Glanrafon Quarry

Notes from J I C Boyd on Glanrafon Quarry.

This is an isolated quarry connected to the WHR about one mile below Ryd Ddu.

Operators:

1875 Working by this date.

1878 E. M. Owen and others (including W. Hayward)

1879 W. H. Owen & Sons, Vulcan Foundry, Caernarfon

1892 E. H. and J. Owen

-1904 Glanrafon Slate Quarry Ltd. (liquidated 1916)

c 1916 Quarry closed

Output - tons:

1882 - 992

1886 - 3499

Employees

1882 - 97

1887 - 193

Rail System:

Nominal 2 foot gauge. Sidings 1881 on North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways. - a modified loop installed 1895. Incline connection to quarry - locos worked rubbish trains only. There is a quarter mile long tunnel.

There were four locomotive sheds:

Floor A in use to 1916

Floor B disused from 1900

Floor C disused from 1900

Floor 2 out of use since?

There were four locomotives:

Muriel an 0-40 Vertical boilere De Winton of c 1879 new to quarry?

Muriel an 0-4-0 Vertical boiler De Winton? to Tal-y-Sarn around 1894 following repairs by Vulcan Foundry Caernarfon.

Silurian an 0-4-0 saddle tank by Hunslet works number 601 of 1894 and sold back to Hunslet in c 1914.

Silurian an 0-4-0 tank engine possibly with outside cylinders and purchased second hand after 1894. Vulcan Foundry.