Dinorwic Quarries 0-4-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class Alice (Locobase 5983)

Data from "Dinorwic Alice Class" in Wikipedia at [link], last accessed 2 December 2021. See also Mark Adlington originally at pws.prserv.net/mdsme/Hunslet/Alice_class.htm,, later [link], last accessed 2 Decmber 2021.

Wikipedia lists the following works numbers for this class: 409 in 1886, 492-493 in 1889, 541-542 in 1892, 680 in 1898, 779-780 in 1902, 822-823 in 1903, and 849 in 1904.

Mark Adlington in the Quarry Engines of North Wales website shows this as a separate class from the Penrhyn Small Quarry locomotives, but they are essentially identical. As delivered to the Dinworic Quarry, they were named Velinheli, Alice, Enid, No.1, No.2, Wellington, No.3, No.4, No.5, No.6, No.7. Excepting Velinheli, their "second names" were King Of The Scarlets, Red Damsel / Elidir, Rough Pup, Cloister, George B, Holy War, Alice, Maid Marian, Irish Mail, Wild Aster / Thomas Bach.

Wikipedia explains that the Alices were the product of Dinworic Quarry's quest for more powerful locomotives to operated on double-headed, chaired rails. The first engine of the matured design, Velinheli, actually worked for Port Dinorwic (or Y Felinheli), and immediately satisfied the requirement. Dinworic would buy Alice and nine more over the next sixteen years. As delivered, the Alices didn't have any footplate protection; several of the heritage engines have been fitted with full cabs. A small saddle tank lay on the boiler between the safety valve stand over the firebox and the tall, thin chimney over the smokebox.

Every engine in the class was preserved, in some cases heavily restored or retained for parts, for heritage railways. Bala Lake Railway is shown as having the most (4), Llanberis Lake (2)


Class Mills/Tramroad (Locobase 5982)

Mark Adlington in the Quarry Engines of North Wales website -- pws.prserv.net/mdsme/Hunslet/Mills_Tramroad_class.htm -- shows illustrations of the two surviving quarry locomotives of this Hunslet class. See also "The Padarn Railway", The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XI (16th January 1905), p. 13 and [link], the Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum's website.

Both were originally owned by the Dinorwic company, having been bought in 1895 as Port Dinworic (Jerry M, works # 638) and 1898 as Vaenol (Cackler, works # 671).

Gavin Hamilton shows the Cilgwyn Quarries "Lillla" (1891, works #554) which appears to be identical.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassAliceMills/Tramroad
Locobase ID5983 5982
RailroadDinorwic QuarriesDinorwic Quarries
CountryGreat BritainGreat Britain
Whyte0-4-0ST0-4-0ST
Number in Class112
Road Numbers
Gauge60 cm60 cm
Number Built112
BuilderHunslet Engine CoHunslet Engine Co
Year18861895
Valve Gear
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 3.25 / 0.99 4.49 / 1.37
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) 3.25 / 0.99 4.49 / 1.37
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase11
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)13,440 / 609626,321 / 11,939
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)13,440 / 609626,321 / 11,939
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)120 / 0.45264 / 1
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 0.08 / 0.10 0.20
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)11 / 5.5022 / 11
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)20 / 50826 / 660
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)140 / 970140.70 / 970
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)7" x 10" / 178x2548.5" x 14" / 216x356
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)2916 / 1322.684653 / 2110.57
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.61 5.66
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)45 - 1.732" / 44
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)14 / 1.3021.95 / 2.04
Grate Area (sq ft / m2) 2.50 / 0.23 3.55 / 0.33
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)100 / 9.29193 / 17.94
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)100 / 9.29193 / 17.94
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume224.51209.90
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation350499
Same as above plus superheater percentage350499
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area19603088
Power L117812008
Power MT584.29336.38

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