Wrysgan Winch Engine · AditNow Community

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Strangely Brown
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

Anyone know what happened to the cylinder block and con rods that were at the incline head?

Went up there Saturday and they've gone, no mean feat as they would be too heavy just to pick up and carry off (you'd want some help at least). Cylinder block is a single casting, probably from a locomotive.
Apparently this first pic was taken in 2009 and shows them there then.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/201625
http://www.jgd.org.uk/rotwsi/wrysgan01.html

I don't know when this second pic was taken The Adit now achive has pictures with the block still in it's frames.

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.

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JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

That must have been a hell of a job to move from there! Makes me wonder if it is the same person(s) who cut up and removed parts from the GWR wagon at Maen Offeren. :guns: :guns:

hymac580c
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

I found it had gone when I went up over the Christmas holidays.
I have not had a look down the incline to see if someone has thrown it down. But it would have weighed about 150kg or so.
It was badly corroded and siezed so what use would it be to anyone as nothing would have been salvagable after all the years in the rain.
But look at what has been disapearing from other quarries recently especially Maeofferen.

Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

I doubt it would have been taken for scrap though, far too much trouble for cast iron! If it had contained a lot of brass or copper, then maybe yes, but it didn't.

hymac580c
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

"hymac580c" wrote:
I found it had gone when I went up over the Christmas holidays.
I have not had a look down the incline to see if someone has thrown it down. But it would have weighed about 100kg or so.
It was badly corroded and siezed so what use would it be to anyone as nothing would have been salvagable after all the years in the rain.
But look at what has been disapearing from other quarries recently especially Maeofferen.

I would tend to agree that it would be someone with a keen interest in old steam and rail relics to go to all that trouble. And would take a few blokes to shift it whichever way it was taken away .

Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

A wagon body also disappeared from Penrhyn last year (not from the actual quarry, but from a farmer's field nearby).

mistericeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

Gutting what is going missing ....
How the heck "someone" just manages to get away with clambering up to Wrysgan and having away with that AND doesn't get seen beggars belief ???

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

The wagon parts theft from Maen Offeren were done during two nights.

Strangely Brown
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

Met the farmer too, should have asked if he knew anything but it was so long since I was there (12 years or so) I wasn't sure if my memory had failed me and I'd found it somewhere away from the drum house, had to check it was actually missing first.

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.

staffordshirechina
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#10

Don't under estimate the current price of iron scrap.
Lots of things that were ' only iron scrap' have gone.
Gypos pinch manhole covers and drain grids from industrial estates for the same reason.
On a site I deal with, the scavengers have even taken the old reinforcing from smashed up concrete.

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#11

It would still have taken a hell of an effort to get that engine block from where it was though.

In the case of the wagon last year it was cut up and only certain parts taken. If that had been for scrap it would have al gone I would have thought. Also plenty of other "more manageable" was left. Another point about the wagon is that it was moved prior to being cut up and stolen.

davel
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#12

I suspect the block was probably thrown down the exit incline tunnel and then dragged down the incline to a vehicle on the Stwlan dam road below.

It would be interesting to see if there is any signs of recent damage (or bits of cylinder block) to be seen on the incline or close to it.

Dave

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#13

Don't you need a key to access the Stwlan Dam road though?

Mind you, if you are going to all that trouble, would one padlock be an obstacle!! :guns: :guns: :guns:

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#14

Can anyone give details of when they last went there and the cylinder block was still there, or equally, when it was first noticed it was missing please.

Also, if anyone is proposing to go to Wrysgan in the near future could they see if there are any indication as to which way it was removed? I assume it could either have been got down the mountain to the Cwmorthin access road, or down the incline, either to the bottom or to the Stwlan Dam Road.

Any information could be useful.

Cheers

AndyC
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#15

Would it be worth checking whatever authority owns the dam whether the gate lock has been broken (to the access road). Or are there signs of a 4X4 getting around it?

Been injured while at work and are not to blame?

Get over it.

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#16

Good thinking Andy! Just been on to security at Ffestiniog Power station and the gate has not been tampered with in any way. It turns out he used to be a quarryman and was quite flabberghasted (his word) to learn what had been taken and how heavy it was. Although he didn't know of that particular item himself. He had used others elswhere.

Strangely Brown
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

#17

Would seem the picture on the Geograph website was taken 22 September, 1990, this has the block removed from it's frames.

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.

davel
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#18

Has anyone looked around the incline to see if the block was simply thrown down the tunnel for 'fun'?

Dave

hymac580c
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#19

I will have a look this coming weekend to see if there are anything to see on the incline. I could not see any marks on track down to Cwmorthin.

Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.

mistericeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#20

Anyone thought about having a look in any local scrap dealers ????