Just to add to the confusion...

Here's a link to Flash Earth and Dinorwig - I've rotated it to make it fit the page a bit better:
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.1212&lon=-4.09743&z=15.9&r=296&src=msl 

It's quite surprising the resolution you can get from this - I assume the newish feature above the quarry is the top of the 'downpipe' for the power station or some sort of surge pond?

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Hmm.. interesting! I believe the scary and extremely deep sinc "Braich Bach" (small shaft?) is the lowest one on the right side.

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But where is "The Man of Dinorwig's" hose then??

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Yes, the oval feature above the quarry is the power station surge pond it is a vertical pipe (getting larger as it nears the surface) which goes down the the point where the near horizontal (slightly descending) pipe from Llyn Marchlyn Mawr changes direction to a near vertical pipe going down the the turbines/pumps. It's function is to take the sudden "back pressure" when Dinorwic has been genereating and they close the main water vale to stop generating. The force of the fast moving water along the near horizontal tunnel which suddenly is no longer able to descend is directed up the surge shaft, then slowly descends to normal level again. I hope that makes sense, much easier with a diagram.

Incidently, a useless fact for you. It takes 4 units of electricity (ie pumping water up) to generate 3 units of electricity. This only makes sense if you compare it to a domestic "Economy 7" tariff. Ie you use 4 units at cheap rate to produce 3 units at peak rate. Plus you have the ability to overcome short term high usage (which would other wise mean fossil fuelled power stations being kept just on standby) or the sudden loss of one of the other stations for whatever reason.

But where is "The Man of Dinorwig's" hose then??

I assume you meant 'house' not 'hose'! 😮

Right here, in 'Dali's Hole': http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.123523&lon=-4.101212&z=18.3&r=316&src=msl 

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But where is "The Man of Dinorwig's" hose then??

In the bottom of Dali's hole... which floods quite often, due to a bad blackage in the drainage adit.

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Ah, so that's what is meant by Dali's hole, I assumed it must be due to previous references to petrified trees, but wasn't 100% sure. How did it get such a name, any ideas?

The petrified trees, I guess!

It's been pretty full of water this summer - a great breeding ground for the flies that bite when one fancies an evening's climbing :curse:

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Ah, so that's what is meant by Dali's hole, I assumed it must be due to previous references to petrified trees, but wasn't 100% sure. How did it get such a name, any ideas?

I'm not sure, but the original map of the site in "Delving in Dinorwig" doesn't actually show it! I believe it was called Sinc Twyll Clawdd or something similar, though don't take my word for it...

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Thinking about it, isn't it about time someone re-surveyed Dinorwig?
It would be extremely difficult by all accounts, though it would be very important...

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There are already a number of surveys/plans that have been done that have appeared in various books. Plus the OS do resurvey things from time to time.

Incidently, I have a couple of theories to espound on here about inclines.

Firstly, C10, I am pretty sure that it was never actually commissioned. There is no trace of a head, there are no traces of track materials or fixings. Also, that might explain why the head gear of C9 is almost "built round by the lower part of the C10 Incline build. My theory is it was never completed, and if it had been the head of C9 would have been removed/built over, and the incline would have been worked as one from a new head at C10T (presumably it would then have been renumbered C9 incline with C9T at its top and what was C9T being renumbered C9A.

Secondly, There is a transporter incline in the middle of the quarry not the one to left of Dali's hole, or the one right next to the road that goes across site. But higher up and more to right. It is a couple of levels below Australia (C5T). about 100 yards to right of this is another transporter incline with a pair of derelict transporters laying on ground a few yards from it's bottom. Again, this has no head nor any trace of track materials or fixings. My theory is this was intended to be a replacement for the one that is still complete, but was never finished. Maybe, like the lower C inclines they were intending to quarry away the incline that is complete still. There is a nice photo somewhere of a Hunslet loco pulling a train past the "not used" transporters taken c1961 I believe.

Anyone got any comments, suggestions, or knowledge of the above?

Further to above.

