Tag Archives: Penrhyn

The Penrhyn Quarry Railway – Part 3

This article has been long in gestation! Some of the images were found in later 2022 and early 2023 and permission to use them was sought at that time. Other work intervened and it is only now that the article has reached a stage where publication is right. My thanks to those who gave permission for the use of their images back in early 2023. Their names and copyright is noted in the images or in the test associated with each image. Thank you.

The featured image for this article shows ‘Nesta’ idling in Penrhyn Quarry on 15th April 1952, © Ken Cribb and used with the kind permission of his son Russ Cribb. [Supplied direct to me by Russ Cribb]

The images in the article are purely a sample of those available on line. Others can be found here, [32] and here, [35]

This image gives an overview of the Quarry, taken from above one of the inclines and looking down on the Red Lion Level. Without being able to see the quarry faces, this picture emphasises the size of the operation,© Copyright Ron Fisher and used by kind permission. [24]

In a press release about its exhibition ‘Slate to Sea’ in 2018, the National Museum of Wales stated that, “In 1882 the Welsh slate trade produced 280,000 tons of slate. This rose to 485,000 tons by 1898. Worldwide slate exports from Welsh ports were enormous and included the West Indies (114 Tonnes) Argentina (404 Tonnes) Channel Islands (580 Tonnes) British South Arica (290 Tonnes) Belgium (431 Tonnes) Germany (41,000 Tonnes) Denmark (3,500 tonnes) and Australia (5,500 tonnes).” [22]

The busy ports serving the slate industry included:

Porthmadog: “where initially, slate was carted from Blaenau Ffestiniog down to the quays along the Afon Dwyryd, then boated to Porthmadog for transfer to seagoing vessels. The rapidly expanding cities of England needed high quality roofing slate, which gave rise to railways to transport them to the new port by tramway from the quarries around Ffestiniog and district. The Ffestiniog Railway opened in 1836, followed by the Croesor Tramway in 1864 and the Gorseddau Tramway in 1856, and by 1873 over 116,000 tons (117,800 [tonnes]) were exported through Porthmadog in more than a thousand ships.” [22]
Y Felinheli: which was – “transformed by slate quarrying when the Assheton Smiths – the owners of Dinorwic quarry and the Vaynol Estate – built the harbour to export slate transported to the quay by the Dinorwic Railway, a narrow gauge railway (now the Llanberis Lake Railway). They also decided to give Y Felinheli the alternative name of Port Dinorwic at that time.” [22]
Caernarfon: “the slate quay at Caernarfon served the development of the Nantlle quarries when new wharves were constructed along the Seiont to cater for the growing output of slate, mostly to be transported to customers by ships. The arrival of the Nantlle Railway in 1826 boosted slate exports from Caernarfon. By 1840 the slate quay become the main focus of Caernarfon’s shipping activity.” [22]
Porth Penrhyn: which served the Penrhyn Quarry at Bethesda. Exports are not at 19th century levels but they continue to be an important part of the business of slate. “Exports of crushed slate (aggregate) by Penrhyn Quarry, through Porth Penrhyn to Rotterdam, or ports along the south coast of England, have grown to become a significant proportion of Welsh Slate sales in addition to several containers of roofing slates being shipped every month to Australia alone (taking approximately 45 days).” [22]

“Welsh slate is now covering the roofs of buildings as prestigious as the New South Wales Supreme Court and historic as Unwin’s Stores, both in Sydney Australia, as well as the Arts Centre in earthquake-hit Christchurch, New Zealand 2012. Europe is also a prime destination for Welsh slate with shipments of slate and decorative aggregate within Europe continuing to grow and evolve in particular. In 2017 a total of seven shipments totalling almost 14000 tonnes of slate aggregate were made from Port Penrhyn.” [22]

This article focusses on the transport arrangements within Penrhyn Quarry. Two earlier articles cover the route down to Porth Penrhyn, first on a tramroad and then on a narrow-gauge railway:

https://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/12/29/the-penrhyn-railway-part-1

https://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/01/30/the-penrhyn-quarry-railway-part-2

Penrhyn Quarry utilized a gallery (ponc) system with over 20 to 40 terraces/levels and multiple internal and external inclines and water balances, rather than a single standardized list of named levels like Dinorwic. “About 3000 men worked here by the middle of the 19th century. Working the slate meant developing over 20 galleries or terraces, these climbing the slopes of Y Fronllwyd. Slate that was not good enough to be split and trimmed into roofing slate would be dumped, creating huge tips of waste. As the quarry developed, waterpower was used to raise wagons in innovative lifts (or “tanks” as they were called). As the quarry deepened, pumps were used to lift water from its lowest levels, this then flowing through a tunnel into the Ogwen river.” [31]

James Boyd comments that the Railroad/Tramroad (1801-1879) commenced “high up in the Quarry and over succeeding years its original route(s) through the workings was lost and replaced by others more convenient to the times. Nothing was allowed to prevent the good slate rock from being quarried and if the rail route was hampering the work, it disappeared. The Quarry grew to enormous proportions; up to 90% of material extracted was simply rubbish and was tipped wherever convenient; if this buried the Railroad, so be it. The immediate purpose of the Railroad was to carry quarried materials to Coed-y-Parc where after processing the re-loaded wagons would be assembled into trains for despatch down to the Port. Certain wagons contained materials for processing at Felin-Fawr Mill and when ready, wagons containing such products were introduced into the Railroad traffic at the north end of Coed-y-Parc. From the Quarry there were ultimately two routes northward to Coed-y-Parc; the original one of 1801 climbed southwest from Coed-y-Parc by incline to Ponc-y-Level (Right). (Ponc-y-Level (Right) Incline was built to carry the wagons even higher in 1823.) Thence, by a course running generally anti-clockwise, along Ponc Sling to where at its furthermost end, Sling reached the foot of Ponc-y-Level (Left) Incline. It was here the Railroad may be said to have begun: the 1829 Plan of the [route] simply shows “Quarry Machine” (ie. weighing machine) without surrounding detail.” [15: p43-44]

He continues with further detailed notes on the changing network of rails within the Quarry. The notes above give a flavour of the detail that Boyd was able to record after consulting the many documents available to him in the Quarry archives. [15: p43-44]

