Padarn Railway
Map of the Padarn Railway | |
The Padarn Railway locomotive shed at Penscoins in 2005 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Llanberis |
| Locale | Wales |
| Dates of operation | 1843–1961 |
| Successor | Llanberis Lake Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft (1,219 mm) |
| Track length | 7 mi (11 km) |
The Padarn Railway was a narrow-gauge railway in North Wales, built to the unusual gauge of 4 ft (1,219 mm). It carried slate seven miles (11 km) from Dinorwic Quarry to Port Dinorwic. The line opened on 3 March 1843, replacing the Dinorwic Railway. It initially used horses, but was converted to steam haulage on 23 November 1848. The railway was formally titled the Dinorwic Quarries Railway or Dinorwic Quarry Railway, but informally "Padarn Railway" was widely used.
The railway officially closed on 3 November 1961. The locomotive Dinorwic performed the last practical services by hauling the track-lifting trains.