Llechwedd Slate Caverns

In a nutshell

Gauge:         1' 11½"

Length:       800m (Tramway) 500' descent plus half mile walk (Deep Mine)

Opened:      1846 (Original quarry) 1972 (Miners' Tramway) 1979 (Deep Mine)

Location: 

Llechwedd Slate Caverns
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Gwynedd LL41 3NB

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 Tel.:   01766 830306
Web:   http://www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk/index.php

Email. bookings@llechwedd.co.uk

 

Date of visit: 20 February 2013

 

Key Facts

• The Llechwedd slate quarry was opened in 1846 by John Greaves. He later became the treasurer and eventually chairman of the Festiniog Railway.
• At its peak, the quarry had 513 employees and produced 23,788 tons of finished slate per year (1884)
• In 1890 the quarry machinery was converted to electrical power with the quarry's own hydro-electric generating station.
• In its heyday, slate was mined by hollowing out large galleries. A team of four men was responsible for extracting and finishing the slate from each gallery. Some galleries were up to 250' from floor to ceiling.
• Blocks of slate were transported from the galleries to the finishing sheds along horse-drawn tramways.
• Slate is still being extracted on the site by open-cast quarrying from the surface.
• The caverns now include two separate visitor attractions - the Miners' Tramway which uses a battery powered locomotive to haul visitors through a tunnel with two stops in galleries for illustrated talks - and the Deep Mine which involves descent via an incline with a guided walk through a series of galleries, some of which are now flooded.

 

My Impressions

I coincided this visit with a trip on the Ffestiniog Railway and only had time on this occasion to travel on the Miners' Tramway. I will return at some time in the future to complete the visit by touring the Deep Mine.

As this was only a flying visit, I did not have time to sample the delights of the cafe though I did spend a while exploring the shop, which provides a selection of slate-related memorabilia and some literature relating to slate quarrying and the local community. At this time of the year, tours depart at half hourly intervals and so, after a short wait, our train reversed into the station and we boarded the coach for our trip into the mine.

I took my seat in the last carriage which gave me a view through the other coaches as the train wound its way through the twisting tunnels.

After passing a few floodlit galleries and side tunnels we stopped at the entrance to a gallery where we alighted and our guide explained the Victorian working practices for extracting slate.

We hopped aboard the train once more and wound our way through to another two galleries where we were entertained with an audio visual presentation of working practices and a further live talk, explaining some of the health and safety issues associated with life in the mines.

Meanwhile, our train had turned round via a reversing triangle and we resumed our seats for the return ride. We were then given a demonstration of slate-splitting in the finishing shed.................

............ before my fellow-passengers made their way to the Deep Mine. I will have to save this part of the tour for my next visit as we needed to travel back to Cheshire for an appointment.

The slate caverns are certainly impressive and if you have not already seen them, they are well worth a visit. The opportunity to see first-hand this reconstruction of an important part of North Wales' industrial heritage is both enlightening and salutary. The last time I visited the Caverns was 26 years ago when I accompanied a school party on a visit. It was reassuring to see that this tour was very much as it was then. It would seem that the winning formula from the early days of this visitor attraction has been retained. I am looking forward to my next visit when I will be able to relive my experiences in the Deep Mine.

Video

[In preparation]

Llanberis Lake Railway

In a nutshell

Gauge:         1' 11 ½"

Length:  2.5 miles (4 km)

Opened: 1824 (horsedrawn) - 1842 (steam hauled) - 1971 (Heritage Railway)

Location:

Rheilffordd Llyn Padarn
Gilfach Ddu,
Llanberis,
Caernarfon,
Gwynedd.
LL55 4TY 

Tel: 01286 870549 

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Web:   http://www.lake-railway.co.uk/index.php/en/

Email. info@lake-railway.co.uk

 

Date of visit: 11 August 2012

 