By contrast, the PQR was deemed to commence, not within the Quarry, but “at the foot of the Felin-Fawr incline … [which was] completed in August 1874 … It formed part of a first stage in improvements right along the Quarry-Port link, some five years before the old Railroad itself was discontinued. Oddly, the Ordnance Map printers working on the 1886-88 survey for the First Edition of the 25 inch/1 mile the produced the pre-1874 access route and, showing the track already at least eleven years out of date, provided posterity with a false record. From the Incline foot two tracks struck off northwards a differing levels to enable empty wagons to run on to the foot of the Incline by gravity. Beyond the foot the main line began, flanked by various parallel tracks; that to the extreme east being once a siding (post 1912) but having the 1933 Ponc Sling access route branching off it. … The yard ended at its northern edge in a single line passing under Coed-y-Parc road bridge, this being a level crossing with adjacent gatekeepers cottage until 1900.” [15: p53-54]

An extract from the 6″ Ordnance Survey published in 1889 which shows the old pre-1874 access line to the Quarry. The slate works at Felin-Fawr appear at the top left of this extract. [16]

This image is an extract from the later survey undertaken close to the turn of the 20th century. The Felin-Fawr Incline is now visible at the bottom of the extract. The old route is still visible curving away East close to Bryn-llys. At the time of the survey, the level crossing at Coed-y-Parc is still in place. The overbridge spanning the Quarry entrance still has to be built. [17]

An enlarged extract from the 6″ Ordnance Survey shows the Felin-Fawr Skate Works and the railway sidings in its vicinity. The level crossing referred to above is at the bottom-centre of the enlarged image.

The view of the Felin-Fawr Slate Works site, Penrhyn Quarry workshops. The building at Coed y Parc at the former meeting point between the “main line” of the PQR and the internal quarry railway system. By the time this picture was taken in 1973 the railway had long since been lifted but the buildings remained, © Copyright David Stilwell and included here under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0) [21]

Looking Northwest from the Southeast side of the arch bridge at Coed-y-Parc, carrying a lane (which traversed the site and linked to the B4409) over the PQR. As noted above, just to the South of the bridge the various lines both North and South of the bridge converged onto a few feet if single track line. This can be seen on the first monochrome image below. The route to Porth Penrhyn is ahead of the camera, the bulk of the Quarry, behind the photographer. The two locomotives are ‘Blanche’ (a Hunslet 0-4-0ST built in 1893) and ‘Linda’, (also a Hunslet 0-4-0ST built in 1893). This photo was shared by Geoff Ward on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 11th March 2017, [1]

*The blue flag in these two images marks the location of the photographer taking the monochrome image above. Both images are taken from the National Library of Scotland (NLS) website*. [2]

The arch bridge in the monochrome image above viewed from high-level above the retaining wall to the Southwest. [Google Streetview]

The view from the Northeast on the lane carried over the PQR on the bridge depicted in the monochrome image above. [Google Streetview]

A view from the Southwest on the same lane with the bridge featured at the centre of the image in November 2022. [Google Streetview]

Looking Southeast from the Felin-Fawr site into the Quarry site. [Google Streetview]

From a similar position on the North side of the road bridge, looking South into the Quarry site. The photographer is not known but the image was recorded in 1959 and shared on Pinterest by Rhys Carden. [20]

The British Listed Buildings Website records this Grade II listed structure as follows: A road bridge over former railway. “Single segmental arch of red brick (including to soffit) with stone keyblock and arch-ring; coursed slate slab spandrels and piers flanking cast-iron parapet topped by ornamental iron balustrade. Abutments of large coursed slabs with band courses and slab retaining and boundary walls to each side, formerly enclosing the entire yard of the Felin Fawr Slate Works.” [19]

“Originally the site of a manned level crossing dating from the opening of the Penrhyn Slate Quarry Steam Engine Railway in 1843, the present bridge was built in 1900 and originally equipped, as were other bridges on the line, with wooden security gates across the arch. This opening was subsequently infilled but was reopened during the 1990s as part of the creation of a footpath along the course of the former railway line.” [19]

This photograph is taken from under the road bridge at Felin Fawr, at the end of the main line, looking towards the sidings at Coed y Parc. The building to the right used to house one of the Baldwin locos, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [5]

A similar view into the Quarry site from the road bridge, © Copyright Michael Bishop. Michael Bishop visited Penrhyn Quarry at Bethesda on the 17th of June 1967. By that date the quarry had finished using rail transport and the remaining locomotives and wagons were being scrapped. Tracklifting of the remaining lines was underway. This image is included here by kind permission of the photographer. [21]

Blanch leaving Penrhyn quarry in 1947 returning the Bangor workers home to Port Penrhyn after an 11 hour shift. This picture is taken looking South at the point where the sidings branch out on the last photograph. The photo was shared by Tony Williams on the History of Bangor Facebook Group on 22nd September 2017. [3]

This photograph shows the top end of the sidings with the Felin-Fawr Incline to Red Lion level off to the right, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [5]

This image shows one of the sidings looking back towards Felin Fawr with the steeple of St Ann’s church in the distance, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [5]

This photo is of the Felin-Fawr Incline up to Red Lion level (the main working level of the quarry), © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [5]

James Boyd suggests that it was always a good idea to turn to the North as you climbed the Felin-Fawr incline. … “Looking northward from halfway up the Felin-Fawr Incline, and viewing this scene below, it might be noted how the arms of the rubbish tips embraced the land on either side. To the left was the long single-line stone shed built in 1903 to house the Workmen’s Train carriages, but marked as ‘Engine Shed’ on the 1912 OS Maps. This definition may be a ‘hang-over’ from the time beginning in 1879 when two main line engines were kept at Felin-Fawr overnight; in earlier times the Workmen’s Train was kept in a shed below the Quarry (and possibly not transferred to this shed immediately it was built in 1903 – the precise date of this transfer is not known). It could be that the two main line engines were squeezed out and down to the Port shed when the Workmen’s Train increased to 13 vehicles, for that train had latterly grown too long for the shed, so the south end was taken down and the carriages poked out of it. Alongside was the 6th milepost. Beyond on the same side was (correctly) a small Engine Shed, which in due course acquired the nickname ‘The Baldwin Shed’, after the purchase of three ex-War Department locomotives from that American builder in 1924 had proved fruitless and they were stored inside. There was a water standpipe for main line engines on the wall outside. In much earlier days the building housed the little private saloon carriage which in later years was kept in the Port Engine Shed.” [15: p54]

