enough investors and the partners were brought out by John Rowlands, who owned Gaewern and Ratgoed quarries. At this time Braich Goch quarry included 2 waterwheels, 6 planning machines, 9 sawing engines, 2 miles of tramway and inclined planes and 6 hand sawing machines amongst other equipment. By 1856 shareholders in the Alltgoed Consols were increasingly discontented by the lack of profits from the three quarries. In 1859 the Corris Tramroad opened, connecting the Corris district with Machynlleth and the River Dyfi beyond. The Birley family saw the opportunity of this new transportation route for improving profitability of the local quarries and purchased the lease for Braich Goch from Rowlands, forming Braich Goch Slate Quarry Ltd. Rowlands continued with Gaewern, though without financial success and in 1868 sold it to the Talyllyn Slate Company. That same year employment at Braich Goch had grown to over 200 men. In 1880, Braichgoch took over Gaewern quarry, and the two were worked as a single operation. By the mid-1890s over 6,000 tons of finished slate was being produced and over 350 workers were employed. Braichgoch was the largest slate quarry south of Blaenau Ffestiniog. The downturn in demand for slate in the late 1890s led to Braichgoch closing in 1906. It was revived after the First World War and continued working sporadically until final closure in 1971. Transport By the mid-1840s, Braich Goch quarry maintained a wharf at Machynlleth, slate being shipped there by horse cart. In 1859, the Corris Machynlleth & River Dovey Tramroad opened, connecting the Aberllefenni quarries to river wharfs at Derwenlas. The Upper Corris Tramway branch of the tramroad served Braich Goch. The tramroad later became the Corris Railway and it shipped the majority of the quarry's products until 1927. References External links King Arthur's Labyrinth Eco Dyfi Valley Partnership Corris Mine Explorers Corris Craft Centre Slate mines in Gwynedd Corris Corris Railway Industrial railways in Wales Railway inclines in Wales