Key Facts

• The route for the present day railway partly follows that of the 4' gauge Padarn railway which connected the Dinorwic Slate Quarries at Llanberis with Port Dinorwic on the Menai Straits.
• The 2'(ish) narrow gauge wagons were loaded side by side on Padarn Railway transporter wagons
•  One of the original 4' gauge locomotives, Fire Queen, is preserved in the museum at Penrhyn Castle
• The slate quarries at Llanberis used a large number of 1' 10¾" gauge steam locomotives to haul slate wagons at different levels in the quarry. Two of the former Hunslet quarry locomotives now haul the trains on the Llanberis Lake Railway and one of the Hunlset locomotives on the line was used at Port Dinorwic
• The actual gauge of 1' 10¾" was determined after measuring 2' between the centres of each rail rather than the edges
• Other former Dinorwic quarry locomotives have been preserved and now run on the Bala Lake Railway and the Statfold Barn Railway
• The former workings for the slate quarries at Gilfach Ddu, Llanberis are now the Welsh National Slate Museum which houses the largest working water wheel in mainland Britain

 

Route

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors/http://openstreetmap.org / CC-BY-SA-3.0

My Impressions

 Although we could have boarded the train at Llanberis Station we decided to explore the area around Gilfach Ddu where there is much to see, including the National Slate Museum (free admission).......

the quarries with their several walks and trails........

 ....... and the former hospital for the quarries which give some indication of the dangerous working conditions for the quarrymen.

We bought our tickets in the station building, which houses a small souvenir shop and a café ......

..... and awaited the arrival of our train, which on this occasion was hauled by former quarry Hunslet, Thomas Bach.

After taking on water and refuelling, we departed for Llanberis Station, where Thomas Bach ran around the train.........

 ....... before departing back down the line, this time passing through Gilfach Ddu without stopping. As we clicked and clacked our way beside the lake we had some fine views of the Snowdon Range, the summit of which was shrouded in cloud

...... before reaching the end of the line at Penllyn,  where the loco once more ran round its train.

At about the midway point on our return journey we paused for ten minutes at Cei Lledan station........

........ where we were passed by one of the line's other former quarry Hunslet locomotives, Dolbadarn. which formerly worked on the quayside at Port Dinowrwic.

On reaching Gilfach Ddu we alighted, though we could have stayed aboard to reach the terminus at Llanberis.

Certainly, for a day out, Llanberis has much to offer for all members of the family. On the train journey we shared our carriage with a young family and in a strong Liverpudlian accent one othe children said, "Llanberis is the best place in the whole world!" and somehow, I couldn't disagree with him.

Video

Penrhyn Quarry Railway

In a nutshell

Gauge:    1' 10¾"

Length:  Less than a mile (at present), potentially 6 miles

Opened: 1801 (horsedrawn) - 1876 (steam introduced)

Location: 

Penrhyn Quarry Railway
Felin Fawr Cyf,
Felin Fawr Works,
Bethesda, Bangor,
Gwynedd.
LL57 4YY

View Penrhyn Quarry Railway in a larger map
 

Web:   http://www.amutek.co.uk/penrhyn/railway.htm

Email. admin@penrhynrailway.co.uk

 

Date of visit: 8 August 2012 (preliminary visit)

 

Key Facts

• The railway was constructed to carry slate from the quarries at Bethesda to Port Penrhyn on the shore of the Menai Straits six miles away
• Initially, the railway was horsedrawn, with three gravity inclines, but the route was amended and steam locomotives introduced in 1876
• The railway closed in 1962.
• Two former Penrhyn locomotives - Blanche and Linda - are presently owned by the Ffestiniog Railway. Other Penrhyn locos are preserved at other sites around the UK including Bressingham Steam & Gardens in Norfolk
• There are more exhibits and information about the railway at Penrhyn Castle in Bangor, the former residence of Lord Penrhyn who was responsible for the quarry and the railway

 

Route

The line extends from the yard at Felin Fawr Works (the former workshops for the railway) to St Anne's, approximately half a mile down the original route of the railway.

 

My Impressions

 There was no one in evidence when we visited the railway - but we did arrive unannounced. The workshops for the railway are situated in the Felin Fawr Works, in the shadow of the quarry tips. These were the workshops for the quarry railway when the line was in its heyday.

It is clear that the workshops are preparing for more extensive operation in the not too distant future.....

 ...... while at the rear of the workshop track has been laid on the former trackbed of the railway.

Image: Penryhn Quarry Railway - http://amutek.co.uk/penrhynrailway/

 The Official Opening of the railway was held on 24th July 2012, exactly 50 years since the line closed. The former Penrhyn Quarry locomotive, George Sholto, made a special return visit from its present home in Bressingham Steam & Gardens to mark the occasion.

This first visit was a preliminary reconnoitre to find the exact location of the railway and check developments. A further visit will be made when the railway has its next Open Day.