Morwellham Quay - Copper Mine Tramway

In a nutshell

Gauge:         2'

Length:       Approx ¾ mile overall

Opened:     Originally mid 19th century
                   Visitor tramway - early 1970s

Location:   

Morwellham Quay
Morwellham
Tavistock
Devon
PL19 8JL
United Kingdom

Web:       admin@morwellhamquay.org 
                https://www.morwellham-quay.co.uk/

Email:     https://www.morwellham-quay.co.uk/index.php?route=information/contact
Tel.:        01822 832766 

 

Date of visit:     9 June 2015

 

Key Facts

• Morwellham Quay was established in at least 1105 and remained important as a harbour well into the 19th century when it became the biggest exporter of copper in the British Empire with vessels of up to 300 tonnes using the quays.
• The George and Charlotte copper mine through which the railway runs was opened in 1718 when it was known as the Providence Mine.  The George and Charlotte Mine is first mentioned in documentary sources from 1775.
• The tramway runs 460 metres into the Deep Adit of the mine and passed an underground waterwheel which was used to pump water out of the lower levels of the mine 350 feet below.
• In addition to copper and arsenic, the mine yielded a number of rare minerals including the largest known crystals of childrenite in the world.
• Between 1862 and 1867 the mine reached its peak production, but it closed in 1868. It was reopened from 1869 to 1871. 
• In the early 1970s, a new access to Footway Shaft was created to allow the narrow gauge tramway to be constructed. The railway travels for over 480 metres into the mine.
• The railway follows the entrance to Deep Adit, just above the River Tamar, and extends past Whim Shaft, an internal shaft, the bottom of Crosscourse Shaft, and past Ley's Shaft towards Downs Shaft.
• This adit was the main water drain for the mine and also the principal means of access for materials.
• The adit roof is approximately 2 metres high and 1.8 metres wide. 
• In 1985/86 the 'New Quay Drive' railway tunnel excavation (through virgin rock) connected the side of Deep Adit (at a point approximately 200 metres from the portal) to a new railway tunnel portal, via Engine Shaft thereby making a balloon loop for the railway.
• The railway uses battery powered locomotives and specially built 'carriages' for the visitors.

Route

 

My Impressions

After parking and making my way through the ticket office and shop for the Morwellham Quay site, I made my way down towards the quays and the main exhibits

The site itself looked very interesting but I was anxious to make my way directly to the Mine Tramway as I heard it can become very busy at peak times. After passing through the main village, I headed upwards behind the white buildings on the right to the Mine Tramway station.

A small queue was forming and we had to wait as a party of French schoolchildren were pre-booked on to first train.

Before long another train pulled into the station ......

.... and before boarding there was a brief opportunity to admire the one of the BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) which would be our motive power for the journey underground.

We were ushered aboard the passenger coaches and given safety instructions. I managed to secure a place directly behind the loco - an advantage of getting there promptly and waiting .....

....... and before long we were off. The first quarter of a mile or so of track took us alongside the River Tamar which we glimpsed from time to time through the trees and bushes which lined the railway ......

..... and then we reached the entrance to the mine itself - which looked quite unprepossessing and utilitarian.

 The train wound its way through various galleries and tunnels where clearances were quite tight - which explains the cage-like structure surrounding each carriage.

At intervals we stopped and our driver informed us about the history and working practices in the mine.

 The conditions were harsh and much of the work was done by hand. It seems hard to believe that, at one point, this mine and those surrounding it were the most productive in the whole of the British Empire.

After negotiating a few more twists and turns, we came to what was, for me, the highlight of the tour .... the underground waterwheel.

Not easy to photograph through the grille of the carriage roof, the waterwheel, which has been restored to working-order, was used to pump water from the lower chambers of the mine, which extended up to 350 feet below us.

We then set forth one more ........

..... until, ultimately, daylight was seen once more.

We emerged into outside world and made our way to a run round loop, ........

..... which gave us some tantalising glimpses of yet more industrial archaeological sites beside the river.

The loco ran around its train ......

 ..... and we then made our way back up the valley ....

.....  passing en route, the entrance to the mine which we used previously.

We now retraced our tracks .....

...... before arriving at the station once more.

 There was time to watch the loco run round its train .....

..... before it made ready for the next batch of visitors.

There was time for me to visit a few more of the exhibits .....

.... including the house which had been used for the filming of the TV documentary about the Edwardian Farm.

I was very impressed with the mine tramway. It afforded us with the opportunity to venture into the workings of a real copper mine and gain some idea of the sorts of conditions in which this important ore was extracted during the Victorian era.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit - not only to the railway - but also to the whole site - and the corned beef hash which I enjoyed in the café
was also something to savour.