Boyd continues: “This yard was always full of stock, lines of slate wagons loaded and waiting the next run to the Port, with empties alongside making their way slowly to be hauled up by the endless chain incline at Felin-Fawr, with perhaps another row of Quarry Flats standing with huge lumps of slab on them, waiting to be run down into the Felin-Fawr Mill in the Coed-y-Parc complex. Other odd wagons found a home there month by month – there was not much spare accommodation elsewhere. Wagon loads of coal waiting to go up into Quarry Departments and the wooden-bodied ‘Fullersite’ wagons could be easily distinguished too. Away to the right might be discerned the course of the abandoned 1843 line … but, ere its grassgrown course had gone many yards, the foot of the waste tips buried it. Beyond and behind this there was a drop of some 20 ft with a supporting wall and, running along near its top the course of the 1933-built link line, a second generation (so to speak) of the 1843 access and intended to bring Sling Level into easy communication with Coed- y-Parc independently of the Felin-Fawr Incline… but doomed to operational failure on account of its sharp curves.” [15: p54]

Boyd continues: “In the distance (and across the middle of the scene), the abutments and road bridge at Coed-y-Parc marked the boundary of the area, the bridge itself with ornamental railings to the road and a pair of wooden gates beneath it; these were shut to prevent unlawful access to the workshop area at all but working hours. Beyond the bridge might be seen the huddled roofs of the mills and workshops and moving to the left, the row of houses bordering the line to the west, formerly the stables (Tai’r-stablau) for the Railroad but now converted into domestic dwellings. It was a rural setting for this early nineteenth century industrial centre, the wooded Ogwen valley stretching away behind the works until the hills beside it merged with those of Anglesey beyond the waters of the Menai. From no point on the Railway itself was such a view obtainable.” [15: p55]

Boyd’s final words about this particular area of the Quarry: “Coming down-incline into the yard, there was formerly an island platform between the running line where the daily Workmen’s Train terminated: during working days, its stock was shunted into the long shed out of the way. Almost under Coed-y-Parc road bridge the line was single for a few yards, only to branch out beyond and make its way, curving slightly to the right and following a tall wall on the left with other lines alongside.” [15: p55]

The Levels, Galleries and Inclines in the Quarry

The very nature of Penrhyn quarry means that much of the site went though a series of changes as new levels were opened up, waste slate was deposited. There are no definitive maps of the quarry galleries and levels beyond what can be seen on Ordnance Survey maps. Almost inevitably, the descriptions of levels, galleries and inclines below cannot be complete or comprehensive.

Penrhyn featured eight water-balance systems used to raise and lower wagons using tanks of water. The most documented water balance was named Sebastopol (built during the Crimean War), which also lent its name to a gallery/level. Each incline had its own drumhouse. Heritage documentation notes eight incline/drumhouse structures within the quarry. Heritage references for these structures are: 60035, 60036, 60055, 60075, 60076, 60090, 60094, and 60136. [37]

Photographs of typical Welsh slate inclines and of a preserved water-balance system at Penrhyn can be seen here. [33]

Levels and Galleries

Red Lion Level: The main working and dressing mill level where the core processing, sawing, splitting, and dressing took place (home to the 1912 electric dressing mills).

Sebastopol Level: Named after the Sebastopol water balance. [32]

Terraced Galleries: Over 20 distinct benched levels climbed the slopes of Y Fronllwyd, with deep sink operations developing later as the pit expanded.

Penrhyn grew into a vast pit featuring up to 29 working galleries (ponciau). A web of traditional rail inclines connected these massive terraces to the main processing sections. Examples include:

George Gallery: this name was used interchangeably with the Sebastopol Level, it was established in the mid-19th century as the quarry bit deeper into the valley floor. [32]

Inclines

Felin Fawr Incline: We have already encountered this incline which was the primary external incline linking the main quarry processing yard to the mainline railway.

Red Lion Incline: Ascended directly up from the lower yards to the Red Lion Level, which was the main working terrace housing the primary dressing mills and locomotive tracks.

Twlldyndwr to Red Lion Counterbalance Incline: A specific track network connecting the Twlldyndwr Gallery (the second major level where waste slate was historically tipped) down to the Red Lion level. [34]

Red Lion to Twlldyndwr Uphaulage Incline: Used for dragging materials up into the higher tiers. [34]

Vertical Water Balance Shaft Lifts

As the pit was dug deeper into the valley floor, standard sloping inclines became less practical. Penrhyn innovated vertical water balance shafts. This system used water weight filled at the top of a cage to pull heavy wagons up from the lower gallery sinks. Penrhyn operated eight water balance systems.

Sebastopol Water Balance: Constructed during the Crimean War, it sits above the main drainage tunnel adjacent to the Sebastopol Level (historically part of the George Gallery). The Sebastopol lift sat higher up the terrace face than the lower Princess May lift, serving as the middle-tier staging platform. It lifted slate up to the Red Lion Level. [36]

Princess May Water Balance: One of the lower survivors, positioned alongside the Princess May Gallery.

Lord Lift: Serviced the upper tier known as the Lord Gallery.

Lady Lift: Positioned directly beneath the Lord Gallery, servicing the Lady Gallery tier.

