbourne [REDACTED] 1.5 miles (2.4 km)-long tramway connecting
1584-414: The Nantlle Railway . Gallt-y-Fedw quarry tramway 1857 1901 2 ft ( 610 mm ) and 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Fron Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway . Gorseddau Tramway/Tremadoc Tramway 1855 1872 3 ft ( 914 mm ) Porthmadog [REDACTED] Horse-powered tramway serving the remote slate quarries of
1650-447: The Nantlle Railway . Two steam locomotives survive in preservation. Coed Madoc quarry tramway before 1864 1927 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Tal-y-Sarn 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 Nantlle Vale quarry connected to
1716-659: The Nantlle Tramway . Porthgain Railway 1880 slate 1931 3 ft ( 914 mm ) Porthgain 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 . Prince Llewellyn quarry 1820 1934 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Dolwyddelan Internal tramways and inclines within
1782-660: The Rhiwbach Tramway . It was the last user of the section of the Trmaway above No. 3 incline Deeside Tramway 1870 by 1947 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) Glyndyfrdwy [REDACTED] 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 [REDACTED] Major Nantlle Vale quarry connected to
1848-565: The 500mm gauge tracks of their mine railway ; these locomotives were made by the Deutz Gas Engine Company ( Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz ), now Deutz AG . Another early use of internal combustion was to power a narrow-gauge locomotive was in 1902. F. C. Blake built a 7 hp petrol locomotive for the Richmond Main Sewerage Board sewage plant at Mortlake . This 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) gauge locomotive
1914-708: 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 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) long tramway connecting Chwarel Fedw across the Lledr Valley to Prince Llewellyn quarry mill. Cilgwyn quarry tramway before 1861 1956 2 ft ( 610 mm ) and 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Cilgwyn quarry Nantlle Vale quarry connected to
1980-472: The Cwmystradllyn valley. Gorseddau Junction and Portmadoc Railways 1872 1887 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Porthmadog [REDACTED] Regauged and extended Gorseddau Tramway. Hendre-Ddu Tramway 1877 1949 1 ft 10 in ( 559 mm ) Aberangell [REDACTED] Network of branch lines serving slate quarries and timber forests west of
2046-839: The Delabole quarry. Used steam, and later, internal combustion locomotives. Easdale Quarry ? By 1911 ? Easdale , Scotland Deep pits extending below sea level on this Hebridean island, with a locomotive-worked narrow-gauge railway moving stone from the pits to the harbour. The flooded pits are still a prominent feature of the island, and the locomotive shed still stands. Elterwater Slate Quarry ? ? 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Elterwater , England Internal quarry system serving this Lake District quarry. Honister Slate Mine ? Present 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) Elterwater , England Internal quarry system serving this Lake District quarry. Due to
Rhiwbach Tramway - Misplaced Pages Continue
2112-572: The Henddol slate quarry via tramways to the Afon Mawddach Fron quarry tramway 1864 1950 2 ft ( 610 mm ) and 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Fron 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 Quarry connected to
2178-534: The North Wales slate industry. The tramway was worked by horses and gravity for much of its existence, but a diesel locomotive was used to haul wagons on the top section between 1953 and its closure in 1961. The first attempts to build a tramway to connect to quarries east of Blaenau Ffestiniog were made in 1854, when a petition to build the Ffestiniog and Machno Railway was presented to Parliament. This would 'authorise
2244-858: The Pennal Tramway". Industrial Railway Record . ^ "Industrial Narrow Gauge Railways" . ^ Boyd, James I. C. (1988). Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire; Volume One (2nd ed.). Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-365-6 . ^ Richards, Alun John (1999). The Slate Regions of North and Mid Wales and Their Railways . Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 978-0-86381-552-2 . ^ David Christopher Davies (1887). A Treatise on Slate and Slate Quarrying: Scientific, Practical, and Commercial . C. Lockwood and Company. pp. 43 –. ^ Walsh, Joan A (1999). "Methods of evaluating slate and their application to
2310-928: The Philippines demonstrate that if track is built to a heavy-duty standard, performance almost as good as a standard-gauge line is possible. Two-hundred-car trains operate on the Sishen–Saldanha railway line in South Africa, and high-speed Tilt Trains run in Queensland. In South Africa and New Zealand, the loading gauge is similar to the restricted British loading gauge; in New Zealand, some British Rail Mark 2 carriages have been rebuilt with new bogies for use by Tranz Scenic (Wellington-Palmerston North service), Tranz Metro (Wellington-Masterton service), and Auckland One Rail (Auckland suburban services). Another example of
