# Dinorwic Alice Class

The Dinorwic Alice Class is a class of eleven narrow-gauge 0-4-0ST steam locomotives built specifically for the Dinorwic quarry. These locomotives were built by the Hunslet Engine Company between 1886 and 1904, and were designed and supplied specifically to work the many galleries of the quarry at Llanberis, North Wales.

## History

After earlier experiences with vertical boilered De Winton locomotives, the quarry company decided they needed more powerful locomotives to run on heavier, double-headed rail in chaired track on its more intensively worked quarry galleries. To improve transport of cut slate to the mills and waste to the slag tips, a standard locomotive design that was powerful, lightweight and had a short wheelbase was required.
In 1870, the quarry placed an order with the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds for a prototype locomotive. They produced Dinorwic (works number 51 of 1870), which is a clear precursor to the Alice class. This locomotive proved a success and two further locomotives were ordered in 1877 to an improved design.
Hunslet continued to evolve the design, and when the quarry ordered a fourth locomotive in 1886, Hunslet delivered the first of the Alice Class engines, named Velinheli (No. 409 of 1886). The class name was derived from the second example of this class of engine to be built, named Alice later King Of The Scarlets (No. 492 of 1889). This was done to avoid confusion with the Port organisation (Port Dinorwic or Y Felinheli) which was separate from the quarry operation.
11 locomotives of this class were built for the Dinorwic Slate Quarry, with all surviving into some form of preservation. Hunslet allocated the telegraphic codename VELIN to this class, named after the first locomotive.

## Locomotive information

| First name / No. | Second name | Year built | Works number | Working location at Dinorwic (Gallery name or Port) | Disposal | Current location |
| Velinheli | ~ | 1886 | 409 | Ponc-Fawr 1928 Dyffryn 1935 Gilfach Ddu 1950 Village Line 1952 Hafod Owen 1959 Gilfach Ddu 1962 | Sold May 1965 | Ffestiniog Railway |
| Alice | King Of The Scarlets | 1889 | 492 | Dyffryn 1947 Gilfach Ddu 1965 | Sold June 1965 | Statfold Barn Railway |
| Enid | Red Damsel / Elidir | 1889 | 493 | New York, Gilfach Ddu 1931 Lernion 1950 Gilfach Ddu 1957 | Dismantled, parts sold 1969 | Llanberis Lake Railway |
| No.1 | Rough Pup | 1891 | 541 | Dyffryn, Pen Garret, Gilfach Ddu 1960 | Moved To NGRM, 1968 | Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at Tywyn |
| No.2 | Cloister | 1892 | 542 | New York 1932 Gilfach Ddu 1933 Dyffryn 1934 Ponc-Fawr, Gilfach Ddu 1961 | Sold August 1962 | Statfold Barn Railway |
| Wellington | George B | 1898 | 680 | The Port 1898 Dyffryn 1929 Gilfach Ddu 1935 | Sold October 1965 | Bala Lake Railway |
| No.3 | Holy War | 1902 | 779 | Lernion, Penrhydd-Bach, Gilfach Ddu 1969 | Sold November 1969 | Bala Lake Railway |
| No.4 | Alice | 1902 | 780 | Australia | Sold January 1969 | Bala Lake Railway |
| No.5 | Maid Marian | 1903 | 822 | Village Line 1903 Gilfach Ddu 1931 Padarn-Peris Tram Line 1956 Pen-Garret, Gilfach Ddu 1966 | Sold 1965 | Bala Lake Railway |
| No.6 | Irish Mail | 1903 | 823 | Pen-Garret 1903 Sinc-Fawr 1929 Australia 1936 Gilfach Ddu 1959 | Motion parts sold 1969 | West Lancashire Light Railway |
| No.7 | Wild Aster / Thomas Bach | 1904 | 849 | Pen-Garret 1904 Gilfach Ddu 1934 Ponc-Fawr 1935 Penrhydd-Bach 1950 Gilfach Ddu 1962 | Dismantled, parts sold 1969 | Llanberis Lake Railway |