I'm currently dong some research on a North Yorkshire mine that Dave Wilson Mining tried and failed to open as a tourist attraction around 1979.

In much of the literature of the time, he states he inaugurated a similar scheme at Llechwedd and that there were 270,000 visitors in the first 8 months.

Now in all honesty the chap seems to be prone to some major flights of fancy, so I was wondering if anyone knows what his involvement at Llechwedd was and if those visitors figures are correct ?

Also mentions an "A. Smith" in connection with it, but by late 1978 he's off the company with his name typed over on the headed note paper.

I wonder if thats Andy Smith who appeared in Derbyshire about that time, doing commercial things with mineral samples, opened "The Rock Shop" in Tideswell.

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I can remember going to Llechwedd with my parents around about that date. It seemed from memory to be fairly busy so those visitor numbers might well be correct.

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I remember reading of similar high figures at the time of opening & how this had helped keep the quarry going in lean times.

I noticed this weekend as I passed the quarry car park was no where near as busy as the new mountain bike centre. Both uplift buses were busy taking bikes up the new access road to the top of the quarry loaded withbikes too.

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Quarry Tours opened in 1972 (according to the 1973 guidebook) - I sold off my FR Magazines a year or two ago, but I remember there was an article on in it at the time - perhaps that would give a definitive clue ? I know that several FR members were involved in the original project before it was "taken over" by Greaves themselves. The 1975 edition of the guidebook says "now visited by 250,000 people a year." The 1978 Guidebook says that "within 5 years the (miners) tramway had carried a million passengers."
The Deep mine tour opened in 1979.

In "Llechwedd and other Ffestiniog Railways" I notice that the original cars for the miners tramway were "made at a Penrhyndeudraeth smithy" but modified at Boston Lodge and that subsequently "the majority were made at Boston Lodge" and the original battery locos were "all renovated at Boston Lodge" - so the FR was heavily involved in the original project. John Caernarfon can probably cast more light on this than I can.


Grahami

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Graham (and All)

The late Jack Owen (then FR Electrical Engineer) and Paul Dukes (then FR Boston Lodge Works Manager) were heavily involved with Llechwedd being opened up as a show mine. I was priviliged to be shown Jack's films of Llechwedd being prepared by his widow, Penny, in the early 80's. It showed the tracklaying for the original Miner's Tramway. At the time, there was real co-operation between Llechwedd & the FR and had this co-operation continued, there was the likelyhood of the old Llechwedd to FR incline at Dinas being rebuilt into a passenger carrying incline. Hence the level crossing at Glan y Pwll being created as a double track level crossing - it had been an intention to have shuttles between Blaenau FR station and Dinas for transfer to the quarry.

What a dream! Sadly it has never come to pass...

Clive (F&WHR Volunteer Engineer)

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Drifting off topic ...

It may be of interest that there are currently two Miners' Tramway passenger cars at the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways' workshops at Boston Lodge where they have been undergoing renovation. (I've been involved in some of the work on them.)

Dave

For what it's worth Dad took me in April 72 and we had tickets in the first 50 wish I'd kept them now 😉 . I do remember the carriages derailing quite a bit (newness I think they call it)

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A few years ago i picked up some ebay purchases for a mate of mine from Bath. I arrived at the address and got talking to the vendor. The kit i was picking up had a connection with the underground (a digital clock for a bunker) and after discussing Monkton Farleigh and its demise he mentioned that he had been involved with setting up Llechwedd as a tourist mine (think he mentioned the early 70's). He said he was an MD of the place at the time. I'll ask my mate what this chaps name was. EDIT: Chaps name was/is David Edwards

DP

Dave Wilson also tried to open Carrs Mine at Nenthead as a tourist mine before he moved to Goathland. We need to meet sometime - NMCS has inherited some old files from a public body which cover all his dealings at Nenthead.

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Chris

My understanding is that the driving force behind the Llechwedd scheme was Ian Rutherford. He now runs King Arthur's Labyrinth and can be contacted there.

Cheers

Jon

Thanks for all the info.

I'm seeing a lot of names, but not much reference to 'Dave Wilson' himself.

Currently this backs up my thinking that he was a minor player, perhaps just brought in as a contractor on a small aspect of the work ?

Thanks for all the info.

I'm seeing a lot of names, but not much reference to 'Dave Wilson' himself.

Currently this backs up my thinking that he was a minor player, perhaps just brought in as a contractor on a small aspect of the work ?

Dave Wilson tried to involve my late father in his scheme to open up Sil Howe (?????) as a tourist mine; this must have been in the late 1970s or early 1980s. At the time my father, a mining engineer, was working as a plant designer at Head Wrightson in Stockton. From what I remember he rapidly came to the conclusion that Dave Wilson was a fantasist whom he wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

Dave Wilson tried to involve my late father in his scheme to open up Sil Howe (?????) as a tourist mine; this must have been in the late 1970s or early 1980s. At the time my father, a mining engineer, was working as a plant designer at Head Wrightson in Stockton. From what I remember he rapidly came to the conclusion that Dave Wilson was a fantasist whom he wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

Thanks, that's just further backing up what i've heard from others and my own opinions based on the mine 'plans' he produced for this area complete with production figures that have no basis in documented fact at all.

Sadly one has since been taken at face value and appears in a book.

Sorry, I have no information for that period, other than the QT operation was originally independant but then Greaves took it over themselves.

Andy Smith was active in the area at that time and would have initially been interested perhaps as a contractor. Both he and, by repute, Mr Wilson were good at bullsh*t. Smith went on to get involved with several of the Northern Pennine 'characters' and did various things for potential mining companies and investors.
We provided winding equipment and other stuff for his re-opening of Wellhope Shaft for Robertson Research and the driving of the connecting slit that allows present day access.
Smith was killed in a small plane accident in Africa in 1995.

Wasn't there another tourist mine on the other side of the road at Glodffa Ganol?

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Monty said:>

>Wasn't there another tourist mine on the other side of the road at Glodffa Ganol?

Yes indeed. After Oakeley / Cwmorthin had closed in 1970, Oakeley partly reopened as a mine but more of a tourist centre in 1978, giving trips underground and having a collection of old steam, diesel and electric ng locos. Eventually, this floundered and it was sold to McAlpines in 1997 who closed the tourist side and reopened it as a fully working quarry / mine again. In March 2010, serious cracks occurred on the surface when it threatened to collapse into the vast caverns below and it was closed as a working quarry (for good..?) instantly.

For this reason, if you're exploring Cwmorthin, DON'T trespass beyond the marked boundary below ground - not only might you end up with the odd million tonnes of slate on your head but it would seriously threaten our access to Cwmorthin. There's more than enough to keep you interested in Cwmorthin without risking our access and your life if you stray into the Oakeley workings...

Clive
FoC member and NG railway - F&WHR - volunteer) 😮

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