De Winton quarry locomotive, Dinas, Caernarfon

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This small locomotive, named Llanfair, was built in 1895 at the De Winton company's Union Ironworks, parts of which can still be seen near the Welsh Highland Railway's Caernarfon station. It hauled wagons at the Penmaenmawr granite quarries. It was partly restored at a museum in Surrey, and later exhibited at Gloddfa Ganol slate quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog. After Gloddfa Ganol closed to tourists in 1997, the locomotive moved to the Welsh Highland Railway and is now displayed at Dinas station.

De Winton specialised in simple locomotives with vertical boilers, rather than the horizontal boilers used for most other locos. This example ran on tracks with 91cm (3ft) between the rails.

The Darbishire family, which owned the Penmaenmawr quarries, was a devotee of De Winton locos. The quarry foreman even constructed a scale model of one, at the family’s request. From 1905 it gave rides to the family and guests along a miniature track in the grounds of Plas Mawr, the family’s home.

Postcode: LL54 5UP  View Location Map

Ffestiniog Railway on HistoryPoints.org

Welsh Highland Railway website

 

 


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