2376-1243: The Quarries of the North Wales Narrow Gauge and the Welsh Highland Railways . Llanrwst: Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 0863818978 . ^ Boyd, James I.C. (1970) [1965]. Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid-Wales . The British Narrow Gauge Railway (2nd ed.). Lingfield, Surrey : The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-024-3 . OCLC 499283322 . No.3. ^ Richards 2001 ^ 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 . ^ Southern, Dave; Barell, Adrian (2018). The Croesor Tramway . The Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group. ISBN 9780993082160 . ^ Quine, Dan (March 2017). "Baguley 774 and
2442-749: The Rhiwbach Tramway to Owen Gethin Jones of Penmachno , although it was financed by the Festiniog Slate Company Ltd, owners of the Rhiwbach Quarry. It was in use by two quarries in early 1862, but was not finally finished until early 1863. Quarries which used the tramway paid tolls to the Festiniog Slate Company. The tramway remained in operation over its full length for close to a century. The section between Cwt y Bugail and Rhiwbach
2508-663: The Scottish slate quarries" (PDF) . University of Glasgow. ^ Custom and Conflict in 'The Land of the Gael': Ballachulish 1900-1910 . by Neville Kirk. The Merlin Press Ltd. 2007. ^ Slate Island Heritage Trust ^ Nicholson, Peter (1975). Industrial Narrow Gauge Railways in Britain . Barton. ^ Easdale Island Folk Museum ^ "Industrial Narrow Gauge Railways – Honister Slate Mine" . Archived from
2574-844: The US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge . Most narrow-gauge railways are between 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) and 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ). Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves , smaller structure gauges , and lighter rails ; they can be less costly to build, equip, and operate than standard- or broad-gauge railways (particularly in mountainous or difficult terrain). Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often used in mountainous terrain, where engineering savings can be substantial. Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often built to serve industries as well as sparsely populated communities where
2640-911: The coal industry. Some sugar cane lines in Cuba were 2 ft 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 699 mm ). 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge railways were generally constructed in the former British colonies. The U.S. had a number of railways of that gauge , including several in the state of Maine such as the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway . 1 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ( 603 mm ), 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) and 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) were used in Europe. Gauges below 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) were rare. Arthur Percival Heywood developed 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge estate railways in Britain and Decauville produced
2706-527: The construction of a new line of railway from Duffws to the Machno Slate Quarries and other purposes'. The intent was that this would be quite separate from the Ffestiniog Railway. The bill was promoted by Thomas Spooner , but was abandoned at the committee stage. One factor may have been the Ffestiniog Railway's insistence that all products produced by the quarries served should be exported via
Rhiwbach Tramway - Misplaced Pages Continue
2772-502: The edge of Llyn Bowydd, a reservoir constructed to supply water to power the equipment in the quarries below. From Cwt y Bugail, the line turned south, passing Blaen y Cwm Quarry to the head of the incline down to the Rhiwbach quarry which lay below the plateau in the Machno valley. A further branch ran south from Blaen y Cwm, via a switchback, to Manod and Bwlch y Slaters quarries. The tramway
2838-533: The fastest train in Australia and the fastest 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge train in the world, set a record of 210 km/h (130 mph). The speed record for 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow-gauge rail is 245 km/h (152 mph), set in South Africa in 1978. A special 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge railcar was built for the Otavi Mining and Railway Company with
2904-564: The former British colonies . 760 mm Bosnian gauge and 750 mm railways are predominantly found in Russia and Eastern Europe. Gauges such as 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ), 2 ft 4 in ( 711 mm ) and 2 ft 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 724 mm ) were used in parts of the UK, particularly for railways in Wales and the borders, with some industrial use in
