On
this website you can read an outline history of the Welsh slate industry,
discover details of quarrying methods, follow the routes of old railways
and tramways, discover how inclines worked, see examples of remains and
relics and read an overview of the industry as it is today. The website
also
contains nine photo gallery pages of recent views and six photo gallery
pages of historical views.
This
site originally went online over five years ago as the North Wales railway
archive. It's now been completely overhauled with many new scans
and lots of the original scans now larger and with better detail.
Some of the themes covered so far are Classes 25, 37, 40, 45 and 47, Freightliners,
Crewe test trains, Amlwch branch, Point of Ayr colliery and many more.
The
Wrexham - Bidston line has always been one of my favourites.
The line is one of contrasts and has a fascinating history. It has
always been a bit of a backwater, almost isolated from the rest of the
national network. My interest remains strong to this day - not least
because it is the only railway in North Wales to have any significant freight
traffic. The passenger service has been relaunched as the Borderlands
line and a trip on the line is highly recommended.
The
former state of Yugoslavia had a vast network of narrow gauge railway lines,
most of which were laid to 76cm gauge, the same as the Welshpool &
Llanfair Railway in the U.K. The origins of this huge network lay
in the Austrian occupation in the 1870's and it reached its greatest extent
in the 1930's. Much of the mountainous western side of the country
was only accessible by the 76cm gauge railways particularly in Bosnia and
Hercegovina. This website has accounts and photographs from several
enthusiasts who ventured to Yugoslavia in the 1960's, 1970's and more recently
to savour the last of the legendary Yugoslav narrow gauge. It has
recently been enlarged and now contains over 300 photos of these wonderful
railways plus timetables and other details.
The
Conwy Valley line - Y lein Dyffryn Conwy
The
Conwy Valley railway is surely one of the most scenic lines in Britain.
It is a pleasure to ride on at any time of the year offering superb views
of estuary, mountain and moorland. In Blaenau Ffestiniog can be seen
an industrial landscape of a unique quality while the views in the Lledr
Valley surpass any from the nearby road. In this site I have
tried to bring out the quality of the landscape whilst giving some idea
of the variety of trains that the line has witnessed. The continuation
to Trawsfynydd is featured as well as an armchair guide to the route.
The website also contains a section which details what remains today of
the former Great Western Railway line from Trawsfynydd through to Bala.
A
selection of photographs taken at this legendary South Wales scrapyard,
in both
colour
and black & white. The results of two visits made in the 1960's.
Rhosydd
was by no means the largest of the Ffestiniog quarries, neither was it
one of the smallest. It had a working life, as a major quarry, of
approximately 80 years and its demise came about through the drop in demand
for slate. The output of the quarry has been estimated at 220 million
slates and its waste tips contain over 2 million tons of rock. What
sets Rhosydd apart from most of the other quarries is its remoteness, its
surface remains and its transport arrangements, added to which is
its setting in superlative scenery.
Rhiwbach
Quarry is situated about 3 miles East of Blaenau Ffestiniog in North West
Wales. The tramway, which was built to link it to the Ffestiniog
Railway, also served three other quarries. This site is intended
to give an impression of what remains of the quarries and tramway today.
The Rhiwbach Tramway was the longest feeder line in the industry and runs
across bleak uninhabited moorland. Rhiwbach itself was so remote that it
had its own schoolhouse. The whole undertaking gives some idea of
just how important the Slate Industry was to this part of the world.
This website has now been updated with expanded coverage of Manod quarry
which closed in September 2007.
Steam
power on British Railways ended in 1968. In the years leading up
to this, I was trying to photograph what I could of the steam railway scene.
This site is a random selection of some of the photos I took.
The
circular trip of North Wales by rail - travelling on the North Wales coast
line, Conwy Valley, Ffestiniog Railway, and Cambrian line is one of Wales's
best kept secrets. On this website you will find timetable details,
fare information and a route guide. So if you have ever contemplated
doing the trip but were put off by its complexity, have a look at the site
- Its much easier and cheaper than you may have thought! Be
sure to read the comments page to get more out of your journey. Now
updated for 2008 season.
My
wife is a better poet than she admits to and this is her contribution to
cyberspace. Over 50 poems cover a number of topics but few are about
pretty views or the world as seen through rose tinted spectacles.
Cwm
Ciprwth is surely one of the industrial archaeology gems of North Wales.
This little known location is hidden away in a side valley above Cwm Pennant
in Snowdonia. This website gives directions to Cwm Ciprwth, a brief
history of the mine and a selection of photographs.
Porth
Wen - An abandoned brickworks on Anglesey
On the north coast of Anglesey, a few miles west of Amlwch, are the remains of a brickworks. It was opened at the turn of the last century to make bricks for the steel industry. The bricks were exported by sea from its own wharf. The works closed down at the start of the first world war and most of it has slowly rusted away ever since.
This
website now has additional features on Llanlleiana copper works, Cemaes
Bay
brickworks
and the navigation markers at Carmel Head.
Since
acquiring a digital camera I have been snapping madly away at those things
I was unable to snap at before. These pages are a sample of what
I have achieved (?) so far - observations welcome.
This
is my local club where I have been a member for over 20 years (and, for
my sins, have now been appointed webmaster!). Take a look at the
site and, if you are local, why not consider membership? We are always
looking for keen modellers to join our ranks.
Adobe
flash slideshows - broadband connection required
This
website features a selection of photographs depicting the disused granite
quarries between Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan on the North Wales coast.
To view the site you require the Adobe flash player and a high speed broadband
connection. The show runs for about eight minutes and features a
soundtrack. Feedback on this feature would
be welcome.
Blackpool
trams in July 2007
This website features the tram system of Blackpool and Fleetwood during
July 2007. The site uses the Adobe flash player and has background
music. A high speed broadband connection is required to view it.