This photo shows one of the carriages which conveyed workmen from Red Lion level up an incline to the higher levels. It is sitting at the bottom of one of the inclines, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [6]

On this photograph of the Red Lion level an incline can be seen to the left of centre in the top half of the image. Just to the left of the single storey slate building, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [6]

This image shows another incline running up from Red Lion Level, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [6]

One of the personnel carrying incline cars carrying workers from a higher level to the Red Lion Level in August 1961, © Copyright Ron Fisher and used by kind permission. [28]

Looking down the Red Lion Incline towards Red Lion Level. The top of the Incline is spanned by a bridge carrying one of the lines on Twlldyndwr Level, © Copyright Ron Fisher and used by kind permission. [30]

A view looking down the incline to the Red Lion Level can be seen here. [12]

This photograph looks down into the great excavation which is now (in the 21st century) flooded – one of the diesels can be seen on the bottom level. It looks really small, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [6]

A close view of a quarry face in 1933, © Joan Bowen/Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, can be found here. [12]

A general view of the galleries at Penrhyn Quarry, © Alwyn R. Owens/Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, can be found here. [13]

This photograph shows a fullersite wagon (fullersite was a powder by-product of slate manufacturing used in asphalt for road surfacing and was transported down to the port in sacks carried in this type of wagon), © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [6]

This picture shows a typical wagon used to transport the finished slates to the port, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [6]

This photograph shows a line of slate and fullersite wagons on one the lines leading to the waste tips, © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [6]

This locomotive shown is Penrhyn Quarry Diesel No. 19, a narrow-gauge four-wheeled diesel-mechanical locomotive built by Ruston & Hornsby. Penrhyn Quarry operated a numbered fleet of these rugged little Ruston & Hornsby “class 16/20hp” or “20DL” utility engines to shunt slate wagons around the gallery tracks and workshops. Like most of the quarry’s internal diesel fleet from that era, No. 19 spent its entire working life handling heavy slate trains before the railway operations wound down in the 1960s© Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [7]

sister Ruston & Hornsby locomotive No. 23 © Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick and used by kind permission. [7]

A series of photographs of the diesel fleet which worked at Penrhyn Quarry, © Copyright Michael Bishop can be seen here. [23]

Steam at Penrhyn Quarry

A series of photographs of steam locomotives which worked at Penrhyn Quarry follows below. This does not pretend to be a comprehensive list, rather it illustrates the range of different types of locomotive present on site. … Locomotives included:

De Winton Locomotives: Vertical- and horizontal-boilered 0-4-0 tank engines introduced around 1876 for early steam operations, such as George Henry (built 1877).

Penrhyn Main Line Class (Hunslet): Three iconic 0-4-0 saddle-tank locomotives built between 1882 and 1893: Charles, Linda, and Blanche. Charles was preserved at the Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum, while Linda and Blanche were later transferred to the Ffestiniog Railway.

Penrhyn Port Class (Hunslet): Compact 0-4-0ST engines built in 1883–1885 to handle dock operations at Port Penrhyn, including Gwynedd, Lilian, and Winifred, may have been occasional visitors to the quarry itself.

Other Engines: Hunslet-built Hugh Napier (1904), Kerr Stuart 0-4-2ST engines like Stanhope, and various Andrew Barclay (such as Cegin and Glyder) and Baldwin locomotives acquired over the decades.

Among the locomotives which worked at the quarry were those pictured below.

Vale of Rheidol Railway’s ‘Margaret’ when in use at Penrhyn Quarry, probably before 1950 and possibly on the Red Lion level, © Copyright North Wales Daily Post. The photograph was shared by Peter Blum on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 23rd September 2022. [10]

Margaret, was built by Hunslet in 1894 (Works No. 605). It was supplied to Penrhyn Quarry to work in the quarry galleries. The engine spent its working life in the quarries, until withdrawal from traffic in 1950. Margaret was once thought to be beyond restoration, due to the engines poor condition. The Vale of Rheidol Railway purchased her in 1999. Some restoration had been undertaken prior to this, though it was far short of completion. The locomotive was stripped back to the frames to establish what had already been done, and by 2004 was a rolling chassis. Progress slowed, as maintenance of the running fleet took priority. A new boiler was delivered in 2007. With the completion of the new workshop in 2014, Margaret’s completion moved up the agenda. In September 2015 Margaret was returned to steam for the first time in 65 years, and has the distinction of being the first locomotive to be completed in the new workshop at the Vale of Rheidol Railway where she continues to be based in 2023. [9]

‘Glyder’ on one of the upper levels at Penrhyn Quarry in August 1961. Glyder, an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT of 1931(Works No. 1994) is preserved at Beamish, ©Copyright Ron Fisher and used with his kind permission. [25]

Glyder: Made it’s first appearance at Beamish Museum’s “Old King Coal” event in June 2019 after restoration at that museum. it is an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT (Works No.1994) of 1931. This was the first time that the engine had worked in railway operation since 1965.

Terry Pinneger tells us that “Glyder was built for the Durham County Water Board for use at the extensive Burnhope Reservoir development in Weardale in the early 1930’s, where it was given the uninspiring name “Grey”. At the end of the contract in 1938 it was sold to Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales and renamed “Glyder” (after a range of peaks of the same name in Snowdonia). It spent most of it’s working life in Penrhyn Quarry and, when it was withdrawn in 1965, it was sold and exported to the USA along with several other redundant narrow gauge locomotives. Whilst there, it saw no use at all and remained in storage.” [4]

Glyder was one of a number of Penrhyn Locos that were taken to the USA and their story can be found on the Bala Lake Railway Website. [8]

Glyder returned to the UK in 2012 and was gifted, on long term loan, to Beamish Museum for restoration. Back in operation in the 21st century, the loco carries its Penrhyn Quarry livery.

MARCHLYN and GLYDER at Penrhyn April 1962 by Derek Chaplin - Peter Brabham collection — ‘Marchlyn’ and ‘Glyder’ at Penrhyn Quarry in April 1962, © Copyright Derek Chaplin. This photo is part of the – Peter Brabham collection and included here with his kind permission. [26]

Marchlyn was built by the Avonside Engine Company of Bristol, in 1933 (Works No. 2067), the loco was exported to the United States in 1965. Whilst there it was exhibited at the Winneepesaukah Amusement Park, Chattanooga and was given the name, ‘Choo Choo. It returned to the UK in 2011 and is now based at the Statfold Barn Railway where it has been fully restored.

