Blondins and wagons at Penyrorsedd

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Vanoord
54.4% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

18 years ago

Thought this deserved its own thread...

🔗Penyrorsedd-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-010[linkphoto]Penyrorsedd-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-010[/linkphoto][/link]

From my recent blondin lessons, I'd say that's a Henderson type of Blondin (like the Penrhyn ones) rather than the Dinorwig style. The pic of the winding / hauling drums clears a lot of confusion up in my mind - ta for uploading them, Graham.

I'd assume that there is not much left at Penyrorsedd of the the blondin syste, although I'm pretty sure I've seen pics of one or two of the blondin carriages/travelers sat in a shed there?

A second thought is that although the tractor-haulage of the wagons seems a bit odd, I suppose it's basically the same as a horse pulling a canal boat.

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

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grahami
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

Yep - it's a Henderson, I'll upload some more stuff to PenyrOrsedd tomorrow, if I get a chance which should make things clearer still. PenyrOrsedd had chain inclines (like the Dinorwic ones) in the past, but they were superceded by the Henderson type. I have some photos of them, but unfortunately they are copyright, so I can't post them.

Graham

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

JohnnearCfon
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Newbie

18 years ago

I believe one pair of blondin towers still stand, and have a preservation order on them.

ChrisP
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Newbie

18 years ago

"JohnnearCfon" wrote:
preservation order

Good!
Here's a photo of a surviving Blondin trolley (Wern't these also called 'horses'?) in the workshop at Pen Yr Orsedd. Sorry about it being partly buried under more clutter.

🔗Penyrorsedd-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-002[linkphoto]Penyrorsedd-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-002[/linkphoto][/link]

Many thanks Graham for uploading these fantastic photos.

Vanoord
54.4% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

18 years ago

Pic of the winding drums - I forgot to add this to my original post:
🔗Penyrorsedd-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-021[linkphoto]Penyrorsedd-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-021[/linkphoto][/link]

Grahams's caption reads:

Quote:

From left to right: 1908 vintage AC motor, traversing cable drum brake, traversing cable drum, clutch space, hoisting drum brake, hoisting drum.

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

ChrisP
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

18 years ago

It's a great shame there isn't a Blondin system preserved and operating- how much fun would it be to drive one of these systems?

JohnnearCfon
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Newbie

18 years ago

Yes, it is a shame the one at Llanberis (Vivian) can't be made to work again. The winding house seems to still have the equipment in it. Mind you, I can't even begin to contemplate what Elvin Saftee and his mates would say!

ChrisP
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Newbie

18 years ago

Yes... I seem to remember a quote from "Quarry Hunslets of North Wales" in which the cab of Dorothea was lifted out of the Twll by the last remaining Blondin amist showers of sparks from the damp motor.

grahami
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Newbie

18 years ago

"ChrisP" wrote:
It's a great shame there isn't a Blondin system preserved and operating- how much fun would it be to drive one of these systems?

I did draw up some plans in the '80's to do that at Gloddfa Ganol. The ideas were based on utilising materials from PenyrOrsedd -then under the same "Ffestiniog Slate Group" umbrella - including the mill compressor and a gravity incline as well as a couple of blondins. Apart from the mill compressor being dismantled and moved to Gloddfa, nothing came of it. (Sighs) It would have made Gloddfa a living museum of the technologies, but the difficulties were immense - getting the cables across the sinc was only one of the interesting problems. I ought to point out that a good number of the blondins at PenYrOrsedd were fully operational at the time.

Graham

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

ChrisP
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Newbie

18 years ago

#10

Does anyone know exactly what remains of the blondins at Pen yr Orsedd, out of curiosity? Not that they are accessible anyway.

LAP
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#11

Is the pit at Penyrorsedd flooded now?
Pardon my stupidness if this has already been mentioned, but I'm sure an episode of the 'restoration' tv series was about this quarry, or was that another quarry? :confused:

Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

JohnnearCfon
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Newbie

17 years ago

#12

The Restoration programme featured a project to re-use the workshops/offices part of the quarry only, not the rest of it. This is one (or two?) levels below the blondins.

Barney
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Newbie

17 years ago

#13

Here's the details of the restoration feature

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/restoration/2006/wales_pen_yr_orsedd_01.shtml

LAP
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#14

aha! Thanks for info people.