If you look at the Aerial photo of Dinorwic from Vanoord's link, you can clearly see how C10 is built round the head of C9. Really makes it obvious that it was going to be built over to make it one incline. It would also appear that since I was right up there (about 12 years ago) much more of the upper "platform head" area of C10 has collapsed. It would seem there is only a very narrow section left as you approach where the head would have gone. It may not be clear from that photo that the level area of embankment extends quite a way out before the incline itself started. I must dig out my photos of that area and put them up.

Also, both the existing transporter inclines are visible in that photo too. You can even make out the transporter at top (I wonder how long it will stay there!) also if you look to right you can see the "unused" incline (the upper half is the most clear on photo) and if you zoom in you can even see the 2 rusty transporters lying there.

It's funny I also noticed that!
The drumhouse of C9 is build into what would be the C10 embankment, though the C10 embankment has no evidence of rails nor sleepers, nor a drumhouse...
One thing that made me think.. what are the B inclines, are these the ones that are around the Twyll mawr area?

Linden

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What alse interested me was the Old A inclines! These wouldn't have been in the same place as the present A1, A2, A3 & A4 inclines, but would have started somewhere around where the road to the powerstation is. The inclines were streight and lead directly from Lake lefel or Lefel llyn... to just below where the main mill area is for garret at the top of A4 and bottom of A5.
These were Dinorwig's 1st inclines.

If one looks at inclines C1, C2, and C3 as you've already pointed out I believe, there seems to be a replacemant for the inclines, a little towords the powerstation...
Can anyone explain this???

Cheers

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Firstly to deal with your A side query. There are the remains of several of the "old As" still extant. They are particularly clear above what we used to call "Matilda Road" ie the road that cuts across the middle of the quarry about A4T level. They are slightly nearer the centre of the quarry than the "new As". Below Matilda Road they are less clear, but crtainly the Old A4 and possibly a bit of Old A3 too. I think they are lost lower down.

Regarding C1, C2 & C3. The "replacements", as you call them, are in fact the originals. The later ones were built due to the extending width of the quarry. If you look carefully at the aerial photo you can see that Old C3 is vertually complete. C2 has vitually disappeared initially due to quarrying away upper section compounded by CEGB filling in a pit adjacent to the lowere section and levelling that area off completely. Old C1 is also partly visible although not so distinct.

May I suggest when you visit North Wales you allocate a day at Caernarfon Record Office (for former Caernarfonshire area) or Dolgellau Record Office (for former Merioneth area) the time you spend there will be well spent I can asure you!

The B series are odd ones dotted about in middle of quarry, there was not a string of them like As or Cs.

Diolch yn fawr!
That's answeared some long lived questions, cheers 😉
Humm.. presumably that was Twyll Mawr.. 'the one beside the C inclines, which was at the time expanding... which caused them to be moved. The lower 1/2 of the old C1 seems now to be gone however, yet the old C3 looks more or less the same as the other C3!

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I have absolutely no idea what they are on about in the past few post's, although I expect I would if there was a diagram. But here is where I took the man of dinorwic's picture during big bash.http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.123775&lon=-4.097353&z=18.3&r=316&src=msl  Speaking of which, simon. Can I have it back now? 😉

This Dinorwig place looks as though it might be a good candidate for some AP. Can any of you supply a bit of advanced info, like are the natives friendly ;-)) are the adjacent hills used by hang gliders and the like, are the RAF likely to come down the valley at zero feet ??? Lastly I'm not asking for a wind prediction but generally what are the winds like and do they generally come down the valley??

http://www.xcweather.co.uk  ) is not too good. But I might just wander over and have a look see.

Dinorwig? Friendly locals are all you'll find - you'll often find a few climbers near Dali's Hole, but no hang gliders. The quarry has a few paths through it and although there are a couple of No Entry signs, I don't think anyone's ever been removed from there.

As far as I recall, you're also pretty safe from the RAF - they seem to prefer the Ogwen Valley as it's unpopulated: Dinorwig is just across the lake from Llanberis, so they'll avoid flying too close to the village.

Wind? Erm... don't really know. I suspect that you may encounter some odd wind shadows but it would depend on the day, I guess. Possibly the higher up the quarry you go the clearer it may become, but again I reckon that would depend on the conditions on the day.

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There were hand gliders there when I was there.