Dinorwic Alice Class

Hunslet Alice Class
No. 3 Holy War on the Bala Lake Railway, August 1981
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Hunslet Engine Company Build date 1886–1904 Total produced 11
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-4-0ST  • UIC B n2t Gauge 1 ft 10 3⁄4 in (578 mm) Driver dia. 1 ft 8 in (508 mm) Fuel type Coal Water cap 100 imp gal (450 l; 120 US gal) Boiler pressure 140 lbf/in2 (970 kPa) Cylinders Two
Career Operators Dinorwic Slate Quarry Withdrawn 1957–1967 Disposition All preserved

The Dinorwic Alice Class is a class of eleven narrow gauge steam locomotives built specifically for the Dinorwic Slate Quarry. These locomotives were built by the Hunslet Engine Company between 1886 & 1904 & were designed & supplied specifically to work the many galleries of the Dinorwic Slate Quarry at Llanberis, North Wales.

After earlier experiences with vertical boilered De Winton locomotives the Dinorwic Slate Quarry concluded that the future lay in heavier, double headed rail in chaired track on its more intensively worked quarry galleries. In order to improve transport of cut slate to the mills & waste to the slag tips a standard design of locomotive which was powerful, light weight & with a short wheelbase was required.

An order was placed with Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds to provide such a design of locomotive which resulted in building of the first of the Alice Class engines, named Velinheli (No. 409 of 1886). The class name was derived from the second example of this class of engine to be built, named Alice later King Of The Scarlets (No. 492 of 1889). This was done so as to avoid confusion with the Port organisation (Port Dinorwic or Y Felinheli) which was separate from the quarry operation.

In total 11 separate locomotives of this class were built for the Dinorwic Slate Quarry with all surviving into some form of preservation.