Whats the small mine at the west end of the lake next to the railway, is it one of the moelwyns, lead or something?

Not sure how best to describe these, but assuming you're on a train from Porthmadog travelling towards Blaenau along the old route now flooded! As you come out of the tunnel you pass the site of Moelwyn Halt, there was a small village here believe it or not of mainly railway workers and quarrymen.

To the right, a branch ran to the Brookes' Granite Quarry which can still be seen south of the lake.

To the left (North) a branch ran to the Moelwyn Zinc Mine, which later produced Copper and then Slate.

A little further on, again to the North was another branch which served the Moelwyn Slate Quarry. This has 4 (I think) inclines which are obvious today and are probably the ones that LAP was referring to behind the power station.

Next comes the Wrysgan Quarry Incline followed by Tanygrisiau Station. Cwmorthin Incline came down to the line just beyond the station site and was always troublesome to the railway company.

As you can see, the line had branches coming down to it all over the place - 5 there in just over a mile! I must get round to scanning a map in to show this clearer!

To the left (North) a branch ran to the Moelwyn Zinc Mine, which later produced Copper and then Slate.

This sounds like the one, warning signs nearby. Are there shafts or adits?

Yes, but I think that one is all gated - a hiker wandered in without a torch and fell down a shaft. Seems a bit daft only gating that one when the Moelwyns are riddled with holes. Perhaps it belongs to the power station and they have more concern about getting sued than other landowners.

Yes, but I think that one is all gated - a hiker wandered in without a torch and fell down a shaft. Seems a bit daft only gating that one when the Moelwyns are riddled with holes. Perhaps it belongs to the power station and they have more concern about getting sued than other landowners.

The one im thinking of is further along the railway, back towards Porthmadoc. I thought the one where the hiker fell was above Llyn Stwlan?

In that case I don't know. Llyn Stwlam has flooded most of the Moelwyn Slate Mine I think. Never visited that one nore the Zinc/Slate mine so I don't know - maybe somewhere else to visit!

In that case I don't know. Llyn Stwlam has flooded most of the Moelwyn Slate Mine I think. Never visited that one nore the Zinc/Slate mine so I don't know - maybe somewhere else to visit!

i will dig out an old book with plans and try and explain it a little better........

i will dig out an old book with plans and try and explain it a little better........

i will dig out an old book with plans and try and explain it a little better........

i will dig out an old book with plans and try and explain it a little better........

i will dig out an old book with plans and try and explain it a little better........

its about 400metres past the 11 mile marker post on the FR, does Llyn ystradau mean anything? or 120/76 marker? these are all at the location. 🙂

Not sure, have you got a grid reference? There is another mine in that area called Glan yr Afon Ddu as well apparently.

Llyn Ystradau is the name of the lake, and I don't think any of the mines would be called this as I don't think the name has local origins.

Have a look at this map http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/BlaenauFfestiniogMap.png . Its the best I can find at the moment - it shows the Zinc Mine and the Slate Mine branches.

The end of the branch to Moelwyn Quarry is about where Llyn Stwlan is now. Where's your mine in relation to it?

Ahh! the 'zinc mine' is bang on the location!

Why has one of my posts repeated itself over and over again further back?!?! :ohmygod:

How old is the zinc mine? :glare:

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The info I've got is very sketchy as it comes from the Festiniog Railway book rather than a quarry history book.

Lead was first mined there in 1893.
Zinc and Lead from 1908.
Zinc only from 1917.
Working ceased in the 1920's.

Hope that helps.

Moelwyn Slate Mine had no fewer than 7 inclines to connect it with the FR! This must have been a very costly when you think that there are 5 men working on each incline - a brakesman, and two teams of hookers (don't laugh) at the top and bottom.

Thanks - yes it helps.

Hooker; ha, ha :lol:
But yes - they could in theory have made a incline system down to llyn cwmorthin, and then another down to were the railway passes.

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