2970-989: The 💕 (Redirected from Welsh narrow gauge slate railways ) Narrow-gauge railways were used extensively in the slate industry of Great Britain , especially in Wales . Many quarries had internal tramways, some using many dozens of miles of track. Others had private lines that stretched from the quarry to transhipment points on local railways, rivers, roads or coastal ports. Wales [ edit ] Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Image Notes Abereiddi Tramway 1851 1906 3 ft ( 914 mm ) Porthgain [REDACTED] 2 mile long horse-drawn tramway linking St. Bride's Slate Quarry with Porthgain Aberllefenni quarry tramway 1859 2002 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ) Aberllefenni [REDACTED] Underground slate mine and short line to
3036-621: The largest slate mines in Wales, a major source of the Festiniog Railway's traffic. Oernant Tramway 1852 1897 3 ft ( 914 mm ) Llangollen [REDACTED] Six mile long tramway connecting the Moel-y-faen and Clogau quarries with the Llangollen Canal and slate works Padarn Railway 1843 1961 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) Llanberis [REDACTED] Slate hauler serving
3102-543: The level of the Maenofferen quarry mills. The tramway ran a quarter of a mile south to pass the Maenofferen mills and the foot of the last incline. Rhiwbach No. 3 incline climbed a further 300 feet (91 m) to reach the plateau above Blaenau Ffestiniog, passing the main pit of the David and Jones Quarry. From the head of No. 3 incline, the tramway ran on an approximately level course east towards Cwt y Bugail Quarry . It skirted
3168-610: The location of the mine at the head of the Honister Pass , the railway featured long inclines as well as locomotive haulage. In 1997 the mine re-opened with a newly built narrow-gauge railway to support the operations. Seil Slate Quarry ? By World War I ? Seil , Scotland Extensive slate quarries on this Hebridean Island, served by a network of hand-worked narrow-gauge railways. Tir na Oig Slate Quarry ? Late 1930s ? Luing , Scotland Slate quarry on this Hebridean Island, served by
3234-1031: The original on 29 March 2016 . Retrieved 31 December 2016 . Bibliography [ edit ] Richards, Alun John (2001). The Slate Railways of Wales (1st. ed.). Llanrwst, Wales: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 0-86381-689-4 . Boyd, James I.C. (1990) [1972]. Narrow Gauge Railways in North Caernarvonshire, Volume 1: The West . Headington : The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-273-5 . OCLC 650247345 . Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_narrow-gauge_slate_railways&oldid=1164759231#Wales " Categories : Narrow gauge railways in Wales Industrial railways in Wales Slate industry in Wales Hidden category: Use dmy dates from April 2022 Narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway ( narrow-gauge railroad in
3300-427: The plateau. The first incline, Rhiwbach No. 1 , which was sometimes known as Bowydd incline or Dolgarregddu incline , climbed from a junction at the east end of the Ffestiniog Railway's Duffws station approximately 300 feet (91 m) along the base of Garreg Ddu mountain. The line then skirted the western edge of Votty & Bowydd Quarry . Rhiwbach No. 2 incline then rose a further 350 feet (110 m) to reach
3366-840: The quarries around Corris Uchaf with the Corris Railway at Maespoeth Junction Rest of Britain [ edit ] [REDACTED] Underground incline at Honister slate mine [REDACTED] Burlington slate quarry [REDACTED] Slate loading jetty on Seil [REDACTED] Delabole slate quarry Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes Aberfoyle Slate Quarries ? By 1954 ? Trossachs , Scotland Tramway serving this successful quarry Ballachulish Slate Quarry ? By 1955. ? Ballachulish , Scotland Internal quarry system with well-built inclines. Balvicar Slate Quarry ? By early 1960s. ? Balvicar , Scotland Quarry on
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#17328581141963432-713: The quarry, and a 0.5 miles (0.80 km)-long tramway across the bottom of the Lledr valley connecting to Chwarel Fedw. Ratgoed Tramway 1860s 1950s 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ) Aberllefenni [REDACTED] 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 [REDACTED] Locomotive and incline worked tramway connecting
3498-399: The railway, and this caused disagreement among the quarry owners. A second scheme was promoted in the late 1850s, to connect to the Rhiwbach Quarry , missing out the Penmachno Quarry. It was this scheme that was subsequently built. The Ffestiniog Railway built an extension beyond Duffws in 1860, to connect to the end of the tramway. Between 1861 and 1863, they contracted the construction of
3564-616: The remote quarries around Cwt y Bugail to the Ffestiniog Railway South Snowdon Tramway 1868 1880s 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Hafod y Llan 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 Self acting incline and mile-long horse-drawn tramway Upper Corris Tramway 1859 1930 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ) Corris [REDACTED] Horse-drawn tramway connecting
3630-426: The same narrow gauge as the mine railways from which they developed. The world's first steam locomotive , built in 1802 by Richard Trevithick for the Coalbrookdale Company, ran on a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) plateway . The first commercially successful steam locomotive was Matthew Murray 's Salamanca built in 1812 for the 4 ft 1 in ( 1,245 mm ) Middleton Railway in Leeds . Salamanca
