Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry

Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry
Locale	Wales
Dates of operation	1862–1979
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm); 2 ft (610 mm)
Headquarters	Nantlle

"Blondin" aerial cableways at Pen-yr-Orsedd in 2002

Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry was a slate quarry in the Nantlle Valley in North Wales. It was one of the last slate quarries operating in North Wales and the last operating on the Nantlle area, finally closing in 1979.

History

The Pen-yr-Orsedd quarry was one of the major slate producers of the Nantlle Valley, supplying over 10,000 tons of product in 1864. It was also the last quarry in the vale that commercially produced slate, closing in 1979.

In 1862 the quarry was connected to the Nantlle Railway, with 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge lines extended to all but the highest levels of the quarry. Most levels of the quarry had both 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge and 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge trackwork, many with mixed gauge tracks. The Nantlle Railway connection was used up until 1963, while the internal 2 ft lines continued in limited use until the end of quarrying.

Tramways

Locomotives

Name	Builder	Type	Date	Works number	Notes
Baladeulyn	De Winton	0-4-0VB			Sold to Glynrhonwy Slate Quarry in 1895
Starstone	De Winton	0-4-0VB			Thought to be sold to Glynrhonwy Slate Quarry in 1894 where it was renamed Padarn.
Inverlochy	De Winton	0-4-0VB	1877		Possible ex-Pen-y-Bryn Quarry. Scrapped 1937
Glynllifon	De Winton	0-4-0VB		1880	Scrapped 1937
Rhymney	De Winton	0-4-0VB		1875	Scrapped 1933
Chaloner	De Winton	0-4-0VB		1877	Sold to a private collector 1960; now preserved at the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway.
Gelli	De Winton	0-4-0VB		1893	Withdrawn 1945, still intact at quarry 1952; believed scrapped
Pendyffryn	De Winton	0-4-0VB		1894	Sold 1965
Arthur	De Winton	0-4-0VB		1895	Scrapped 1956
Victoria	De Winton	0-4-0VB		1897	Scrapped 1956
Kelso	Vulcan Foundry	0-4-0VB		1893	Withdrawn 1945, still intact at quarry 1952; believed scrapped
Britomart	Hunslet	0-4-0ST	707	1899	Sold in 1965, now privately owned and running on the Ffestiniog Railway
Sybil	Hunslet	0-4-0ST	827	1903	Sold in 1965, now privately owned
Una	Hunslet	0-4-0ST	873	1905	Sold in 1963, now at the Welsh Slate Museum, Llanberis
Diana	Kerr Stuart	0-4-0T	1158	1917	ex-Oakley Slate Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog. Privately owned. Based on the Bala Lake Railway in Mid Wales
No. 1	Ruston & Hornsby	4wDM	235712	1945
No. 2	Ruston & Hornsby	4wDM	235711	1945
No. 3	Ruston & Hornsby	4wDM	226298	1943
No. 4	Ruston & Hornsby	4wDM	226264	1943
		4wPM			Sold or scrapped

References

Boyd, James I.C. (1990). Narrow Gauge Railways in North Caernarvonshire, Volume 1: The West (2nd. ed.). The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-273-0.

Historic Welsh railway companies

Great Western Railway	Aberdare Railway Aberdare Valley Railway Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Alexandra Docks and Railway Bala and Dolgelly Railway Bala and Festiniog Railway Barry Dock and Railway Barry Railway Blaenavon Tramroad Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Brecon and Merthyr Railway Bridgend Bristol and South Wales Union Railway Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway Cambrian Railways Cardiff Railway Cardiff and Ogmore Carmarthen and Cardigan Carmarthenshire Railway Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway Corris Railway Corwen and Bala Railway Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway Ely Valley Railway Ely Valley Extension Railway Gwendraeth Valleys Railway Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway Kington Tramway Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway Llancaiach Branch Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Llanidloes and Newtown Railway Llangollen and Corwen Railway Llangurig branch Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway Llynvi and Ogmore Railway Maerdy Branch Manchester and Milford Railway Mawddwy Railway Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway Mid-Wales Railway Monmouth and Hereford Railway Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway Neath and Brecon Railway Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Newtown and Machynlleth Railway North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway North Wales Mineral Railway Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway Oswestry and Newtown Railway Pembroke and Tenby Railway Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway Port Talbot Railway Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Rhymney Railway Rumney Railway Ross and Monmouth Railway Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway South Wales Railway Taff Vale Railway Tanat Valley Light Railway Vale of Glamorgan Railway Vale of Llangollen Railway Vale of Neath Railway Vale of Rheidol Railway Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway West Midland Railway Whitland and Cardigan Railway Wye Valley Railway Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway

London and North Western Railway	Anglesey Central Railway Bangor and Carnarvon Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway Carnarvonshire Railway Central Wales Railway Central Wales Extension Railway Chester and Holyhead Railway Chester & Connah's Quay Railway Conway and Llanrwst Railway Knighton Railway Llanelly Railway Red Wharf Bay Sirhowy Railway Swansea and Carmarthen Railway Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction Railway Vale of Clwyd Railway

Joint lines	Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway Quaker’s Yard and Merthyr Railway Taff Bargoed Railway Buckley Railway North Wales and Liverpool Railway Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Vale of Towy Railway Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway Wrexham and Minera Railway

Independent lines	Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad Fairbourne Railway Ffestiniog Railway Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Glyn Valley Tramway Hay Railway Kinmel Camp Railway Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway Snowdon Mountain Railway Swansea and Mumbles Railway Talyllyn Railway Van Railway Welsh Highland Railway

Industrial railways	Bailey's Tramroad Beaufort Ironworks Tramway Bryn Oer Tramway Buckley Tramroad Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway Cedryn Quarry Tramway Cowlyd Tramway Crawshay's Private Railway Crickheath Tramway Croesor Tramway Deeside Tramway Dinorwic Railway Dowlais Railway Eigiau Tramway Elan Valley Railway Gorseddau Junction And Portmadoc Railway Gorseddau Tramway Hendre-Ddu Tramway Kerry Tramway Little Ormes Head Quarry tramway Merionethshire Railway Morda Tramway Nantlle Tramway Padarn Railway Penrhyn Quarry Railway Penydarren Tramway Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways Rhiwbach Tramway Saundersfoot Railway Trefor Quarry railway Tremadoc Tramway

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Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry

History

Tramways

Locomotives

References

See also