This early example of a single track incline drum was formerly used to work an incline bringing slate up from the underground workings.  It was steam powered from an adjacent stationary boiler.

This derelict diesel loco was at Llechwedd quarry in
Blaenau until recently.  It did'nt always look like this!

This incline was built to connect Wrysgan Quarry to the Ffestiniog Railway. Because of its prominent position and short tunnel at the top it has always attracted a lot of attention.  As a consequence it is now severely eroded.  It was built as a normal double tracked gravity balanced incline, however, due to the slight gradient at the bottom, wagons frequently stalled on it.  It was soon converted into a single track powered incline which used various forms of propulsion.

The barracks block at Cwmorthin quarry near Blaenau Ffestiniog.  Cwmorthin had a very bad reputation in the industry for dangerous working practices, so much so that many of the local men refused to work there. 

An enterprising bird has made its nest in this old electricity fuse box.

Many quarries relied on water power to operate slate dressing machines, pumps and inclines.  In this very wet part of the world, water came free whereas coal and steam power was expensive.  In many cases existing lakes were enlarged by the quarrying companies to cater for their new use.  However, Llyn Cwm Corsiog is a purely artificial reservoir created in 1899 to supply water to Rhosydd Quarry.  Part of the dam, which was constructed to create the lake, can be seen in the foreground.  A fuller description of this quarry can be seen on my website - Rhosydd - A Ffestiniog quarry.

This splendid arch is at Bryn Hafod Y Wern quarry near Bangor.

This is all that remains of the drumhouse which formerly powered the top incline leading to Pant Mawr quarry.  The tramway passed to the right of the surviving left wall of the structure and then down into the valley.  Moel Hebog and the Nantlle Ridge are seen in the background.  This incline was abandoned at an early date as the quarry workings developed lower down the mountainside.

A reminder of times gone by is this collection of old quarrying
buildings at Oakeley quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Some of the surviving slate splitting buildings - waliau - at Prince of Wales quarry.
These buildings were open at the front with a sloping roof to the back.

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