Hendre-Ddu Tramway

Hendre-Ddu Tramway
Map of the Hendre-Ddu tramway; not all lines shown existed at the same time
Locale	Wales
Dates of operation	1867–1954
Successor	abandoned
Track gauge	2 ft (610 mm)
Length	3 ¹⁄₂ miles (5.6 km)
Headquarters	Aberangell

The Hendre-Ddu Tramway was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge industrial railway built in 1867 in Wales to connect the Hendre-Ddu slate quarry to Aberangell station on the Mawddwy Railway. It consisted of a main line 3½ miles long and several branch lines and spurs serving other quarries, local farms and the timber industry.

History

Hendre Ddu slate quarry opened in the 1850s, and in 1864 the Hendre Ddu Slate and Slab Co. was established by Sir Edmund Buckley. The Company specialised in slate slabs for billiard table beds.

The standard gauge Mawddwy Railway, opened in 1867 connected the Cambrian Railway at Cemmaes Road to Dinas Mawddwy, passing through the small village of Aberangell. Sir Edmund Buckley built the Hendre Ddu Tramway to carry slate from his quarry down to Aberangell station. Several other quarries had branches and spurs onto the Tramway, as well as a brickworks, a sawmill and several local farms.

The slate slabs for billiard tables were carried on special trestle wagons similar to those on the nearby Corris Railway. Quarry workers rode in open cars which were occasionally also used for tourist excursions. During the First World War a branch was laid in lightweight portable "Jublilee" track from Cefn Gwyn along Cwm Caws for timber extraction.

When this work was finished in 1917 the track was lifted and re-laid on the trackbed of a long closed branch to Coed y Chwarel. It is believed that Baguley petrol locomotive No. 774 was used on this line. This locomotive is now preserved as part of the collection of the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.

During 1940 the Coed y Chwarel branch was again re-laid using Jubilee track for further timber extraction. This line was not lifted until October 1954 although the Hendre Ddu Tramway itself was converted into a road in 1941 for the safer conveyance of munitions which were stored in the Hendre Ddu Quarries during the war and for some years afterwards.

Operation

The wagons descended by gravity and were hauled back by horses, later by a road tractor and then a Simplex petrol loco was used from 1922.

Locomotives

Builder	Type	Works Number	Built	Notes
Motor Rail	"Simplex" 4wPM	2059		Acquired for the tramway in 1922
Hendre-Ddu Tramway	Lorry conversion	n/a	1930	Unsuccessful and short-lived conversion of an Overland lorry
Baguley	4wPM	744		Believed to be used on the Coed y Chwarel forestry branch.

References

Richards, Alun John (2001). The Slate Railways of Wales. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch: Llanwrst. ISBN 0-86381-689-4.
Boyd, James I.C. (1965). Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid Wales. The Oakwood Press.
Cozens, Lewis (1954). The Mawddwy Railway with the Hendre-Ddu Tramway. Lewis Cozens. - reprinted as The Mawddwy, Van & Kerry Branches, Oakwood Press, 2004

External links

Narrow Gauge Railway Museum entry about the tramway

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 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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