Cedryn Quarry Tramway
| Locale | Wales |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | c. 1861–c. 1888 |
| Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Length | 4 miles |
| Headquarters | Dolgarrog |
Coordinates: 53°11′06″N 3°50′28″W / 53.185°N 3.841°W
The Cedryn Quarry Tramway (later largely used as the route of the Eigiau Tramway) was an industrial narrow gauge railway that connected the slate quarries at Cedryn and Cwm Eigiau to the quays at Dolgarrog in the Conwy valley.
The slate quarry at Cedryn is first recorded in 1827. The output of this remote site was initially taken by horse pack to the quays on the River Conwy at Dolgarrog. A 5 mile long tramway was constructed in the period 1861-1863. The gauge was approximately 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge and was built using wrought iron T section rails.
Some time before 1866 this tramway was extended a further mile to Cwm Eigiau Quarry, and the name "Cwm Eigiau Tramway" largely became synonymous with that of the Cedryn Tramway. The Caedryn [sic] Slate Quarry Co. Ltd of 1863 became in 1874 the Caedryn [sic] & Cwm Eigiau Slate Co. Ltd, but was dissolved just 11 years later, the slate being of a poor quality.
By 1907, when the route was used for a new tramway to assist in the building of the dam at Llyn Eigiau, all rails had been removed. This new tramway, the Eigiau Tramway, was initially built to the wider standard gauge, and used steam engines. It followed the route of the Cedryn Tramway except that the small incline above Coedty was by-passed to the north.
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