As old established industries, slate quarries have generated large amounts of scrap metal over the years.  Some quarries have found it easier to part with than others!  For example, this venerable collection at Llechwedd quarry was only disposed of recently.

Rollers were placed between the incline rails to reduce the friction of the haulage cables.

There are no fewer than three drumhouses and inclines to be seen in this view.
 Taken looking down from the top of a fourth incline of the tramway to
 Moelwyn quarry near Blaenau.

Looking through an access tunnel into a pit working.  Slate would normally be
removed from such pits using aerial ropeways, also known as "Blondins".

As large users of water, the slate quarries became masters of dam construction.  This is the standard pattern of two outside walls and an inner void that would have been filled with clay.  It was planned to increase the height of this dam - note the cut for the foundations in the far bank, sadly the slate ran out first.

seen looking across the waters of Llyn Cwmystradllyn.

Looking across to Gorseddau quarry from Treforris.  This was a village built to accomodate the quarry workforce and was quite advanced for its time.  Unfortunately because the quarry was a financial disaster, very few buildings were ever completed and, probably, even fewer were actually lived in.

This splendid structure had only one function - to prevent the ever
increasing piles of waste rock from engulfing the quarry's tramway.

The area around Nantlle was a major producer of Cambrian slates which were quarried from the floor of the valley.  As the quarries were deepened they required constant pumping to remain dry.  When closure came, the pumps were turned off and the pit workings rapidly filled with water, leaving scenes like this.

The arrangement of the tramway rails at the top of a gravity incline.  Note how the double flanged wheels have cut into the metalwork.  The haulage ropes for the incline are seen hanging down in the background

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