3696-416: The traffic potential would not justify the cost of a standard- or broad-gauge line. Narrow-gauge railways have specialised use in mines and other environments where a small structure gauge necessitates a small loading gauge . In some countries, narrow gauge is the standard: Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Australian states of Queensland , Western Australia and Tasmania have
3762-501: The upper levels of Llechwedd with the mills at Maenofferen. Most of the track was lifted, although short sections of track remained intact as late as 2013. The quarries connected to the tramway had no practical road access as they lay at a high altitude in a remote moorland. Rhiwbach Quarry was about 1,560 ft (475 m) above sea level, while the main tramway was higher still, at around 1,625 ft (495 m). The tramway rose by three inclines through Maen Offeren quarry to reach
3828-642: The village mill. Connected to the Corris Railway until it closed in 1948. Alexandra quarry 1861 1934 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Moel Tryfan [REDACTED] 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 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 [REDACTED] Nantlle Vale quarry connected to
3894-460: The world; 19th-century mountain logging operations often used narrow-gauge railways to transport logs from mill to market. Significant sugarcane railways still operate in Cuba, Fiji, Java, the Philippines, and Queensland, and narrow-gauge railway equipment remains in common use for building tunnels. In 1897, a manganese mine in the Lahn valley in Germany was using two benzine -fueled locomotives with single cylinder internal combustion engines on
3960-466: Was adopted by early 19th-century railways, primarily in the Lanarkshire area of Scotland. 4 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,384 mm ) lines were also constructed, and both were eventually converted to standard gauge. 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) between the inside of the rail heads, its name and classification vary worldwide and it has about 112,000 kilometres (70,000 mi) of track. As its name implies, metre gauge
4026-444: Was also the first rack-and-pinion locomotive. During the 1820s and 1830s, a number of industrial narrow-gauge railways in the United Kingdom used steam locomotives. In 1842, the first narrow-gauge steam locomotive outside the UK was built for the 1,100 mm ( 3 ft 7 + 5 ⁄ 16 in )-gauge Antwerp-Ghent Railway in Belgium. The first use of steam locomotives on a public, passenger-carrying narrow-gauge railway
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#17328581141964092-492: Was in 1865, when the Ffestiniog Railway introduced passenger service after receiving its first locomotives two years earlier. Many narrow-gauge railways were part of industrial enterprises and served primarily as industrial railways , rather than general carriers. Common uses for these industrial narrow-gauge railways included mining, logging, construction, tunnelling, quarrying, and conveying agricultural products. Extensive narrow-gauge networks were constructed in many parts of
4158-419: Was lifted in 1956 and the section from Cwt y Bugail to Maenofferen was closed in 1961 and lifted in 1964. The first incline was replaced by a road, but a short section remained in use between the mills at Maenofferen and the foot of No 2 Incline, which became the last remaining gravity incline in the North Wales slate industry. This section was finally closed in 1976 after a new quarry road was built connecting
4224-399: Was originally designed to be worked by horses and gravity. During busy periods, two or three horses were required to work the summit section between the top of No. 3 incline and the Rhiwbach incline. Sometime in the 1920s petrol locomotives were introduced to work this section and a small shed was built in which the locomotive was kept. The practice was not entirely successful, as the locomotive
4290-480: Was probably the third petrol-engined locomotive built. Extensive narrow-gauge rail systems served the front-line trenches of both sides in World War I . They were a short-lived military application, and after the war the surplus equipment created a small boom in European narrow-gauge railway building. The heavy-duty 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow-gauge railways in Australia (Queensland), New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and
4356-516: Was too heavy for the track materials used, and parts of the tramway were relaid in light section flat-bottomed rail or heavier section bridge rail. In 1953 the Rhiwbach Quarry closed, leaving the Cwt y Bugail Quarry as the only user of the main section of the tramway. This table shows locomotives known to have worked the Rhiwbach Tramway. 53°00′08″N 3°54′13″W / 53.0022°N 3.9035°W / 53.0022; -3.9035 Welsh narrow gauge slate railways From Misplaced Pages,
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