‘Cegin’ at Penrhyn Quarry in August 1961. Cegin, an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT of 1931 (Works No. 1991) is preserved at the Statfold Barn Railway, ©Copyright Ron Fisher and used with his kind permission. [27]

‘Cegin’ continuing to undertake shunting duties at Penrhyn Quarry in August 1961, ©Copyright Ron Fisher and used with his kind permission. [29]

Cegin is an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT of 1931 (Works No. 1991) and is preserved at the Statfold Barn Railway. It is named after the Afon Cegin beside which the Penrhyn Quarry Railway wanders away from Porth Penrhyn. Cegin’s restoration was completed and it was steamed for the first time in 56 years in 2021 for a test run before its debut in traffic at the Statfold Barn Railway’s Enthusiast Weekend on the 12th & 13th of June 2021. [14]

‘Nesta’ idling in Penrhyn Quarry on 15th April 1952,© Copyright Ken Cribb and used with the kind permission of his son Russ Cribb. [Supplied direct to me by Russ Cribb]

‘Nesta’ in April 1952,© Copyright Ken Cribb and used with the kind permission of his son Russ Cribb. I understand that Ken passed his camera to a colleague so that he could be seen on the footplate. [Supplied direct to me by Russ Cribb]

‘Sybil Mary’ in April 1952, © Copyright Ken Cribb and used with the kind permission of his son Russ Cribb. [Supplied direct to me by Russ Cribb]

‘Gertrude’ in April 1952,© Copyright Ken Cribb and used with the kind permission of his son Russ Cribb. [Supplied direct to me by Russ Cribb]

‘Jubillee 1897’ in April 1952, © Copyright Ken Cribb and used with the kind permission of his son Russ Cribb. [Supplied direct to me by Russ Cribb]

A BBC film of the quarry and its locomotives can be found here. [21]

References

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https://museum.wales/collections/online/object/7bd7fdf4-dd46-3efe-a734-afe9f4182f10/Penrhyn-slate-quarry-photograph/?field0=string&value0=Penrhyn%20quarry&field1=with_images&value1=1&index=2, accessed on 11th October 2026
https://museum.wales/collections/online/object/85510146-8922-307f-9a9c-d7d88ee83d95/Penrhyn-slate-quarry-photograph, accessed on 7th January 2023.
https://museum.wales/collections/online/object/8b9f1bbb-591f-31f0-acb3-6d09adcf9734/Penrhyn-slate-quarry-photograph, accessed on 7th January 2023.
https://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=1602, accessed on 25th January 2023.
J.I.C. Boyd; Narrow Gauge Railways in North Caernarvonshire, Vol.II, The Penrhyn Quarry Railways; The Oakwood Press, Usk, 1985.
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The Penrhyn Quarry Railway – Part 1

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A short history of the line is followed by some information about the locomotives used on the line. This first article then focusses primarily on the horse-powered tramroad which preceded the later Penrhyn Quarry Railway.

Penrhyn is the Welsh word for ‘promontory’.

“The history of Port Penrhyn can be traced back as early as 1713 when it was recorded that 14 shipments totalling 415,000 slates had been sent to Dublin. In 1720, another 8 shipments totalling 155,000 slates were sent to Dublin, two to Drogheda (20,000) and one to Belfast (35,000). Two years later, a shipment of 80,000 slates were sent to Dunkirk. After these few shipments only coastal traffic left from Aber-Cegin (Port Penrhyn) until Richard Pennant took over the ownership of Penrhyn Estates and appointed Benjamin Wyatt in 1786 as agent.” [23]

Porth Penrhyn in the mid- to late- 19th century. [23]

The Penrhyn Railway opened as a tramroad in 1801 which ran from quarries a few miles inland from Bangor in North Wales to the coast at Port Penrhyn. The gauge of the tramroad was 2ft 0.5in. It was constructed by Lord Penrhyn at a cost of around £175,000. [1][2] The alignment was as shown on the map immediately below.

The Penrhyn Railway 1801 to 1878: rendered with Maperitive, text and integration: Pechristener Wales in United Kingdom.svg: TUBS United Kingdom location map.svg: NordNordWest • CC BY 3.0. [1]

It was thought that there was an earlier line which ran between Port Penrhyn and Llandegai. That tramway, if it existed, was constructed in 1798. Its route paralleled that of the northern end of Lord Penrhyn’s tramroad. One theory is that this earlier tramway was operational until 1831. [1] There appear to have been two inclines on the Llandegai Tramway, one close to the port and the other directly adjacent to Llandegai Penlan Mill at Llandegai at the Southern end of that line. Both are shown on the image below.

The Llandegai Tramway: rendered with Maperitive, text and integration: Pechristener Wales in United Kingdom.svg: TUBS United Kingdom location map.svg: NordNordWest • CC BY 3.0. [1]

Research in 2021 suggests that the earlier tramway did not exist. [2]. If it did, it is likely that it was subsumed into the tramroad built by Lord Penrhyn. There is also research, undertaken in 2019, which suggests that a tramway was probably constructed in 1798 in connection with the Penrhyn Mills on the lower Ogwen. [35] My thanks to David Elis-Williams for providing a link to this research by Barrie Lill.

Lill comments that the Penrhyn Mills at Llandegai had a part in the development of the tramway/tramroad which eventually served the Penhryn Quarry: “The mill had what David Gwyn believes to be part of the first iron-railed overland edge railway of any length in the world, and the first iron edge railway built for the mass movement of stone. However, whereas James Boyd conjectures that originally the Penlan railway only extended from Port Penrhyn to the mill at Llandegai, pre-dated the Penrhyn Quarry Railway by three years, and was only later extended to the Quarry, [36] Gwyn does not agree. Instead he believes that the Penlan line merely was an off-shoot from the Quarry Railway. [37] At present there is no available evidence to confirm either theory, although there is a belief that prior to publishing his book on the Penrhyn Quarry Railways, Boyd had obtained supporting documents which no longer are publicly available. Irrespective of the above it seems unlikely that the mill would have opened without an adequate transportation system such as some simple form of tramway being in place, and in this scenario it is likely that the problems encountered with the working of this system are what prompted Wyatt to adapt the system and introduce the iron-railed edge railway to which David Gwyn refers.” [35]

Lord Penrhyn was persuaded by William Jessop to build the tramroad. “Jessop and his partner Benjamin Outram were then constructing the Little Eaton Gangway in Derbyshire. Samuel Wyatt was also involved in the construction of the gangway, and his brother Benjamin was the Penrhyn estate manager.” [1][2]

“Benjamin Wyatt was put in charge of building the tramway. Construction started on 2 September 1800, with the first slate train travelling on 25 June 1801. … The track used oval rails designed by Benjamin Wyatt, and their quoted gauge of 2 ft 1⁄2 in (622 mm) was measured between the centres of the rails. The railroad was operated by horse power along with gravity and three balanced inclines – “Port” (sometimes called “Marchogion”), “Dinas” north east of Tregarth and “Cilgeraint” a short distance north of Coed-y-Parc workshops in Bethesda. The longest was 220 yards (200 m).” [1]

