Rhiwbach
Slate Quarry and its tramway
A walk
along the Rhiwbach Tramway
To view
a map of the Tramway - click this link.
A view of
the tramway looking towards Blaenau Ffestiniog as it curves past Llyn Bowydd.
The mountain in the centre background is Allt Ddu. To its left can
be seen the summit of Cnicht while to the right Snowdon dominates the view.
The
route of the Rhiwbach Tramway starts from what was once the Ffestiniog
Railway's Diffwys station in Blaenau Ffestiniog. This area is now the town's
main car park and the FR station building sees a new use as a public convenience!
It may be recognised by the two "Fleur de Lys" crests adorning the respective
entrances. There is a small industrial loco preserved on a plinth and the
incline directly behind it led to Fotty & Bowydd Quarry, this has no
connection with this account. The first incline (Rhiwbach No.1) of
the route, which leads ultimately to Rhiwbach Quarry, goes steeply
up on the left hand side, of the square and is quite difficult to spot
at first. After a further two inclines, known as Rhiwbach No. 2 and
No. 3, the tramway emerges onto open moorland at nearly 1600 feet above
sea level. As previously mentioned, this account is in reverse order
and describes the route from Manod quarry to the head of the Rhiwbach No.
3 incline.
The tramway
was built by Owen Gethin Jones, a local contractor from Penmachno.
He is perhaps best remembered for the construction of Gethin's Viaduct,
the major engineering work on the Conwy Valley line between Betws y Coed
and Pont y Pant. The Tramway is constructed to a high standard throughout
with rock cuttings and impressive embankments. Construction commenced
in 1861 and the tramway opened throughout by 1863. First quarry to
abandon use of the tramway was Manod, probably in the 1930's. Rhiwbach
quarry itself closed in 1953 and the track was lifted between there and
Cwt y Bugail in 1956. The last use of the tramway, by Cwt y Bugail,
was in 1961 and all the remaining track was lifted by June 1964.
However sleepers remain in many places together with the odd length of
rail.
The tramway
was designed for gravity working from the Rhiwbach end with horses returning
the wagons to the quarries. There is some doubt as to how successful
gravity working was, however, as some of the gradients appear very slight.
There is no record of any steam locomotives being operated on the top section
of the tramway, due to the very light rail it was laid in, but several
small petrol driven vehicles were used. Records exist of Rhiwbach
Quarry having three locos at various dates while Cwt y Bugail also utilised
such machines. There was never a passenger service over the line
but a workmans train ran for some years as far as Cwt y Bugail and possibly
beyond at times.
Access to
the start of the route is via a very steep unclassified road from Llan
Ffestiniog which leads up through Cwm Teigl and ends at the Manod
Quarry of Welsh Slate - now renamed Cwt y Bugail. There is a small
parking area just before the quarry entrance.
Start
of the tramway route
The start
of the route of the rail connection from Manod to the Rhiwbach Tramway,
The trackbed
is easily traceable throughout its length.
The
tramway route can be clearly seen as a rough level track leading off to
the right. The route passes a few minor pit workings and, improbably,
a disused television relay station. A little further on, as the view
opens out, the track diverges from the original tramway route which can
be seen terminating at a reversing loop on the left - necessary because
of the steep gradient. The tramway route is then crossed, after it has
reversed direction, and shortly the "main line" of the Rhiwbach Tramway
is joined. Turning to the right the top of the incline leading down
to Rhiwbach Quarry is reached after about
half a mile. From this spectacular viewpoint a bird's eye view of
the ruined Rhiwbach Quarry can be seen:
The
tramway near Rhiwbach Quarry
Looking
towards Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the right of the photo is the head
of the incline from Rhiwbach Quarry. The well graded route of the
tramway is very noticeable.
Now
heading back from Rhiwbach Quarry, the route is retraced past the junction
for Manod Quarry and along the shoulder of Manod Mawr on a well engineered,
gently falling, stretch of the old tramway. After about a mile the
ruins of Blaen y Cwm Quarry are seen down
to the right. On the left near the head of the Blaen y Cwm incline
can be seen a water filled adit. The large ruined drumhead is reached
on the right and the short incline leads down to the former dressing shed.
Near
Cwt y Bugail (old) Quarry
Looking
back towards Rhiwbach and Blaen y Cwm
from near
Cwt y Bugail (old) quarry.
Leaving
Blaen y Cwm Quarry the route carries on for about half a mile on a shelf
along the mountainside and then through a rock cutting with the ruined
barracks block of Cwt y Bugail (old) on the right. A modern gate
on the right mark the junction of the trailing connection into the originalCwt
y Bugail quarry.
Near
Cwt y Bugail (old) Quarry
The tramway
siding serving Cwt y Bugail (old) quarry diverged to the right just in
front of the tips. The steep gradient up from the quarry meant that
wagons had to be hauled to the tramway interchange using a wire rope powered
by the quarry steam engine.
Leaving
Cwt y Bugail, a stile is crossed, this marks the boundary of the Snowdonia
National Park and was the old Caernarfonshire/Meirionydd border.
The area around Blaenau Ffestiniog has always been excluded from the National
Park because of its industrial development. An impressive vista now
opens up of the Moelwyn Mountains, Cnicht, the Glyders and Snowdon.
The next few hundred yards can sometimes be very wet and it is best to
follow the faint path on the right bank of the formation. Further
on the trackbed dries out as Llyn Bowydd is reached and the line maintains
its gentle downward gradient through a succession of impressive cuttings
and embankments above the edge of the lake.
Along
the shore of Llyn Bowydd
One of the
most attractive stretches is shown in these views as the route skirts the
edge of
Llyn Bowydd. The high quality of the construction can be clearly
seen.
Leaving
the mountainside behind, the trackbed crosses a causeway. Underneath
a slate lined leat, which is still in use, leaves the lake. A little
further on the head of Llyn Bowydd is reached, there was originally a wooden
bridge at this point which carried the line above the outlet stream.
This was washed away some years ago and only the bridge abutments remain.
Llyn Newydd, another quarry reservoir, lies above on the right and the
outlet stream and leat for this is passed. The leat is carried in
a wooden trough over the stream and this then parallels the tramway for
the final half mile to the head of Rhiwbach No.3 incline. This leat
continues down to Llechwedd Quarry where the water is used to generate
hydro electricity.
The head
of No.3 incline gives a panoramic view over several of the Blaenau quarries,
with most of the town itself hidden from view beneath. At the bottom
of the incline can be seen Maenofferen Quarry. Until it closed in
November 1998 it was the last underground slate mine in the district.
As the route of the tramway from here down to Blaenau Ffestiniog passes
through a working quarry area it is recommended that the route back to
Manod is retraced.
Rhiwbach
No. 3 incline
This is
the derelict drumhead of Rhiwbach No. 3 incline. So named because
it is the third and last on the ascent from Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the
background are Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach..
Looking
down the incline at Maenofferen quarry dressing sheds
In
the view above, from the other side of the valley, the tramway can be seen
leading off to the right. At the bottom of the photo are some of
the workings of Maenofferen Quarry. The horizontal lines on the mountainside
mark the course of leats carrying water from Llyn Newydd and Llyn Bowydd.
Moel Penamnen is the peak to the right with Moel Siabod in the centre background.
To
a map of the tramway route
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