Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - The River Ely Iron Ore Wharf . . .

Trevithick described his trip the following day [1290] : 'yesterday we proceeded on our journey with the engine; we carry'd ten tons of Iron, five wagons, and 70 Men riding on them the whole of the journey. Its above 9 miles which we performed in 4 hours and 5 mints, but we had to cut down some trees and remove some Large rocks out of the road. The engine, while working, went nearly 5 miles pr hour, there was no water put into the boiler from the time we started untill we arriv'd at our journey's end. The coal consumed was 2 Hund'd. On our return home abt 4 miles from the shipping place of the iron, one of the small bolts that fastened the axel to the boiler broak, and let all the water out of the boiler, which prevented the engine returning untill this evening.'

Trevithick's Tramroad Locomotive -  This original painting by Terence Cuneo in the National Museum of Wales depicts the scene when the first locomotive ever to draw a load on rails was making the journey from Penydarren Ironworks to Abercynon on the 22nd February, 1804. However, there is a some concern that the configuration of the locomotive, as illustrated, would not fit within the confines of the wagonway and tunnels, etc., and was perhaps a later model! [629]