Before the tramroad was constructed, slate was transported to the port by horses along mountain paths. After the tramroad was brought into service the local costs of transport fell from 4 shillings/ton to 1 shilling/ton. [1][4: p42-43]

In 1832, “Wyatt’s oval rails were replaced with more conventional … rails. The gauge of this new track was 1ft 10.3⁄4in (578 mm), measured between the inner edges of the rails – the conventional way of measuring track gauge.” [1][3]

In 1876 the tramroad was “rebuilt on a new course with steel rails laid on wooden sleepers. Steam locomotives were introduced, supplied by De Winton & Co. Engineers of Caernarvon.” [5]

Thomas Middlemass tells us that De Winton supplied ten locomotives to the line. “Seven were to be used at the quarries, three were to work the ‘main line’ to the coast, and all* were vertical-boilered 0-4-0 tanks.” [6: p16] They had two cylinders secured below the running plate with direct drive to one axle. The total weight varied between 4 and 5 tons. [7]

* … It appears that Middlemass has overlooked the fact that 3 of the 10 locomotives were fitted with horizontal boilers and were 0-4-0ST locos. They were named ‘Edward Sholto’, ‘Hilda’ and ‘Violet’, and were supplied in 1876, 1878 and 1879 respectively. [34]

Between 1882 and 1909 the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds supplied sixteen four-wheeled locomotives for use in the quarry and on the line to Port Penrhyn.” [5]

One surviving Penrhyn locomotive is 0-4-0 vertical-boiler tank engine “George Henry,” which was built in 1877 and still looks good 140 years later at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn, Wales.

‘George Henry’: a vertical-boilered 0-4-0 locomotive now on display in the Narrow Gauge Museum at Tywyn, Wales once played it’s trade in the Penrhyn Quarries. Both pictures © rlkitterman. [7]

The new route to suit steam-power obviated the need for the inclined planes, maintaining the easiest possible gradients. “Between coast and quarry it rose 550 feet, and, allowing for a stretch of 1/4 mile at 1 in 37 and 3 miles at 1 in 40, the average gradient emerged as 1 in 91. Flat bottomed rails were laid at first, but these were replaced in 1894 by the 50 lb bullhead variety.” [6: p15-16]

The new route of the Penrhyn Railway which opened in 1879: rendered with Maperitive, text and integration: Pechristener Wales in United Kingdom.svg: TUBS United Kingdom location map.svg: NordNordWest • CC BY 3.0. [1]

“The first locomotives used on the new railway were three De Winton’s. … Although successful, these locomotives were not powerful enough for the substantial traffic that passed down the line.” [1]

In 1882 the railway ordered ‘Charles’, a large 0-4-0ST from Hunslet. Charles proved very successful and was followed by ‘Blanche’ and ‘Linda’ in 1893 to the same basic design. These locomotives were the mainstay of the railway for the rest of its life.

In 1882 Penrhyn switched to more conventional locomotion, ordering “‘Charles’, a large 0-4-0ST from Hunslet. Charles proved very successful and was followed by ‘Blanche’ and ‘Linda’ in 1893 to the same basic design. These locomotives were the mainstay of the railway for the rest of its life.” [1]

“Between then and 1909 a positive spate of tank locos flowed, new, from Hunslet Engine Co. All were 0-4-0 saddle tanks, with weight and power variations introduced to meet specific Penrhyn requirements. Three were designed to work the ‘main line’, three were employed shunting at Port Penrhyn. Four of the smallest were confined to quarry work, and these were supplemented a few years later when six larger tanks arrived. As it happened, the latter were the last new purchases by Penrhyn.” [6: p16]

Among the Hunslet locomotives were the Penrhyn Port Class of three locomotives “built for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway (PQR). These locomotives were built by the Hunslet Engine Company between 1883 and 1885 and supplied specifically to work at Port Penrhyn near Bangor, North Wales. They were a variant of the standard Dinorwic Alice Class design.” [8]

Quarry Hunslet Lilian (No. 317, 1883) at the Launceston Steam Railway (June 2010) ©FritzG This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license – CC BY-SA 3.0.

“The Penrhyn Main Line class was a class of three narrow gauge steam locomotives built for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway (PQR). These locomotives were built by the Hunslet Engine Company between 1882 and 1893 and supplied specifically to work the railway that connected the Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda in north Wales to Port Penrhyn on the Menai Strait.” [9]

“All three locomotives were preserved after the closure of the PQR. Charles was donated to the Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum. Linda was loaned to the nearby Ffestiniog Railway in July 1962. For the 1963 season the locomotive was re-gauged to the Ffestiniog’s 1 ft 11.5 in (597 mm) and purchased, along with Blanche at the end of the year. Both have since received extensive modifications including tenders, pony trucks and superheating.” [9]

Ex-Penrhyn Ffestinog Railway 0-4-0 saddle-tank Linda at Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station (2004) ©Thryduulf This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license – CC BY-SA 4.0.

The post-First World War years brought such economic instability that second-hand locos were not hard to find. Penrhyn bought 15 such from 1922 onwards. [5]

In 1923, three ex-US Army Baldwin 2-6-2Ts were also imported for ‘main line’ use, but, as happened elsewhere in Britain, they were never popular, and their working life was short.

The railway was private, providing no public service for either goods or passengers. Quarrymen’s trains were run, paid for by the quarrymen themselves.” [5]

“Today Porth Penrhyn in Bangor still serves the Penrhyn Quarry at Bethesda. Although today slate production and exports are not at 19th century levels it continues to be a key part of the business of slate. Exports of crushed slate (aggregate) by Penrhyn Quarry, through Porth Penrhyn currently to Rotterdam, or ports along the south coast of England, have grown to become a significant proportion of Welsh Slate sales in addition to several containers of roofing slates being shipped every month to Australia alone (taking approximately 45 days).” [23]

“Welsh slate is now covering the roofs of buildings as prestigious as the New South Wales Supreme Court and historic as Unwin’s Stores, both in Sydney Australia, as well as the Arts Centre in earthquake-hit Christchurch, New Zealand 2012. Europe also is a prime destination for Welsh slate with shipments of slate and decorative aggregate within Europe continuing to grow and evolve in particular.” [23]

All rail connections to the quarry disappeared in the mid-20th century under competition from road transport

The Post-1879 Route of the Railway

We start at the North end of the old railway at Porth Penrhyn. Porth Penrhyn) is a harbour located just east of Bangor in north Wales at the confluence of the River Cegin with the Menai Strait.

