Conclog/Cwmorthin Tramway question

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hammond
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

Hello all,

I'm attempting to do a period (reconstruction) painting of Capel Y Gorlan, and I have a quick question in the following picture;

It shows that the tramway deviates to the left at this point, now grassed over. Was this a siding that was put in place so that wagons could avoid oncoming traffic, or was this the original route of the tramway? If so, did the path in front of the chapel actually exist or did this come later?

You can see the grassed over route quite clearly on google earth.

Just looking to get my historical references right, if you or if you think anyone else knows then that would be most helpful.

Many thanks

Pete

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Vanoord
54.4% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

My suspicion would be that the current walking track was used for the same purpose at the time the tramway was in use, ie the tramway was used for railed traffic and the path for people and carts.

I don't think that the tramway would have existed on its own, ie a mix of people and trucks on the same route would have been a recipe for disaster!

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

Edd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Wasn't the current path originally used by horse and cart for bringing slate down from Rhosydd? Then the tram way was put in place once permission was granted for lowering down the Cwmorthin inclines to the railway? It is documented in the Rhosydd book but i cant find it at the moment

'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'

Graigfawr
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Sad to see the chapel in its current condition: I bivvied inside in 1984 or 85 when there was still sufficient roof left to keep much of the weather off you.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

If I've got the right place 'Old Maps' puts the chapel on a loop road/track well away from the tramway?

Edit: Got the wrong place, should have looked further up!

Cat_Bones
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"Graigfawr" wrote:
Sad to see the chapel in its current condition: I bivvied inside in 1984 or 85 when there was still sufficient roof left to keep much of the weather off you.

Yes it's crying out for some sort of restoration, seems a shame to let such a nice building in such a fantastic location run to rack & ruin.

Edd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"Cat_Bones" wrote:

"Graigfawr" wrote:
Sad to see the chapel in its current condition: I bivvied inside in 1984 or 85 when there was still sufficient roof left to keep much of the weather off you.

Yes it's crying out for some sort of restoration, seems a shame to let such a nice building in such a fantastic location run to rack & ruin.

Well volunteered CB i think you will do an excellent job restoring it 😛

'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'

Cat_Bones
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"edd" wrote:

"Cat_Bones" wrote:

"Graigfawr" wrote:
Sad to see the chapel in its current condition: I bivvied inside in 1984 or 85 when there was still sufficient roof left to keep much of the weather off you.

Yes it's crying out for some sort of restoration, seems a shame to let such a nice building in such a fantastic location run to rack & ruin.

Well volunteered CB i think you will do an excellent job restoring it :p

To be fair mate, I probably would... but at the speed I work, it would take a couple of decades. In the meantime, the building I live in would have fallen down 😞

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"Cat_Bones" wrote:

"Graigfawr" wrote:
Sad to see the chapel in its current condition: I bivvied inside in 1984 or 85 when there was still sufficient roof left to keep much of the weather off you.

Yes it's crying out for some sort of restoration, seems a shame to let such a nice building in such a fantastic location run to rack & ruin.

Unfortunately, it would need to be either lived in or regularly used to keep it in good nick, though I'm sure FoC would be delighted to have it as a base if someone would restore it for them! I'm just thinking back to when NPHT did up the mine shop at Coldberry, it didn't take long for most of the windows to get smashed....

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

mistericeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#10

Back to how it was in the mid 80's would be nice to see

hammond
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

#11

Thanks for your help on this, I've certainly got something to go on now.

It is such a shame about the chapel...and i suppose even the landowners could throw obstacles in the way.

Although I have seen some complete wrecks brought back to life so you never know!!

'mistericeman' did you try and post a picture on your last post? What was it?

mistericeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#12

It was a picture of the chapel as it was back in the mid 80's ...posts been corrected by a moderator (for some reason posting pictufes from my fone doesnt work very well lol )

Vanoord
54.4% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#13

"mistericeman" wrote:
It was a picture of the chapel as it was back in the mid 80's ...posts been corrected by a moderator (for some reason posting pictufes from my fone doesnt work very well lol )

The bit inside the tags should be 'img' not 'IMG', ie lowercase throughout 😉

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

12 years ago

#14

"Vanoord" wrote:

"mistericeman" wrote:
It was a picture of the chapel as it was back in the mid 80's ...posts been corrected by a moderator (for some reason posting pictufes from my fone doesnt work very well lol )

The bit inside the tags should be 'img' not 'IMG', ie lowercase throughout ;)

I'll fix that one day soon!

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

grahami
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#15

"edd" wrote:
Wasn't the current path originally used by horse and cart for bringing slate down from Rhosydd? Then the tram way was put in place once permission was granted for lowering down the Cwmorthin inclines to the railway? It is documented in the Rhosydd book but i cant find it at the moment

The tramway was "put in" for the Conglog Quarry - roughly from the foot of the long Cwmorthin incline that delivered to the "Cross Mill" then up the short "Lake Incline" and along the track to Conglog. Cwmorthin eventually got permission to connect to the tramway around the edge of the lake at the Lake Incline drum. Prior to that slates from the "Lake Mill" at Cwmorthin were carried along the floor 2 tramway to the long incline.

The Rhosydd proposal was to let wagons down the steep path from Rhosydd to COnglog.

Cheers

Grahami

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

Edd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#16

"grahami" wrote:

"edd" wrote:
Wasn't the current path originally used by horse and cart for bringing slate down from Rhosydd? Then the tram way was put in place once permission was granted for lowering down the Cwmorthin inclines to the railway? It is documented in the Rhosydd book but i cant find it at the moment

The tramway was "put in" for the Conglog Quarry - roughly from the foot of the long Cwmorthin incline that delivered to the "Cross Mill" then up the short "Lake Incline" and along the track to Conglog. Cwmorthin eventually got permission to connect to the tramway around the edge of the lake at the Lake Incline drum. Prior to that slates from the "Lake Mill" at Cwmorthin were carried along the floor 2 tramway to the long incline.

The Rhosydd proposal was to let wagons down the steep path from Rhosydd to COnglog.

Cheers

Grahami

Ah that makes more sence 🙂

'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'