Slate operations on the Welsh Highland Railway

The original Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) owed its existence to the narrow gauge railways and tramways built to serve commercial slate traffic from slate quarries and other mineral extraction operations along its route.

During the first world war as well as slate other materials such as timber were carried by the NWNGR from the Beddgelert Forest extension, one of the more recent proposals for the re-opened WHR is to again carry timber from the Forestry Commission operation in Beddgelert Forest where the line runs through.^[1]

Tramways and railways serving the slate industry

Croesor Tramway

The Croesor Tramway was built to take slate traffic from the Croesor and New Rhosydd quarries/mines. The Croesor tramway had run from Portmadoc since 1863 up into the Croesor Valley and the slate quarries in this area. This was a horse worked line laid to a nominal 2 foot gauge. The section of WHR track due for re-opening in 2009 between Pont Croesor and Porthmadog follows the original trackbed of the tramway.

North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways

The main line of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways was built to serve the following quarries:^[2]

Alexandra Quarry
Moel Tryfan Quarry
Braich
Y Fron
Cilgwyn

The railway was then extended by a branch from Tryfan Junction to connect with the Hafod-y-Wern quarry branch and Glanrafon where there sidings.

References

Festiniog and associated railways

Current operators	Ffestiniog Railway Welsh Highland Railway Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Rolling stock	Ffestiniog Railway Welsh Highland Railway Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Stations and halts	Ffestiniog Railway Welsh Highland Railway

Support groups	Ffestiniog Railway Society Festiniog Railway Heritage Group Welsh Highland Railway Society Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group

Other articles	Festiniog Railway Letter Service Welsh Highland Railway restoration

Welsh Highland Railway

Main articles	Welsh Highland Railway Restoration

Forerunners	North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Croesor Tramway

Locations	Caernarfon Bontnewydd Dinas Waunfawr Plas-y-Nant Snowdon Ranger Rhyd Ddu Meillionen Beddgelert Nantmor Pont Croesor Pen-y-Mount Porthmadog cross town link Porthmadog Harbour Gelert's Farm halt Gelert's Farm Works Porthmadog

Quarries	Croesor Fron-Boeth Pant Mawr Parc Rhosydd

Preservation	Welsh Highland Railway Limited Festiniog Railway Company

Rolling stock	Russell Moel Tryfan Welsh Highland Heritage Railway Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon)

Ffestiniog Railway

Stations	Porthmadog Harbour Boston Lodge Halt Minffordd Penrhyn Rhiw Goch Plas Halt Tan-y-Bwlch Campbell's Platform Dduallt Tanygrisiau Blaenau Ffestiniog

Other Locations	Boston Lodge Works

Quarries	Blaen y Cwm Conglog Cwmorthin Cwt y Bugail Diphwys Casson Graig Ddu Llechwedd Maenofferen Moelwyn Slate Nyth-y-Gigfran Oakeley Rhiwbach Votty & Bowydd Wrysgan

People	Henry Archer Robert Francis Fairlie George England The Spooners of Porthmadog

Rolling stock	Ffestiniog Railway rolling stock Princess Little Wonder Lyd Fairlie locomotive Dandy waggon

Related railways	Croesor Tramway Cwmorthin Tramway Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Gorseddau Junction And Portmadoc Railway North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Porthmadog cross town link Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Rhiwbach Tramway Welsh Highland Railway Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Railway museums and heritage railways in Wales

Narrow gauge	Great Little Trains of Wales Bala Lake Railway Brecon Mountain Railway Corris Railway Fairbourne Railway Ffestiniog Railway Llanberis Lake Railway Rhyl Miniature Railway Snowdon Mountain Railway Talyllyn Railway Teifi Valley Railway Vale of Rheidol Railway Welsh Highland Railway Welsh Highland Heritage Railway Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway

Standard gauge	Amman Valley Railway (Proposed) Barry Tourist Railway Garw Valley Railway (Proposed) Gwili Railway Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway Llangollen Railway Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway

Centres and museums	Conwy Valley Railway Museum Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum

Historic Welsh railway companies

Great Western Railway	Aberdare Railway Aberdare Valley Railway Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Alexandra Docks and Railway Bala and Dolgelly Railway Bala and Festiniog Railway Barry Dock and Railway Barry Railway Blaenavon Tramroad Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Brecon and Merthyr Railway Bridgend Bristol and South Wales Union Railway Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway Cambrian Railways Cardiff Railway Cardiff and Ogmore Carmarthen and Cardigan Carmarthenshire Railway Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway Corris Railway Corwen and Bala Railway Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway Ely Valley Railway Ely Valley Extension Railway Gwendraeth Valleys Railway Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway Kington Tramway Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway Llancaiach Branch Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Llanidloes and Newtown Railway Llangollen and Corwen Railway Llangurig branch Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway Llynvi and Ogmore Railway Maerdy Branch Manchester and Milford Railway Mawddwy Railway Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway Mid-Wales Railway Monmouth and Hereford Railway Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway Neath and Brecon Railway Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Newtown and Machynlleth Railway North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway North Wales Mineral Railway Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway Oswestry and Newtown Railway Pembroke and Tenby Railway Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway Port Talbot Railway Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Rhymney Railway Rumney Railway Ross and Monmouth Railway Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway South Wales Railway Taff Vale Railway Tanat Valley Light Railway Vale of Glamorgan Railway Vale of Llangollen Railway Vale of Neath Railway Vale of Rheidol Railway Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway West Midland Railway Whitland and Cardigan Railway Wye Valley Railway Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway

London and North Western Railway	Anglesey Central Railway Bangor and Carnarvon Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway Carnarvonshire Railway Central Wales Railway Central Wales Extension Railway Chester and Holyhead Railway Chester & Connah's Quay Railway Conway and Llanrwst Railway Knighton Railway Llanelly Railway Red Wharf Bay Sirhowy Railway Swansea and Carmarthen Railway Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction Railway Vale of Clwyd Railway

Joint lines	Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway Quaker’s Yard and Merthyr Railway Taff Bargoed Railway Buckley Railway North Wales and Liverpool Railway Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Vale of Towy Railway Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway Wrexham and Minera Railway

Independent lines	Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad Fairbourne Railway Ffestiniog Railway Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Glyn Valley Tramway Hay Railway Kinmel Camp Railway Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway Snowdon Mountain Railway Swansea and Mumbles Railway Talyllyn Railway Van Railway Welsh Highland Railway

Industrial railways	Bailey's Tramroad Beaufort Ironworks Tramway Bryn Oer Tramway Buckley Tramroad Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway Cedryn Quarry Tramway Cowlyd Tramway Crawshay's Private Railway Crickheath Tramway Croesor Tramway Deeside Tramway Dinorwic Railway Dowlais Railway Eigiau Tramway Elan Valley Railway Gorseddau Junction And Portmadoc Railway Gorseddau Tramway Hendre-Ddu Tramway Kerry Tramway Little Ormes Head Quarry tramway Merionethshire Railway Morda Tramway Nantlle Tramway Padarn Railway Penrhyn Quarry Railway Penydarren Tramway Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways Rhiwbach Tramway Saundersfoot Railway Trefor Quarry railway Tremadoc Tramway

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