Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil and Gwent
Gwili Railway
Telephone: 01267 338213 Email: enquiries@gwili-railway.co.uk
Line Length: 2½ miles Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Bronwydd Arms to Danycoed Halt Journey Time: 1 hour (round trip)
Service: April 6, 7, 8, 9. 11,12, 15, 17 - 19, 24 - 26, 30 / May - Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 2, 4, 23, 30 / July every day except 2, 6, 9, 13, 16 / August every day / September - Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 1, 15, 22 / October - Sundays, 3, 10, 13, 17, 23 - 25 / December - Saturdays & Sundays, 21, 24 •
Tickets: Adult £8.00, Child £2.00 return fare
Parking: Bronwydd Arms Station SA33 6HT
Website: www.gwili-railway.co.uk YouTubevideo location map
Bronwydd Arms Station: Refreshments, shop
Llwfan Cerrig Station: miniature railway, picnic area
The Great Western Railway had a line that went from Carmathen to Aberystwyth, the 60 mile journey took three hours. Originally laid to Brunel's broad gauge (7ft 0¼ inch) it was the last railway in Wales to be converted to standard gauge, this happened in 1872. Plans were for the line to terminate at Cardigan but this destination was never reached, instead the GWR who leased the route from 1881 only extended to Newcastle Emlyn. A small part of this line is used by the Gwili Railway (GR).
Passenger trains were stopped by 1965 with goods traffic ending in 1973. The Gwili Railway Company (GR) was formed in 1975, they ran their first train in 1978 over a ½ mile section of track with a 0-4-0 Peckett saddle tank locomotive and one coach, during the first year 20,000 passengers were carried. The GR was the first standard gauge preserved railway in Wales.
At present the journey is from Bronwydd Arms to Danycoed but future plans include extending south to Carmarthen. A further three miles of track bed to the north is also owned by the GR.
Bronwydd Arms station has a signal box that dates from 1885 it came from Llandybie station. The station buildings on the opposite side are made made of materials recovered from Ammanford Town station and Llandovery signal box, it has the authentic look of a 1950s British Railways station.
Llawyfan Cerrig station was opened in 1988, the building was moved from Felin Fach on Abergon line, piece by piece and then rebuilt at its present location.
The GR has two steam locomotives in working order they are No.3879 Vulcan Austerity 'Haulwen' 0-6-0; No.7058 Robert Stephens and Hawthorns 'Olwen' 0-4-0ST.
Teifi Valley Railway
Address: Henllan Station, Nr. Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire SA44 5TD
Telephone: 01559 371077 Email: teifivalleyrailway@hotmail.co.uk
Line Length: 2 miles Gauge: 1ft 11½ inches
Route: Henllan to Riverside Journey Time: 40 minutes (round trip)
Service: April 3 - 5, 10 - 14, 17 -30 / May 1- 5, 8 - 10, 15 - 17, 22 - 24, 29 - 31 / June every day except Friday & Saturday / July 3 - 7, 10 - 22, 24 - 31 / August every day / September every day except 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 / October 23 - 29 / December 10, 11, 17, 18, 22 - 24
Tickets: Adult £6.00, Child £4.00, Family £17.00 (2 adults and 2 children) unlimited travel on day of issue
Parking: Henllan Station SA44 5TD
Website: www.teifivalleyrailway.org YouTubevideo location map
Henllan Station: Refreshments, souvenir shop , museum, miniature railway, picnic tables, nature walk
The track bed that forms the Teifi Valley Railway was a section of the broad gauge railway that was intended to run from Carmarthen to Cardigan. Opened in 1860 the line went from Carmarthen to Convil, later extended to to Llandysul by 1864, the rest of the journey had to be completed by horse drawn bus to Cardigan. In 1872 it was converted to standard gauge, by this time the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway was bankrupt so it was purchased by the Great Western Railway. Plans for the line to reach Cardigan were abandoned with Newcastle Emlyn becoming the terminus in 1895.
Closure came in 1973. A group of enthusiasts attempted to purchase the railway to run it as a preserved standard gauge line, unfortunately they were not successful. In 1981 a number of local people brought the track bed.
Work started in 1984 on the narrow gauge Teifi Valley Railway (TVR) with assistance in funding and labour from the Manpower Services Commission. Soon a stretch of track from Henllan to Forest Halt which became the first temporary terminus. Since then there has been three further extensions to Pontpreshitw, Llandyfriog and presently to Riverside. In future the TVR could be lengthened to Newcastle Emlyn and to Pentrecwrt in the other direction.
