The Porthgain Tramway

The coastal villages of Porthgain and Abereiddi in North Pembrokeshire between St Davids and Fishguard saw considerable quarrying for slate during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The slates produced were exported by sea from Porthgain and tramways were built to carry the slate from the quarries to the harbour.

In 1840 land in the area was leased for quarring to Barclay & Co, a London based firm. They built Porthgain harbour and the first tramway to it from the nearby quarry at Abereiddi. During the 1880s the tramway expanded in the area of the harbour and another tramway of 3ft gauge was constructed on the cliffs above to service the St Brides and Pen Clegyr quarries.

During the early 1900s there was a great demand for roadstone and the Forest of Dean Stone Firm then running the site desided to modernize their operations at Porthgain. Although the tramway to Abereiddi was now disused the cliff top rail system was relaid for locomotives and in 1910 the first engine arrived to replace the horses. Extensive track improvements were necessary due to the weight of the locomotives. Problems also developed due to the exposed location of the railway system on cliff tops. Salt spray attacked rails, locomotives and rolling stock, sleepers rotted and high winds caused further damage. By 1931 these factors and the sites' remote location far from its markets resulted in the quarries being closed together with the railway serving them.

A total of four narrow gauge locomotives were used at Porthgain. Porthgain an 0-6-0, Singapore an 0-4-2 saddle tank which did little service as she was found to be much to heavy for the line) and the two 0-4-0s Charger and Newport. The rolling stock consisted of quarry trams and tipper wagons.