Another visit from a fantastic week, over easter, in North Wales. This is the old aeriel ropeway built in 1927 to transport copper ore from a point near Four Lodes, at the upper end of Cwm Bychan to a processing plant at the lower end of the mountain, near Nantmor, about a mile or so away. Although not a lot remains it is definately worth the slog up to see it as, especially on a beautiful afternoon, the scenery is spectacular !!
This is the sight that greets you as you arrive at the bottom end of the site. This is part of the ropeways tensioning apparatus and was originally filled to the top with rocks to keep it steady.
On the way up to the top are some lovely views which although not particularly relevent do show the route the ropeway took !!
As you near the top the first of the four pylons comes into view - probably difficult to see at this size !!
Each pylon is about 15ft tall and are generally still in pretty good condition.
Near the top end the loading stn comes into view.
This consists of iron scaffolding supporting a horizontal wheel ca 1.5m in diameter, around which the cable passed. Buckets suspended from bogies, each with a pair of wheels were held on the cable by a friction device attached to the wheel carrier. The suspended buckets arrived at the terminal station, where they were semi automatically lifted by their wheels onto a fixed iron track passing behind the horizontal wheel. Here they could be stored temporarily while being filled, after which they could be manually pushed around the iron track, before being slipped back onto the moving cable.
Well, there you have it, a fantastic and unusual part of our heritage just waiting for you to visit !!
Thanx for viewing !!
This is the sight that greets you as you arrive at the bottom end of the site. This is part of the ropeways tensioning apparatus and was originally filled to the top with rocks to keep it steady.
On the way up to the top are some lovely views which although not particularly relevent do show the route the ropeway took !!
As you near the top the first of the four pylons comes into view - probably difficult to see at this size !!
Each pylon is about 15ft tall and are generally still in pretty good condition.
Near the top end the loading stn comes into view.
This consists of iron scaffolding supporting a horizontal wheel ca 1.5m in diameter, around which the cable passed. Buckets suspended from bogies, each with a pair of wheels were held on the cable by a friction device attached to the wheel carrier. The suspended buckets arrived at the terminal station, where they were semi automatically lifted by their wheels onto a fixed iron track passing behind the horizontal wheel. Here they could be stored temporarily while being filled, after which they could be manually pushed around the iron track, before being slipped back onto the moving cable.
Well, there you have it, a fantastic and unusual part of our heritage just waiting for you to visit !!
Thanx for viewing !!
!!!
