Difference between revisions of "Merthyr Tramroad"
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1804 February 21st. The bet was won. Several further runs were made that month and in March. Trevithick's locomotive was probably the first to haul wagons along a "smooth" iron road using the adhesive weight alone of a suitably heavy and powerful steam locomotive. However some of the short cast iron plates of the tram-road broke under the locomotive, so the tram-road returned to horse power after these test runs. | 1804 February 21st. The bet was won. Several further runs were made that month and in March. Trevithick's locomotive was probably the first to haul wagons along a "smooth" iron road using the adhesive weight alone of a suitably heavy and powerful steam locomotive. However some of the short cast iron plates of the tram-road broke under the locomotive, so the tram-road returned to horse power after these test runs. | ||
Eventually about twenty-seven miles in length, serving the iron-works of Plymouth, Pen-y-darran, and Dowlais. | Eventually about twenty-seven miles in length, serving the iron-works of Plymouth, Pen-y-darran (Penydarren), and Dowlais. | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
Revision as of 19:33, 6 February 2020
Merthyr Tramroad, from Penydarren to Abercynon, a distance of 9.75 miles
Penydarren Ironworks was the fourth of the four main ironworks established in Merthyr, the other three being Dowlais, Plymouth and Cyfarthfa. Because the owners of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks dominated the management of the Glamorganshire Canal, the other ironworks built the tramroad to bypass the upper sections of the canal.
1794 The Act for constructing the tramroad was passed in Parliament
Samuel Homfray (of Penydarren) was so impressed with Richard Trevithick's locomotive that he made a bet of 500 guineas with another ironmaster, Richard Crawshay (of Cyfarthfa), that Trevithick's steam locomotive could haul 10 tons of iron along the Merthyr Tramroad from Penydarren to Abercynon, a distance of 9.75 miles.
1803 October: Trevithick was busily engaged in constructing a tramway locomotive at Penydarren, to run on rails not exceeding an elevation of 1 in 50, and of considerable length.
1804 February 21st. The bet was won. Several further runs were made that month and in March. Trevithick's locomotive was probably the first to haul wagons along a "smooth" iron road using the adhesive weight alone of a suitably heavy and powerful steam locomotive. However some of the short cast iron plates of the tram-road broke under the locomotive, so the tram-road returned to horse power after these test runs.
Eventually about twenty-seven miles in length, serving the iron-works of Plymouth, Pen-y-darran (Penydarren), and Dowlais.
See Also
- The Penydarren Tramroad [1]