Video

Southport Pier Tramway

In a nutshell

Gauge:         3' 6"

Length:       3600 feet (1100m)

Opened:      1863 - 3' 6" gauge
                     1950 - 1' 11½" gauge
                     2005 - 3' 6" gauge

Location:    

Southport Pier
Promenade
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 1QX

View Narrow Gauge Railways in a larger map

Web:       http://www.visitsouthport.com/things-to-do/southport-pier-tram-p100983

Date of visit:     22 September 2013

 

Key Facts

• When it was built in 1860, the pier at Southport was the longest pier of iron construction in the world. It was soon overtaken by its rival, the pier at Southend but remains the second longest in the country.
• The first tramway on Southport Pier was opened in 1863 and was used for carrying baggage for passengers arriving by steamer. Initially it was unpowered but in 1865 it was operated by a cable powered by a steam engine.
• The railway was electrified in 1905.
• The rolling stock was replaced in 1936 when it was taken over by Southport Corporation
• The pier was closed during the second world war but although the pier reopened whan the war ended, the tramway was not reopened until 1950 to a gauge of 1' 11½"with a diesel powered train built by Harry Barlow who also built stock for the adjacent Lakeside Miniature Railway
• For safety reasons the pier closed in 1998. It was rebuilt and re-opened in 2002. The present tram first ran in 2005.
• The tramcar was built by UK Loco Co, is battery powered and can carry 74 passengers at half hourly intervals.

Route

The tram runs the length of the pier with no intermediate stops

My Impressions

Having spent some time studying and riding on the adjacent 15" gauge Lakeside Miniature Railway, I took time out to explore the pier tramway.

After boarding the tram at the landward end of the pier

I settled into a seat near the front of the two-car articulated tram.

Sedately, the battery-powered tram made its way up the track laid along the centre of the pier to the end of the pier around 2/3mile distant. As the tram is fairly quiet, it has a constant low-powered beeper to alert pedestrians, with a louder horn for those whose minds are elsewhere.

The journey takes around ten minutes and the tram runs at half hourly intervals and so it waits eat each end for around twenty minutes.

Walking back along the pier, the construction looks quite spindly - but as this Grade II listed structure has been here for over 100 years, the design has clearly stood the test of time.

The tram then made its stately way back along the pier ........

 

...... with the final part of the pier spanning the Marine Lake.

I was intrigued as to where the tram is housed, there being no pointwork and no shelter evident along the length of the pier. The rails come to an abrupt stop at the end of the pier, so it can only be assumed that the tram is run on to a transporter when it needs to be taken off for maintenance or repair.

The tram runs throughout the year (weather permitting) and the fare is quite modest. There is plenty of parking nearby (though this varies in price from free (for two hours) to £5.00 for the whole day. There are plenty of refreshment outlets nearby, including a cafe at the end of the pier.

Video

[In preparation] 

Bridgnorth Castle Hill Railway

In a nutshell

Gauge:        3' 8 ½"

Length:  201 ft - vertical rise 111ft - incline 33° (steepest in England)

Opened:  7th July 1892

Location:

Bridgnorth Castle Hill Railway Company Ltd,
6A Castle Terrace,
Bridgnorth,
Shropshire,
WV16 4AH

View Narrow Gauge Railways in a larger map

Web:   http://www.bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk/index.html

Email. Office@bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk

 

Date of visit: 4 September 2012

 

Key Facts

• The railway is a true funicular - the cars are raised and lowered by steel ropes - as one car is lowered, the other car is raised.
• The railway was originally water-powered. A 2000 gallon tank in each car was filled at the top and the weight of water counterbalanced the weight of the other car. When the car reached the bottom of the line the water was emptied from the tank and pumped back up to the top.
• The hydraulic system was replaced with electric motors in 1943 - the same as those used in mining to raise and lower the cages
• An emergency braking system comes into play if the speed of any cars increases beyond that expected. If, for example, a cable breaks, the automatic system will grip the rails to prevent the car from descending.
• The steel cables controlling the ascent and descent of the cars are 26mm in diameter and are checked every 6 months for wear and are replaced every 5-7 years
• The braking system is operated by compressed air

 

Route

Source: http://www.bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk/location.html

 

My Impressions

 The cliff railway was clearly visible when we approached Bridgnorth across the river bridge from the Low Town.

 After finding a parking place in the High Town, we made our way to the upper station of the railway.

We were tempted by the tea room but resisted and, after having paid our return fares, we boarded the next available car, passing as we did so the control station.

The car is quite comfortable with slatted wooden seating and panoramic views across the river to the Low Town below.

A few minutes later a bell sounded, the doors were closed by the operator and we began our descent, passing the other car at the midway point.

The lower station is tucked away between the row of houses and shops. The Railway Company has recently converted the property above the lower station into a guest house, which looks pleasantly appointed.

We strolled over the bridge towards the Low Town, ........

..... passing a plaque celebrating the work of Richard Trevithick. I hadn't realised before this that the great railway pioneer had a connection with Bridgnorth.

Before long, we returned to the High Town via the railway ........ 

 .... where we took the opportunity to study the winding mechanism.

 The staircase to the tea room beneath the upper station also yields a glimpse of the electric motors and winding mechanism.

The railway presents us with a fascinating piece of Victorian technology in a town which has retained its individualism when many towns have become pedestrianised chain store dominated clones. Furthermore, of course, there is the added bonus of the Severn Valley Railway terminus, a short walk from the Castle Hill Railway.

Video