Bronze Age Gold from Wales

A cast iron incline roller, originally from the Penscoins incline (which was part of the Padarn Railway, linking Dinorwig Quarry to the quay at Port Dinorwig/Y Felinheli).

In 1843 the Padarn Railway began transporting roofing slates from Gilfach Ddu to Port Dinorwig at Y Felinheli (replacing the Dinorwig Railway which operated between 1824-1843).

A 1250 foot long incline, with a 1 in 4½ mean gradient, was built at Penscoins (work was completed in September 1841) to link the Padarn railway terminus with the quayside. This incline was known in the official quarry records as ‘Port Incline’, but referred to locally as ‘R’Allt Incline’, ‘Yr Incline’, or ‘Incline Penscoins’.

Loaded wagons descending hauled up the empty wagons on parallel track. The wagons were attached singly to a chain at intervals for hauling – eight wagons at a time (four on each side). In May/June 1924 the chain was replaced by a wire rope on instruction from the Board of Trade. The wire rope was manufactured by Latch and Batchelor and was 1360 foot in length, and 3’’ in diameter. The rope was renewed in May 1929, June 1936, December 1939, September 1941, May 1949, and November 1960.

The wire rope rested on rollers between the rails to ensure that the wire rope remained in its normal position between the rails. This incline roller dates post 1924 as it was designed to be used with the wire rope (rather than a chain).

This incline roller was recovered from the Port Incline by the donor in the early 1990s when the Felinheli bypass was being built. The winding house and cottages at the top of the Port Incline, along with much of the track work, was obliterated by the Felinheli bypass in 1993-94. Therefore this incline roller is an important example of track work from the Port Incline.