We follow the route on the Ordnance Survey 6″ Maps from around the turn of the 20th century as supplied by the National Library of Scotland (NLS). [10]

The railway layout at Porth Penrhyn on the 6″ OS Maps from around the turn of the 20th century. [11]

Approximately the same area as shown on the OS Map above, this time on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the NLS [11]

This photograph was taken from a point Northeast of University College (shown on the 6″OS map extract above. [21]

Linda departing with a train of empties from Porth Penrhyn in September 1961. The standard-gauge line is on the right, © Jim Fraser. [16]

A little further North, this picture shows a Standard Class 2MT (41200) on the standard-gauge and two narrow-gauge locomotives. The one almost hidden by the 2MT is a Ruston Diesel locomotive
(ex-works May 1953, no. 383820). It is a 40HP, Ruston 0-4-0 with 3VRH diesel engine. The narrow-gauge steam locomotive is ‘Blanche’, © Eric Foulkes. [17]

The view looking South from the port area at Porth Penrhyn along the line of the old railway which is now the Sustrans Cycle Route No. 82. [Google Streetview, 2015]

The view looking South from the road bridge at Porth Penrhyn along the line of the old railway which is now the Sustrans Cycle Route No. 82. [Google Streetview, 2022]

The view looking South along the line of the old railway from about 100metres South of the road bridge, © Ian S and licenced for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0) [12]

The railway layout Southeast of Cegin Pool on the 6″ OS Maps from around the turn of the 20th century. [15]

The same area as shown on the OS 6″ Map above. The alignment of the old tramroad is illustrated by the red line. The newer railway is shown light-blue. Parallel and immediately adjacent to the East of the Penrhyn Quarry Railway was the standard-gauge LNWR line. The two lines began to separate to the Southwest of the A5 road. [15]

The Old Railway Bridge close to Cegin Pool: Originally carried the Standard-Gauge Branch and Penrhyn Quarry lines to Port Penrhyn. Now a footpath/cycle path. In the foreground is part of the earlier bridge carrying the horse tramway from Penrhyn Quarry, © Copyright Chris Andrews and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) [13]

Cegin viaduct: A view from the cycle track of the viaduct crossing the Afon Cegin just on the Southeast side of Cegin Pool, on the original line of the Penrhyn Quarry Railway. This view is taken from the Southern end of the viaduct. The re-engineered line took a more gently inclined route that avoided the rope-hauled incline just to the south. The abutments of the more recent bridge are much wider than the modern path because it carried the parallel tracks of both narrow gauge and standard gauge lines to Port Penrhyn, © Copyright Jonathan Wilkins and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) [14]

Two further photographs at this location. The views were taken in 2015 after refurbishment work, © Daniel Richard Goodman. [22]

My sketch of the Tramroad route and its two bridges over the Afon Cegin based on a drawing in James Boyd’s book. The old main road crossed the Cegin at the same location as the tramroad. [36]

The old Tramroad Arch Bridge over the Afon Cegin to the South of the bridges above. The picture is taken from the later bridge which carried the two railways. Just to the right of this image was the bottom of the tramroad incline, © Ian S and licenced for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0) [20]

Looking Southwest towards the modern Llandudno Road (A5) bridge spanning the cycleway which follows the route of the old Railway. At this point the old Railway alignment is also part of the Coastal Path, © Copyright Ian S and licenced for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0) [16]

The same location on the A5 London to Holyhead road as it appeared prior to the construction of the modern bridge, when both the standard-gauge line and the quarry railway were still in place. The photograph comes from the Railway Magazine of October 1961, © J.M. Dunn.

This picture was taken in late 1963. The Penrhyn Quarry Railway bridge looking North, also at Maesgierchen. The standard-gauge line is out of sight to the right above the line, the Afon Cegin to the left below the line. A year later the rails had gone to the Ffestiniog Railway and the whole embankment was destroyed and rebuilt as part of a road-widening scheme, © M. Costello (courtesy of the Ffestioniog Railway Archives (where it is mislabelled as a photograph of the Welsh Highland Railway trackbed). [18]

The routes of three railways can be seen on this extract from the 6″ OS Maps from around the turn of the 20th century. It shows the area South of the A5 road bridge referred to above. On the right of the image, running South from the Incline Cottage at the top of the extract, field boundaries define the alignment of the old Tramroad. To the West of the A5, which runs down the centre of the extract, are two lines which were in use when the survey was undertaken. Running closest to the A5 is the be LNWR standard-gauge branch. The narrow-gauge Penrhyn Quarry Railway is to the West of the standard-gauge line and follows the East bank of the Afon Cegin. [19]

The same area as shown on the OS 6″ Map above. The alignment of the old tramroad is illustrated by the red line. The newer narrow-gauge railway is shown light-blue. Parallel and immediately adjacent to the East of the Penrhyn Quarry Railway was the standard-gauge LNWR line. The two lines began to separate to the Southwest of the A5 road. The approximate alignment of the standard-gauge line is shown in purple. The A5 runs down the centre of the image. [19]

The approximate location where the old tramroad crossed the line of the modern A5. The A5 is, here, viewed from the South looking toward Bangor. [Google Streetview, 2022]

Before the future A5 was developed as a turnpike in 1820, the tramroad ran within the width of the old highway from this point for a few hundred yards. When the turnpike was created, the road level was lifted and the tramroad crossed beneath the renewed highway and ran along the Southwestern side. The sketch below shows this.

The old tramroad which was operational until 1879 was diverted to accommodate the construction of the turnpike. We start following the route of that old Tramroad. This sketch is based on a drawing in James Boyd’s book. [36: p11] He refers to the diversion in the text of the book as well.[36:p22]

In this extract from the 6″ Ordnance Survey from around the turn of the 20th century, the short standard-gauge branch meets the mainline. The route of the old tramroad has now crossed the A5. The Penrhyn Quarry Railway only appears fleetingly in the top left corner if the map extract. [24]

The same area as shown in the 6″ OS map above, as recorded on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the NLS. The colour coding remains the same as in previous satellite images. [24]

A. The old tramroad

Beyond this point, we first follow the line of the old Tramroad to Penrhyn Quarries. …..

