Croesor Tramway & Valley Scenes

17th December 2006

These images were taken from the early 1970's onwards and show the remains of the earthworks and structures of this 1863/4 horse worked line. It started at Porthmadog running through an urban setting but soon climbs via a series of inclines into a very desolate valley before one last incline that takes it up into the almost moonscape setting of the long abandoned Rhosydd Quarry situated just over 1,400ft. above sea level. The only structures which are still in use today are the Generating station building at the foot of the Blaen-y-cwm incline and the converted drum house at the head of the upper parc incline. This now serves as a rather large summer house with a fantastic view down the valley towards Porthmadog. Perhaps with the coming of the new Welsh Highland Railway over the Croesor tramway's former crossing of the standard gauge line we might see an interesting first working in 2009. It would not be impossible for that to be a "hired in" horse pulling two Croesor wagons from the WHR(P) collection which would show how it all began for this line all those years ago.

Croesor wagon chassis I assume to be the other one shown in the page 28 photo dated Aug.'59. (This was Apr.'76) 4203x2870 Image11.jpg	4203x2870 Image11.jpg	4203x2870 Image12.jpg	4203x2870 Image12.jpg
4203x2870 Image12.jpg	Old FR slate wagon 4203x2870 Image13.jpg	4203x2870 Image13.jpg	4203x2870 Image14.jpg
4203x2870 Image14.jpg	4203x2870 Image15.jpg	Tramway route as it arrives in Croesor village 4203x2870 Image15.jpg	The Croesor quarry incline 4203x2870 Image16.jpg
4203x2870 Image16.jpg	This braked version is half way down the Rhosydd incline 4203x2870 Image17.jpg	Pant-mawr incline 4203x2870 Image17.jpg	We had just climbed up the incline and that last bit really took some doing. 4203x2870 Image18.jpg
4203x2870 Image19.jpg	A very desolate valley 4203x2870 Image2.jpg	Parc Quarry is down in the trees. The UpperParc incline drum house can be seen top left 4203x2870 Image2.jpg	Rhosydd incline drum house 4203x2870 Image20.jpg
Only two inclines to achieve this change of level from the valley below 4203x2870 Image21.jpg	4203x2870 Image22.jpg	4203x2870 Image23.jpg	4203x2870 Image24.jpg