Slate Quarry Railways of Gwynedd

Slate Quarry Railways of Gwynedd by Michael Messenger.

North Wales has a special place in the history of railways for it was here that narrow gauge railways first came to prominence. The Penrhyn Tramway was the first in 1801, but it was the Festiniog Railway in 1836 that gained enormous publicity, especially when steam locomotives were introduced in 1865. This line influenced railway development in difficult terrains around the world. Most of the lines were of a nominal two-feet gauge, very much narrower than elsewhere in the British Isles.

The selection of quarries and railways included within this book are the ones the author personally visited and photographed during the 1960s and early 70s.