All trains to start with were pulled by diesel power until the arrival of steam locomotive 'Alan George' built in 1894 by Hunslet. This has now been joined by two other steam locomotives 'Sgt Murphy' and 'Fleur'.
Brecon Mountain Railway
Address: Pant Station, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 2UP
Telephone: 01685 722988
Email: enquiries@breconmountainrailway.co.uk
Line Length: 3½ miles Gauge: 1ft 11¾ inches
Route: Pant to Dol-Y-Gaer
Journey Time: 1 hour 5 minutes (round trip)
Service: January 29, 30 / February 5, 6, 12 - 20, 22 - 24, 26, 27 / March - Saturday & Sunday, 22 - 24, 29 - 31 / April every day except 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18 / May every day except 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27 / June, July, August - every day / September every day except 19, 23, 26 / October every day except 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 31 / November - Saturday & Sunday / December 1 - 23, 27 - 31
Tickets: Adult £10.00, Child £5.00, 2 Children £4.00 per adult
Parking: Pant Station CF48 2UP
Website: www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk YouTubevideo location map
Pant Station: Refreshments, gift shop, loco works and shed, picnic area.
Pontsticill Station: Refreshments, children's play area, picnic area
History was made in Merthyr Tydfil when a locomotive built by Richard Trevithick hauled the world's first train. This trial covered 9½ miles and took place in 1804.
In 1867 a branch line was opened from Pontsticill following the Taf Fechan Valley to Merthyr. All passenger services stopped in 1962 with goods traffic being withdrawn two years later.
A decade after closure it was proposed that a narrow gauge railway should use the picturesque line through the Brecon Beacons National Park. One of the aims was to encourage tourists to to use the train in the National Park rather than their cars.
There were many difficulties to overcome including the fact that the land had been sold off to 12 different landowners. Planning permission was granted in 1978 and work started on rebuilding the station. Track laying commenced in 1979 and was completed in June 1980. The first passenger train was pulled by "Sybil", a small Hunslet engine built in 1903 for the Pen yr Orsedd slate quarry in North Wales.
Currently there are two steam locomotives being used on the railway they are 'Graf Schwerin-Lowitz' 0-6-2 built in Germany in 1908 and 'No.2' 4-6-2 which was made in the U.S.A in 1930.
Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
Address: Off Garn Road B4248, between Blaenavon and BrymaurContact Address and Shop: 13a Broad Street, Blaenavon, Pontypool, Gwent NP4 9ND
Telephone: 01495 792263 Email: info@pbrly.co.uk
Line Length: 2 miles Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Whistle Inn Halt to Blaenavon (High Level)
Journey Time: 50 minutes (round trip)
Service: April 7 - September 23 Saturdays & Sundays / April 6, 9 / May 7 / June 5 / August 8 - 29 / September 14 / October 13, 14, 27, 28, 31 / December 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23 •
Tickets: Adult £6.00, Child £3.50, Family £15.50
Parking: Furnace Sidings Station
Website: www.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk YouTubevideo location map
Furnace Sidings Station: Refreshments, souvenirs, shop
Opened in 1866 the railway line from Brymaur to Blaenavon was constructed to transport coal to the Midlands. A passenger service started a few years later. An extension completed in 1874 went to Abersychan and Talywain giving a connection to the Great Western Railway which went via Pontypool to Newport. There were a number of branches that served various collieries in the area. Operated originally by the LNWR after 1922 it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
Passengers were no longer carried after 1941 although goods continued until 1954. The section from Blaenavon to Pontypool was used until 1980 when coal mining ceased, the present preserved railway uses part of this route.
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway (PBR) formed in 1980 with a train service starting in 1983 running from Furnace Sidings to Whistle Inn Halt. At over 1300 ft above sea level the Whistle Inn Halt is the highest station in England and Wales. The line has extremely steep gradients up to 1 in 29 which requires the industrial locomotives used to work very hard.
Permission was given to extend the PBR southwards to Blaenavon in 2006. A number of bridges required renovation which greatly increased the cost but despite this the extension officially opened on 23 September 2010. Work is currently going ahead to improve the buildings at Furnace Sidings and Blaenavon (High Level) stations. A ½ mile branch line is being built to the Big Pit National Coal Mining Museum, this should be completed by September 2011. Future plans include extending the track northwards to Waunavon.
Steam locomotives at the PBR are No.7515 Austerity 'Mech Navvies' 0-6-0ST and No.19 Bagnall 'HM Dockyard Devonport' 0-4-0ST. A collection of diesel locos and DMUs are also resident.