The South Caradon Tramway Mainline

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Caradon Hill Railways

South Caradon Mine Tramway
The Line to Kitto's Shaft

Caradon Railways

Summary of the lines

South Caradon Mine

The Tramway on the dressing floors

South Caradon Map

South Caradon Tramway running into its terminus within the dumps at Kitto's Shaft
Taken from a photograph on display at Wheal Tor Hotel

South Caradon's main tramway ran from near the Setts Eastern boundary at Kitto's shaft to a terminus near the Yard above the dressing floors. It passed through a tunnel at Holmans shaft but did not appear to have branches to any other of the mines shafts. The tramway ran parallel and slightly higher than the mines main East to West cart track. It assumed that the tramway was horsedrawn but a lone chimney (seen in the above photograph) has been suggested to have served stationary haulage engine for the tramway.
Assuming the wagons to hold two tons of ore each about tens wagons a day would have passed along the route down to the Seaton Valley when the mine was operating at its peak production.

This map shows the route of the tramway as it rounded the corner of the hill into the Seaton Valley. The parallel lines of tracks, tramline and leats all squeeze under the slopes of the mine waste tips.These can be seen in the photograph below as they run behind the stamp engine. Messenger interprets the rear parallel line as being a raised launder. The OS map confirms that a leat ran along this alignment to donkey pond. The reveted route below this is probably that of the Tramway on a descent to the Yard.
Once at the terminus the track track appears to turn to the west to an unloading siding above the dressing shed. How this is achieved with the gradient that existed beside the Drys is not clear. However, close inspection of the Victorian photograph does not reveal a possible raised track bed supported by trestles.

Detail from photagraph in Neil Parkhouse Collection as Published in Messenger. No public right away exists to any of the mine sites visible from this footpath. On many mine sites in Cornwall dangers may still exist, many hidden. This web site is published as a resource to those using the public right of way.