Workshop & Restoration
Project Linda
Restoring Linda,
Our Second Penrhyn Hunslet |
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Charles
running in 2003
(Now being rebuilt as Linda) |
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A Brief
History of the Penrhyn Railway..
The Penrhyn Quarry Railway first opened in 1798 as the Llandegai
Tramway; it became the Penrhyn Railway in 1801 although on a different
route.
Constructed to transport slate from Lord Penrhyns' slate quarries at
Bethesda to Port Penrhyn at Bangor, Wales.
The railway was around six miles long and used a gauge of 1 ft 10¾ in
(578 mm). It is one of the oldest narrow gauge railways in the world;
and it was closed in 1962.
The
Penrhyn Railway Heritage Trust are
currently attempting to reopen a section of the original railway near
Bethesda.
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Llandegai Tramway
(1798-1831) |
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| Map of the
Llandegai Tramway |
The earliest predecessor to the Penrhyn Quarry Railway was the mile long
2 ft ½ in gauge Llandegai tramway which was built in 1798. The tramway
was connected to a local flint mill that ground clay and chert into
flints. These were transported to Porth Penrhyn on the coast by the
tramway, which was one of the earliest overground railways in Britain.
It included two balanced gravity inclines one from the floor of the
Cegin valley near Llandegai to the hills above Bangor, the other
dropping from there to the mill. Both inclines used vertically mounted
winding drums.
Penrhyn Railway (1801-1878)
The success of the Llandegai Tramway encouraged the owners of the
Penrhyn quarry to consider a similar tramway from their slate quarry to
Porth Penrhyn.
The plan subsumed the existing tramway into a longer railway that
connected Bethesda to the sea.
Construction started on 2nd. September 1800, relaying and extending the
Llandegai Tramway, with the first slate train traveling on 25th. June
1801.
The new railway was also 2 ft ½ in gauge. The connection to the
Llandegai flint mill continued to be used until 1831.
The railway was operated by horse power along with balanced inclines and
gravity.
Penrhyn Quarry Railway (1878-1962)
By the early 1870s the Penrhyn Quarry Railway was no longer able to keep
up with the output of the Penrhyn quarry.
By 1874 the decision had been made to replace the railway with a steam
locomotive worked railway. Steam locomotives had already been introduced
with great success on the quarry's internal railway system and at the
nearby Dinorwic Quarry.
At the end of 1875 the first "mainline" locomotive was delivered to Port
Penrhyn and moved to the quarry workshops at Coed y Parc.
The railway was converted into the new railway in five stages from 1877
to 1878.
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Rebuilding Linda:
Pictorial Work in Progress...
What we started with. |
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In 'As Found'
condition, left by the railways original CME,
Linda had large amounts of surface rust forming, and no organisation or
labelling of the parts removed from the loco. |
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| The rust and
tired paintwork is clearly visible. |
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| Close ups of
the rods. The rods are covered in rust and the bushes are all worn out. |
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Where we
started,
Rebuilding Linda... |
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| 11/11/07 |
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We had to
start somewhere, and why not the main part of any steam loco... The
Boiler!
Linda's new boiler having the barrel & firebox painted |
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The new
boiler being offered up, making sure the smoke box fitted and
setting the boiler parallel to the frames so the firebox mountings could
be made. |
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The new
boiler being offered up, making sure the smoke box fitted and
setting the boiler parallel to the frames so the firebox mountings could
be made. |
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Left: Tube
heater keeping the boiler warm, and Markings
on the frames for the firebox mountings |
Right: Boiler
now being supported in place using
timber, whilst the mountings are made |
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| Linda's rods
& cross head after being cleaned up and before polishing. |
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| Another few
shots of Linda's cleaned rods |
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| 18/10/07 |
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| 12/05/08 |
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| No Work has
progressed since October 07 |
