Dinorwic Railway
Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Llanberis |
Locale | North Wales |
Dates of operation | 1824–May 1843[1] |
Successor | Padarn Railway |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
Length | 8.25 miles (13.28 km)[2] |
The Dinorwic Railway was an early
History
The Dinorwic slate quarry was purchased in 1809 by a group of investors led by
Also in 1812, railways and inclines were introduced within the quarry.
By 1823, plans were being made to construct a railway from the quarry to the port, and construction began in June 1824, though Boyd gives the opening as "by 1824".[1] By 1825 quarry records show slate shipments being made by rail.
The new railway followed the general route of the Slate Road from the highlands of The Braich[6] northwest to near the coast, where it swung west to approach the creek on its northern side. All traffic was horse-drawn, with stables at Allt-Ddu, at the foot of the Craig Llwyd incline, at "Stablau Newydd" where the line came near the Slate Road and at the head of the Garth Incline. Port horses and manpower were used at the port itself. Between inclines the route was either level or favoured loads, though it was never "gravity worked". The inclines were "balanced" and "self-acting", i.e. the extra weight of a descending rake of loaded wagons lifted a corresponding rake of empties, with the rope, cable or chain passing round a braked drum to enable staff to maintain control.
Although the railway was a significant improvement on what went before, it had a number of limitations. It passed over land that was not owned by the quarry, so rent had to be paid to the landowners. It used three inclines along its route as it descended;[7][8][9] working these slowed traffic and required extra manpower. More difficult still was the fact that most quarry workings were below the level of the line's upper, southern reaches, and even, in some cases, below the line itself.[10] By the early 1840s it was clear that as quarry production expanded further a newer, more efficient railway was needed. In 1841 work began on the replacement Padarn Railway, which opened on 3 March 1843.
The Dinorwic Railway ceased operations in May 1843 and had been "wholly removed" by 1850.[11]
References
- ^ a b Boyd 1986, p. 1.
- ^ Boyd 1986, p. 25.
- ^ Turner 1975, p. 65.
- ^ Boyd 1986, pp. 6–9.
- ^ Boyd 1986, p. 28.
- ^ The Braich area about 1900, by which time the Dinorwic Railway route had been obliterated by later quarrying, via Rail Map Online
- ^ Pen yr Incline, via Rail Map Online
- ^ Craig Llwyd Incline, via Rail Map Online
- ^ Garth Incline, via Rail Map Online
- ^ Boyd 1986, pp. 10–13.
- ^ Boyd 1986, pp. 1 & 25.
Sources
- OL 8284745M. B5C.
- Turner, Susan (1975). The Padarn and Penrhyn Railways. Newton Abbot: ISBN 978-0-7153-6547-2.
Further reading
- Jagger, K.A. (August 1974). Slater, J.N. (ed.). "Slates from Llanberis: Part one". The Railway Magazine. 120 (880). London: Tothill Press Limited.