The Hayle Railway was another line built to meet the mining industry’s need to move coal in and ore out of Cornwall. The line ran eastwards to Redruth, and from Redruth Junction north to Portreath and south to Tresavean. It opened in several stages after December 1837, using steam locomotives from the start, giving the route a distinct advantage over the Redruth and Chacewater line. At both Angarrack and Portreath “inclined planes” were built, by which wagons were hauled by ropes up to the next level section of line. Similar inclines at Penponds and Tresavean worked on a counterbalancing principle, using the weight of wagons to pull others up the slope. The remains of one of the inclined planes can be seen in Portreath.
