Croesor Tramway
The trackbed of the Croesor Tramway in Cwm Croesor, 2007
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| Locale | Wales |
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| Dates of operation | 1864–1922 |
| Successor | Welsh Highland Railway |
| Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Length | 6.5 miles (10.5 km) |
| Headquarters | Porthmadog |
Coordinates: 52°58′55″N 4°2′25″W / 52.98194°N 4.04028°W
The Croesor Tramway was a Welsh, 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway line built to carry slate from the Croesor slate mines to Porthmadog. It was built in 1864 without an Act of Parliament and was operated using horse power.
The tramway was absorbed into the Croesor and Port Madoc Railway in 1865 and later became the Portmadoc, Croesor and Beddgelert Tram Railway in 1879. Part of its route, from Croesor Junction to Porthmadog, was taken over by the Welsh Highland Railway in 1922, and upgraded to allow the operation of steam locomotives. The remainder of the line continued as a horse-drawn tramway, and operated as such until the mid-1940s.
Slate quarrying in the remote Cwm Croesor (Croesor valley) dates back to at least 1846 when the Croesor quarry opened. Quarrying expanded in the early 1860s and transportation to the shipping wharfs at Porthmadog became a limiting factor. In 1862 discussion began to construct a tramway to connect the valley with the sea. An initial company, the Croesor Valley Railroad was proposed under the ownership of Hugh Beaver Roberts and two other quarry proprietors.
In the meantime, slate from the Croesor Quarry was being hauled by pack mule over to the adjacent Cwm Orthin and down to the Ffestiniog Railway at Tanygrisiau, a long and dangerous journey.
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Wikipedia