A water balance was used here to raise the clogs from the quarry bottom. They were only raised half way up the face from where they were trammed out. The rail in the picture is the halfway point.
Cheers, that explains it!
For those of you who dont know: -
There was also a blondin which spanned the width and later the length (or other way round?) of the pit, which was used to bring clogs of slate up from the deepest parts of the main pit. Rock in the shallower parts was taken out via tunnel.
Behind where this photo was taken is Parrock Pit, material from which was removed via two levels at different heights, or by a powered incline. The incline is now largely gone, but the original housing for the headgear still exists in the form of two paralell lumps on concerete at the top of the pit; and the transporter for the incline lies in the nearby forest (mines wheels)
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