Some Early Lines – Old Railway Companies – Mid-Wales Railway

Some Early Lines

Old Railway Companies

Mid-Wales Railway

Rhayader (Mid-Wales Railway) lost its train service (officially) on 31 December 1962, an event perhaps foreshadowed by the right-hand poster on the end wall, headed ‘TRANSPORT ACT’ which was possibly giving notice of closure. Prospects for the station seemed as dismal as the weather.

 

Llanidloes station, with southbound Mid-Wales line train
View northward, towards Moat Lane Junction: ex-Cambrian Railway Mount Lane – Builth – Three Cocks line. Back in 1949, ex-Cambrian or ex-GW 0-6-0’s worked most of the traffic on this line, which was closed on 31/12/62 although goods traffic continued as far as Llanidloes until 4/5/64. No. 2483 is a GW ‘Dean Goods’ 0-6-0 (built 5/1896, withdrawn 9/52).
© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The line was authorised in two sections – the Northern end, Llandiloes-Llandovery, on 1 August 1859, the Southern length (Newbridge-on-Wye to Three Cocks) on 3 July 1860. The Company also gained control of the Three Cocks – Talyllyn section, hitherto owned by the HH&BR. The first sod was cut in a downpour on 2 September, but further work on the 46.75 miles was delayed until 1862. Formal opening took place on 23 August 1864, and the line opened to goods on 1 September. The Company worked the HH&BR while that company was sorting out its ‘illegal’ amalgamation with the B&MTJR, but then had money trouble. Locomotives and rolling stock were sold, WA with the Cambrian Railway were signed, with effect from 2 April 1888, and vesting followed from 24 June 1904. The line was used intensively for coal traffic going north to Scapa Flow during the Great War.

Three Cocks Junction Station, with Hereford – Brecon train
View NE, towards Hereford to the right by the ex-Midland line; ahead to the left the ex-Cambrian Mid-Wales Line joined from Moat Lane Junction via Builth Wells and both continued to Brecon – to the left. The train from Hereford is headed by ex-Midland 3F 0-6-0 No. 43600.
© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The Mid-Wales Railway (MWR) was an early railway company operating in Mid-Wales. It was a constituent part of the Cambrian Railways.
Parliament had authorised both the MWR and the Manchester and Milford Railway to connect Llanidloes to Aberystwyth, and so the M&MR had prioritised construction in the Llanidloes area. Eventually an agreement was reached to form the joint Llanidloes and Newtown Railway, which extended 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south to Pentrabane junction, where the MWR and M&MR’s short-lived Llangurig branch diverged. The L&NR opened its line in 1859, enabling through working to and from the MWR line.

Builth Road (Low Level) Station
View SE, towards Three Cocks Junction and Brecon; ex-Cambrian, Mid-Wales line, Brecon – Three Cocks Junction – Moat Lane Junction. The station and the line throughout were closed completely on 31/12/62, but the goods yard here remained connected to the High Level line until 6/9/65.
© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The MWR worked the line of the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway from 1 October 1868 until that company was taken over by the Midland Railway on 1 October 1869. The line from Builth Road to Llandovery was not built, but a connection to the Central Wales Extension Railway was completed on 1 November 1866, enabling goods trains to run to and through that station.
Stations
At Brecon, following the initial opening of three separate stations, a joint station was created at Free Street.
At Llanidloes railway station, the grand junction building that was created in anticipation of M&MR traffic which never materialised, since the Mid Wales Railway never completed their section of the Llangurig – Strata Florida – Aberystwyth line.

Rhayader station, Powys, shortly before closure in 1962

3 January 2010 – Flying Stag  This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.