21-504: The Upper Corris Tramway was a 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ) gauge horse-worked tramway that connected the slate quarries around the villages of Corris and Corris Uchaf with the Corris Railway at Maespoeth Junction . It was just over 1.8 miles (2.9 km) long. The tramway was originally called the Ty'n y Berth Tramway as it was intended to connect to an incline down from
42-477: A contact point between local government and residents for information and resources on various issues. The community elects one member to represent the Corris/Mawddwy ward on Gwynedd Council . Besides Corris, the ward covers Mawddwy community to the north-east. Slate Quarrying at Corris , by Alun John Richards, 1994, ISBN 0863812791 Afon Deri The Afon Deri (sometimes known as
63-513: A high bridge that carried the internal quarry tramway from the Braichgoch level 5 adit to the head of a short incline down to the mill. The tramway now followed the route of the road along the south side of the Afon Deri as it swung to the northwest. The road climbed more steeply, while the tramway kept to a narrow ledge. On the left side of the tramway and road were the tips of Gaewern quarry , with
84-413: A single concern. The Upper Corris Tramway passed through the main yard of Braichgoch quarry, and a number of short branches connected to the mill and stacking yards. Slate was carried in slate waggons which ran in trains down to Maespoeth Junction by gravity. Empty waggons were hauled uphill from Maespoeth to the quarry by horses. No formal passenger services were ever run on the tramway, although there
105-433: A tramway connecting Gaewern to Braichgoch mill running parallel but considerably higher up the mountain. As the road turned north, the tramway swung away from it and was considerably lower. It curved gently as it passed between the road to the west and the river to the east. It passed on the river side of a large house and here the tramway up to Abercorris quarry branched off and crossed the river. The tramway curved back to
126-453: Is some evidence that the company may have charged people to ride in slate waggons along the route. Much of the route of the tramway was removed when the A487 was widened in the 1980s. The section of the tramway from Braichgoch quarry to the south end of Corris Uchaf was buried under these works. Below Braichgoch quarry, the trackbed is largely intact, including the section above Corris village where
147-674: The Afon Corris ) is a river in Mid Wales . It flows from the eastern flank of Mynydd Ty-Glas down to Corris , where it joins the Afon Dulas that flows south to the Afon Dyfi . The river passes through the village of Corris Uchaf and its lower reaches pass through the richest area of slate quarrying in Mid Wales. The Braichgoch , Abercorris and Abercwmeiddaw quarries are to be found beside
168-472: The level then entered a short cut and cover tunnel as it passed between the road and a row of cottages on the east side of the track. This tunnel was too low and narrow to allow steam locomotives to enter, and was the main reason the tramway was horse-worked for its entire existence. After the tunnel, the tramway swung round a very sharp curve below the Hughes Memorial . Running almost due-west and below
189-510: The Glyn Iago and Ty'n y Ceunant quarries on the slopes of Tarren y Gesail . Although part of the incline and some earthworks for the tramway extension were built in the 1890s, no track was laid. The third proposal came in the mid-1900s. The manager of the Corris Railway, J. J. O'Sullivan, proposed extending the line towards Tal-y-llyn Lake, but this time running high above the southern shore of
210-623: The Tir Stynt copper mines near Cross Foxes, a total distance of 6 miles (9.7 km). A Bill was introduced in Parliament to authorise this extension, but it also allowed the main Corris Railway to use steam locomotives, and the directors of the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway objected and the Bill failed. The second proposal was for a line running north, then east, about a mile to reach an incline up to
231-568: The Ty'n y Berth Quarry to the north of Corris Uchaf. This quarry closed before the tramway was built, so the line was terminated in the village and never reached the quarry it was named for. From the early days of operation, it was called the Upper Corris Tramway, after the English name for Corris Uchaf. The tramway opened in 1859, at the same time as the main Corris Railway. In 1909, part of the tramway
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#1732876831864252-473: The lake and reaching Abergynolwyn where it would connect to the Talyllyn Railway . This proposal was not approved by the company directors and no work was done on it. The tramway started at Maespoeth Junction, where it joined the Corris Railway. The tramway separated from the mainline to the south of the locomotive shed at Maespoeth. While the main line continued to rise gently as it headed towards Corris,
273-443: The level of the road, the tramway ran past Braichgoch Terrace and entered the yard of Braichgoch quarry . A line branched off to the north, dropping into the quarry yard, which sat on a large platform of slate waste. The tramway proper continued to climb and passed to the south of the Braichgoch quarry office and reached the level of the road. It passed over a steep incline down from the Braichgoch level 7 incline, then passed underneath
294-406: The line is in cutting between the road and several local houses: the houses still have slate bridges over the tramway to access their front doors. Several of the branches to the quarries can still be traced in 2019. A short section has been restored to serve as a loading siding at Maespoeth. Corris Corris is a village in the county of Gwynedd , Wales, about 4.5 miles (7 km) north of
315-468: The northwest, still following but below the road. On the south side of the road lay the main mills of Gaewern quarry, connected to the tramway by a branch when Gaewern operated independently of Braichgoch. At least one adit ran under the road and into the Gaewern vein. The tramway continued, finishing the long curve to run almost due west and enter the village of Corris Uchaf. It passed between a row of houses and
336-610: The other quarries along the tramway also shut down, the Corris closed the tramway in July 1927. The track remained in place until the early years of the Second World War, when it was lifted as part of the wartime scrap drives. Several plans were made to extend the tramway beyond Corris Uchaf. The first of these, proposed in 1862, would have taken the line above the east end of Tal-y-llyn Lake and over Bwlch Llyn Bach pass, before dropping down to
357-531: The road. The branch to Abercwmeiddaw quarry left here, running north, crossing the Afon Deri by a bridge before ending at the foot of the Abercwmeiddaw exit incline. The tramway continued on northwest for another 200 yards (180 m), passing behind the village post office to a slate enamelling works. The furthest quarry from Maespoeth Junction was Abercwmeiddaw on the north bank of the Afon Deri . A branch of
378-450: The town of Machynlleth . The village lies on the west bank of the Afon Dulas (which here forms the boundary with Powys ), around that river's confluence with the Afon Deri . Corris railway station is the headquarters and museum of the Corris Railway , a preserved narrow gauge railway. The area has a community council . The community council system replaced the former parish council system and tackles local issues, as well as acting as
399-526: The tramway ascended more steeply, running beside the Machynlleth to Dolgellau road . As the tramway passed between the locomotive shed and the road, there was a siding used to store empty wagons waiting to return to the quarries. The tramway followed the road, climbing steeply. It passed to the west of Corris village, opposite the Braich Goch Inn. Here the tramway crossed over the road into Corris village on
420-548: The tramway crossed the river near the terminus in Corris Uchaf, and ended at the foot of a long incline up to the quarry mill level. Abercorris quarry was also on the north bank of the river, and was connected to the tramway by a branch that crossed the river, then ascended the valley side via a reversing spur. Again an incline led up to the quarry mill. On the south bank of the Afon Deri lay Gaewern and Braichgoch quarries. For much of their lives these quarries were worked as
441-422: Was re-sleepered. This was the first track maintenance on the tramway for more than 25 years. Slate traffic along the tramway fell steeply between 1924 and 1926. In 1926, the Corris Railway raised its prices for carrying the slate to compensate for their lost revenue. Braichgoch, the largest customer of the tramway, responded by buying a steam road wagon and using that to transport its output to Machynlleth . With
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