British narrow-gauge slate railways
Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Abereiddi Tramway 1851 1906 3 ft ( 914 mm ) Porthgain 2 mile long horse-drawn tramway linking St. Bride 's Slate Quarry with Porthgain
Aberllefenni quarry tramway 1880s ( ? ) 2002 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ) Aberllefenni Underground slate mine and short line to the mill . Originally joined to the Corris Railway
Alexandra quarry 1861 1934 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Moel Tryfan Steam locomotive worked quarry feeder tramway connected to the Bryngwyn branch of the Welsh Highland Railway
Arthog Tramway 1858 1868 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Arthog Incline and horse-worked tramway
Blaen-y-Cae quarry tramway 1870 1931 2 ft ( 610 mm ) and 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Talysarn Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway
Blaen y Cwm quarry 1974 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Blaenau Ffestiniog Internal quarry tramway system , connected to the Rhiwbach Tramway via a short uphaul incline
Braich quarry tramway before 1877 1932 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Moel Tryfan Connected to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways at Bryngwyn
Braich-Rhydd quarry tramway before 1873 1915 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Y Fron Connected to the Nantlle Railway
Bryn Glas Tramway 1900s early ? 2 ft ( 610 mm ) ( ? ) Bethesda Short-lived horse-worked tramway built during the 1900-1903 strike at Penrhyn quarry
Bryn-y-Fferam quarry tramway 1860s 1886 ? Moel Tryfan Isolated quarry with two pits connected by a tunnel
Cardigan Slate Works ? about 1910 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Glandyfi ⁄ 4 mile ( 0.40 km ) -long tramway serving a quarry on the south bank of the Afon Dyfi
Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway 1850s 1915 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Nantlle Horse-worked feeder tramway from the Tan-yr-allt slate quarry to the Nantlle Railway
Cedryn quarry tramway 1861 1888 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Llanrwst 4 mile long horse-powered tramway serving the Cedryn quarry by Llyn Eigiau ; partly relaid in 1917 as part of the Eigiau Tramway
Chwarel Fedw tramway 1840s ( ? ) 1880s 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Dolwyddelan ⁄ 4 mile ( 0.40 km ) long tramway connecting Chwarel Fedw across the Lledr Valley to Prince Llewellyn quarry mill
Cilgwyn quarry tramway before 1861 1956 2 ft ( 610 mm ) and 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Cilgwyn Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway . Two steam locomotives survive in preservation
Coed Madoc quarry tramway before 1864 1927 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Tal-y-Sarn Steam locomotive worked quarry tramway . Inclines connected to a standard-gauge branch from Tal-y-sarn
Cornwall quarry tramway 1867 1937 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) Tal-y-sarn Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway
Croesor Tramway 1864 1948 ( ? ) 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Porthmadog Horse-powered tramway serving the slate quarries of the Croesor valley
Cwm Ebol Tramway 1868 1906 3 ft ( 914 mm ) later 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Pennal 1½ mile long tramway with two self-acting inclines . The last Welsh slate quarry connected only to a shipping point instead of a railway
Cwmorthin Tramway 1864 1939 2 ft ( 610 mm ) Tanygrisiau 1.8 mile long tramway connecting the quarries of Cwm Orthin to the Ffestiniog Railway
Wales
Narrow-gauge railways were used extensively in the slate industry of Great Britain, especially in Wales. Many quarries had internal tramways, some using many dozens of miles of track. Others had private lines that stretched from the quarry to transhipment points on local railways, rivers, roads or coastal ports.