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“A superb book . . . about the background to the railway, its development and closure and the relaunch into one of Wales’ most pleasant preserved railways.” —The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society Unusually among Welsh narrow-gauge railways, the 2ft 6in gauge Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway was built to benefit agriculture, not minerals. After several failed attempts to connect the market town at Welshpool with the rural community around Llanfair Caereinion, the 1896 Light Railways Act paved the way for the railway which opened in 1902. Operated by the Cambrian Railways and then by the Great Western Railway, it became the only narrow-gauge steam railway catering for goods traffic under the auspices of British Railways. Sadly, it was closed in 1956 but enthusiasts ensured its revival, which started in 1963. Overcoming many obstacles, the railway is now run by a charitable trust and is a leading volunteer-operated tourist attraction in Montgomeryshire. “As is to be expected by the pre-eminent authority on Welsh narrow gauge and minor railways, this is a work of first-class research, but also one of much interest . . . I have no hesitation in recommending it, especially for anyone interested in narrow gauge or indeed preserved railways.” —The Journal of the Friends of the National Railway Museum “A worthwhile addition to the published material on this delightful railway, and likely to prompt even more interest amongst modellers.” —Railway Modeller “Whether it is a line you know well or not, if you like narrow gauge or minor railways then I am sure you will enjoy this book.” —Michael’s Model Railways
An extensively illustrated history of this Welsh railway—and the effort to restore it. One of Wales’ oldest narrow gauge railways, the 2ft 3in gauge Corris Railway was built to carry slate from several quarries in the Dulas valley to wharves on the river Dyfi. At first forbidden to use steam locomotives or to carry passengers, it overcame these obstacles and became an essential part of the community that it served. It was also a forerunner in encouraging tourists, offering inclusive tours to nearby Talyllyn, with passengers traveling on the train and on railway-operated road services. Taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1930, the railway was closed by British Railways in 1948, apparently for good. Fortunately, the last two steam locomotives and some rolling stock was saved by the nearby Talyllyn Railway, where it played an essential role in that railway’s preservation. Eventually, the thoughts of enthusiasts turned to reviving the Corris Railway, and, after many twists and turns, the first passengers were carried on a short section in 2002. In this book, historian Peter Johnson has delved into many sources to uncover the intricacies of the railway’s origins, development, operation, and revival.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway is one of the great narrow gauge railways of North Wales, with thousands of visitors travelling to the summit of Mount Snowdon along the line each year. This book covers the history of this historic and interesting line from its beginnings in the 1890s through to the present day. The author Peter Johnson has been writing about narrow gauge railways for many years and has a deep knowledge of the lines in North and Mid Wales. The Snowdon Mountain Railway is an important part of the tourist industry in North Wales and plays a vital part in providing transport in this popular and much visited area. This volume looks at the narrow gauge railway's history and development, taking in the present and future development of this fascinating line's operation.
The coastal and mountain scenery around the railway lines of North and Mid Wales is among the best in Great Britain. Here we look at the British Railways lines and the trains that ran on them in the years between 1980 and 2000, as recorded by my cameras during my many visits to the area. A few photographs from earlier years are also included to help to complete the picture. During this period of time, quite a lot of mechanical signalling and many old station buildings still remained, all adding to the railway atmosphere. Featured here are the North Wales Coast line and its branches, the former Cambrian line from Welshpool to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, and the Welsh section of the Shrewsbury to Chester line. While the emphasis is very much on the main lines, the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, closed by British Railways in 1956 and reopened as a heritage railway, and the Llangollen Railway on a section of the former Ruabon to Barmouth line also feature, as does the Vale of Rheidol Railway, sold by British Rail into private ownership in 1989. A few photographs of the steam specials that regularly ran on the main lines are also included.
Situated in the Welsh borderland to the West of Oswestry, the scenic Tanat Valley reached westwards into Wales, its Llangynog terminus nestling where the road starts the climb over the Berwyn mountain range towards Bala. It was a lightly populated area that sustained agriculture and some mineral extraction whose residents struggled to get their produce to market. During the 19th Century there were several schemes for a railway that failed due their inability to raise sufficient capital. The Tanat Valley Light Railway is, therefore, a true child of the 1896 Light Railways Act, promoted by the Oswestry Urban District Council the following year to take advantage of the grant-making facilities of that legislation. Because it took so long to obtain powers, and it was not opened until 1906, the Light Railway never really fulfilled its potential. Operated initially by the Cambrian Railways, it was not heavily worked, although it benefited from pipe traffic generated by renewals of Liverpool Corporation’s Vyrnwy reservoir pipeline. Although closure came in stages during the 1950s, and was deemed to be complete in 1960, a short section of track remains in situ at Porthywaen. Author Peter Johnson has drawn on the material available at the National Archives at Kew and the Parliamentary Archives in the House of Lords as well as conducting extensive research in digitised newspapers to tell the Light Railway’s story, producing the first in-depth account of its development, operation and closure. Peter Johnson is also the author of The Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway – the rise and fall of a rural byway, published by Pen & Sword Transport in 2024. The two railways were connected at Blodwel Junction and the surviving section of the Tanat Valley Light Railway thence to Porthywaen enabled stone traffic on the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire’s Nantmawr branch to continue until 1971.
First published in 1985 by Moorland Press, The Light Railways of Britain & Ireland has remained unavailable for more than twenty-five years, until now. Re-released by Pen & Sword, this is a thorough and engaging book that covers, in depth, the fascinating story of Britain's last railway development, the Rural light railways, constructed as a result of the Light Railways Act 1896. Rigorously detailed, it charts the overall history of the last great railway boom in Britain Ð the light railway boom Ð from 1896, to the beginning of the Great War in 1914. During this period a large number of narrow and standard gauge lines were constructed in both Britain and Ireland, in order to serve and open up areas in both countries that, at the time, lacked adequate transport links. This book tells the story of how these lines were constructed and why, in most cases, they eventually failed, due to post-First World War road competition. Authored by two highly acclaimed writers of transport history, this is a true testament to, and a timely reminder of, Britain's last railway development.