This next extract from the 6″ Ordnance Survey shows the route of the old tramway flanked by walls and passing in front of the Grand Lodge of Penrhyn Castle at Llandegai. [25]

The same area now shown on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the NLS. The lodge can be made out just to the Northeast of the red line which shows the approximate route of the old tramway crossing the roundabout on the A5 at Llandegai. [25]

The approximate route of the old tramway is marked on this picture, as before, with a red line. The photograph is taken from the roundabout on the A5 at the entrance to Llandegai Industrial Estate which is in the top left of the satellite image above. The line ran just a few metres to the Southwest of what is now the A5. [Google Streetview]

The approximate line of the old tramway runs across the next roundabout on the A5 before curving round to the South. [Google Streetview]

Looking along the line of the old Tramroad from the modern roundabout, with the A5 heading South on the right. [Google Streetview]

This is a repeat of the sketch shown earlier which is based on a drawing from James Boyd’s book. [36: p11] After being diverted from its original route, the tramroad ran on the Southern side of the highway before turning away to the South. The Smithy shown in the sketch appears on the 6″ map extract below. Just to the North of the Smithy there was a branch from the old tramroad which served the bottom of the Llandegai Incline which connected the Upper Penrhyn Mill to the tramroad. There were two level crossings at this location, one of which became an over ridge when the turnpike was built in 1820.

The route of the old tramway continues on this next extract from the 6″ Ordnance Survey. At the top of the extract it is just to the left (West) of the Smithy. It crosses the standard-gauge line which is in tunnel at this point the Llandegai Tunnel). Further the south the formation, at the time of the survey was being used as an accommodation road to access ‘Bryn’ and then even further South, it was being used as a footpath. [26]

This is an extract from ‘RailMapOnline’ which shows the route of the old railway plotted on modern satellite imagery. The purple line close to the top of the image is the line of the Llandegai Tunnel on the standard-gauge mainline. [27]

Just to the South of the underground route of the standard-gauge mainline (Llandegai Tunnel), the old tramroad alignment crosses the access road to the A5 and runs South along the accommodation road visible to the left of the road in this image. [Google Streetview]

The old tramroad route followed this lane South. [Google Streetview]

At the end of the lane, a footpath can be seen running South. The hedge ahead in this image partially blocks the route but allows pedestrian access. [Google Streetview]

The route of the old tramroad and the later footpath remain on the same alignment as far as the top corner of the woods shown in this map extract. From that point southwards the Tramroad route crossed the fields in a Southeasterly direction. [28]

The same area as shown on the 6″ Ordnance Survey extract above. The North Wales Expressway is the notable modern addition to the image [27]

The obvious features on this next extract from the 6″ Ordnance Survey which mark the line of the tramroad are the walls to the rear (West) of the cottages at Tyddyn-Iolyn. South of these properties the tramroad ran alongside the road for a very short distance. After which it curved away to the Southwest before curving back towards the Southeast to a point to the South of Llan-isaf Cottage. [29]

The route described in the notes to the 6″ map extract immediately above are illustrated on this satellite image. [27]

Facing South along the lane to the South of Tyddyn-Iolyn, showing the approximate line of the old tramroad in red. [Google Streetview]

Looking back to the North along the lane to Tyddyn-Iolyn showing the point at which the old tramroad crossed the line of the lane. To the East of this point the Tramroad turned to the South and then to the West. [Google Streetview]

The walled route of the Tramroad can still easily be picked out on the 6″ Ordnance Survey. After a short distance travelling in an West to East direction and before reaching the banks of the Afon Ogwen at a point to the North of Tyddyn-Dicwn it turned once again towards the South. [30]

On the modern satellite imagery from RailMapOnline, the tramroad route appears to be within the width of the modern A5. There are signs that the actual formation of the old tramroad runs through the woodland to the South of the A5. Boyd shows this diversion on his map of the route. [36: p11] Its route can be picked out some metres to the South of the A5 but then rather than following a curving hedge line to the North and the East of Tyddyn-Dicwn at the bottom right of this satellite image. It continued towards the road junction, crossing the Southbound road just to the South of the junction. [27]

The probable route of the old tramroad at the point where it crossed the road South towards Tregarth. From this point it travelled South between the road and the Afon Ogwen for a few hundred yards. [Google Streetview]

The route of the old tramroad can again be picked out easily on the West Bank of the Ogwen passing an old quarry and then running immediately adjacent to Pen-isa’r-allt and on to meet Lon Ddinas. [31]

RailMapOnline shows the tramroad crossing fields to the South of Lon Ddinas to join the route of the later Penrhyn Quarry Railway. This extract shows that route. Looking at the gradients involved and the 6″Ordnance Survey, it seems possible that this was the case only if an incline was used. There is no evidence of this on the ground. It seems more likely that Lon Ddinas runs along the line of the old Tramroad and may well, in times past have shared the same formation. The gradient along Lon Ddinas would have been much more suitable. However, records indicate that there was an incline at this location – known as the Ddinas Incline. [27]

The lane which can easily be confused with the route of the old tramway is clearer on the 6″ Ordnance Survey. However, the Ddinas Incline followed the present field boundaries from close to Ddinas Farm up the relatively steep escarpment to meet the later Penrhyn Quarry Railway route. [32]

“The Ddinas Incline was one of three gravity-worked inclines on the original line of the Penrhyn Railway, built 1800-1801 to transport slate from the Penrhyn quarries to Port Penrhyn. … About half-way up the incline was an overbridge carrying a minor road, now widened and straightened at this point. To the north a cutting can still be seen, but the lower part of the incline has been destroyed by construction of a sewage works. To the south the line is visible as a terrace in the field. A ruined wall constructed of large roughly squared stone blocks near the top of the incline may be a surviving fragment of the winding house.” [33]
W J Crompton, RCAHMW, 5 November 2009.

From this point on, the old Tramroad and Penrhyn Quarry Railway followed approximately the same route. The second article about these lines will follow the Penrhyn Quarry Railway to this point at Tregarth.