 Gorseddau tramway bridge | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Porthmadog |
| Locale | Wales |
| Dates of operation | 1857–1872 |
| Successor | Gorseddau Junction and Portmadoc Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
TheGorseddau Tramway was a3 ft (914 mm)narrow gaugerailway built inWales in 1856 to link theslate quarries aroundGorseddau with thewharves atPorthmadog. It was an early forerunner of theGorseddau Junction and Portmadoc Railway and subsequently theWelsh Highland Railway.
TheTremadoc tramway (sometimes known as theLlidiartyspytty Railway) was built byWilliam Madocks sometime before 1842, and possibly as early as the 1830s. It connected theironstonemine atLlidiart Yspytty to Porthmadog harbour. Little is known about the operation of the railway, though it is believed to have been horse worked with similar track and rolling stock to the nearbyNantlle Railway. The ironstone mine was not successful, so the tramway was extended to serve a nearby slate quarry, which was owned by theBangor & Portmadoc Slate & Slab Co. Ltd.
In 1856, the Bangor & Portmadoc Slate & Slab company requested tenders to extend the line2+1⁄4 miles (3.6 km) to theGorseddau slate quarry (known at the time by its local Welsh name, Gorsedda), at Glan Bwll.[1] The engineer wasJames Brunlees, who was based in Manchester.[2] The extended railway, completed in 1857, was known as the Gorsedda Tramway.
From the wharves at Porthmadog harbor the line curved through the town and ran alongside theY Cyt canal toTremadog. From there a reversing neck marked the beginning of the extension towards Gorseddau. The route headed west through the village of Penmorfa where it passed under the main road in a short tunnel. Along this stretch gradients reached a maximum of 1 in 23. At Henefail the line turned north pastYnys-y-Pandy and on to Gorseddau where a short incline lead into the quarry. The line ran a total distance of just over 8 miles and rose 900 feet in that distance. Down loads were worked by gravity.[3]
The line was horse operated using wagons and a passenger carriage supplied by theBoston Lodge works of theFfestiniog Railway.
In 1863, theCroesor Tramway was built, connecting the slate quarries of the Croesor valley with Porthmadog. This2 ft (610 mm)narrow gauge tramway crossed the Gorseddau on the level on the edge of Porthmadog and served the same wharves.
In 1871, notice was given by the owners of the Gorseddau Tramway that they intended to replace the tramway with a new railway between Gorseddau and Porthmadog of2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge. This would allow common rolling stock to be used between the Croesor and Gorseddau tramways and the Ffestiniog railway, all of which delivered slate to Porthmadog harbour. Anact of parliament was authorized on 25 July 1872 and theGorseddau Junction and Portmadoc Railway was created, replacing the Gorseddau Tramway.
Festiniog and associated railways | |
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| Current operators | |
| Rolling stock | |
| Stations and halts | |
| Support groups | |
| Other articles | |
