Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway Welsh: Rheilffordd y Trallwng a Llanfair Caereinion
Montgomeryshire
823 Countess on the W&LLR
Gauge:	2 ft 6 in
Track:	8.5 miles
Information

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is a 2-foot 6-inch narrow gauge heritage railway in Montgomeryshire. The line is around 8½ miles long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool by way of Castle Caereinion to the village of Llanfair Caereinion.

History

The W&LLR was one of the few narrow gauge branch lines to be built under the provisions of the 1896 Light Railways Act. Noted narrow gauge promoter Everard Calthrop appeared at the Light Railway Inquiry, and proposed the use of transporter wagons. However the line ended up being built by the Cambrian Railways engineer, with consequent conservative 4-wheel wagon and other provisions.

Original operations

It was opened on 4 April 1903 to aid economic development in a remote area, never making a profit. It was originally operated by the Cambrian Railways, connecting with it at the former Oswestry and Newtown Railway station in the town of Welshpool. The line is built through difficult country, having a great number of curves in order to reach the summit of 600 ft. The original terminus at Welshpool was located alongside the main line station and trains wound their way through the town, using the locomotive bell as a warning.

In the 1923 Grouping of railway companies, Cambrian Railways, including the Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion line, was absorbed by the Great Western Railway (GWR). On 9 February 1931 the line lost its passenger service, which was replaced by a bus service, and it became a freight-only line. It was temporarily re-opened to passengers between 6 and 11 August 1945 for the Eisteddfod. The GWR itself was nationalised in 1948 and became part of British Railways.

Freight traffic lingered on until 1956, by which time British Railways decided to close the line, with services ceasing on 5 November.

Preservation

A group of volunteers and enthusiasts took the line over and started raising money to restore it. On 6 April 1963 the western half of the line, from Llanfair Caereinion to Castle Caereinion, was reopened as a tourist railway. The line through Welshpool, however, could not be reopened, so the line now has a new terminus station at Raven Square on the western outskirts of the town, opened on 18 July 1981.

There are current discussions about reinstating the link through the town to the main line station, following a different route from that originally used.

Because of the 2 ft 6 inch gauge, unusual for British narrow gauge railways, locomotives and rolling stock to supplement the originals have had to be obtained from sources around the world including the Zillertalbahn in Austria. A major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund permitted restoration of both original locomotives together with several coaches and original wagons, and provision of new workshop facilities, ready for the line's centenary.

Gala Day: "The Earl" and "The Countess" at Llanfair Caerinion

Locomotives

Locomotives of the preserved railway

WLLR No.	Name	Image	Builder	Works No.	Date built	Date arrived	Wheels	Type	Status	Notes
1	The Earl		Beyer Peacock	3496	1902	1902	0-6-0T	Steam	Operational	Original W&LLR locomotive
2	Countess		Beyer Peacock	3497	1902	1902	0-6-0T	Steam	Operational	Original W&LLR locomotive
6	Monarch		W. G. Bagnall	3024	1953	1966	0-4-4-0T	Steam	On display at Welshpool Raven Square station	Previously from Sittingbourne. Sold to Ffestiniog Railway but re-purchased by W&LLR.
7	Chattenden *	[[File:Chattenden shunts the Sierra Leone coaches.jpg|150px|Chattenden shunts the Sierra Leone coaches	Drewry Car Co.	2263	1947	1968	0-6-0DM	Diesel	Operational	ex Chattenden and Upnor Railway (also known as the Lodge Hill & Upnor Railway), previously from Admiralty Depots, rebuilt at Llanfair in 1980. Has recently been rebuilt at Llanfair and is now fitted with both air and vacuum braking.
8	Dougal*		Andrew Barclay	2207	1946	1968	0-4-0T	Steam	Stored	Originally operated at Provan Gasworks, Glasgow. Currently awaiting boiler repairs
10	Sir Drefaldwyn *		Franco-Belge	2855	1944	1969	0-8-0T	Steam	Under overhaul as of November 2013. When finished it will be a replacement for no. 19	Originally operated by German Army & in Austria at the Zillertalbahn. An HF 160 D-type locomotive.
11	Ferret *		Hunslet Engine Company	2251	1940	1971	0-4-0DM	Diesel	Stored	Previously from Admiralty Depots.
12	Joan		Kerr Stuart	4404	1929	1971	0-6-2T	Steam	Operational	Originally operated in Antigua
14	-		Hunslet Engine Company	3815	1954	1975	2-6-2T	Steam	On display at Shildon, awaiting funding and engineering resources for major overhaul including boiler renewal	Originally operated by Sierra Leone Government Railway
16	Scooby *		Hunslet Engine Company		1941	1992	0-4-0DM	Diesel	Stored	Previously from Admiralty Depots. Rebuilt by W&LLR
17	TSC 175		Diema		1979	2004	6wDH	Diesel	Operational	Originally operated by Taiwan Sugar Company
18	764.423				1957	2004	0-8-0T	Steam	Spare parts donor for #19	Originally operated in Romania
19	764.425				1957	2007	0-8-0T	Steam	Stored	Originally operated in Romania

*=Name added by WLLR

Former locomotives

WLLR No.	Name	Image	Builder	Works No.	Date built	Date arrived	Wheels	Type	Status	Notes
3	Raven *		Ruston & Hornsby		1934		4wDM	Diesel	N/A	Sold — now in private ownership.
4	Upnor Castle *		F C Hibberd	3687	1954		4wDM	Diesel	N/A	Sold to Ffestiniog Railway
5	Nutty		Sentinel	7701	1929	1964	4wVBT	Steam	N/A	Previously from Fletton Brickworks. Owned by & returned to care of Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
9	Wynnstay *		J Fowler		1951		0-6-0DM	Diesel	N/A	Built for a failed groundnut scheme in Africa, sold to British Portland Cement Co.'s works at Lower Penarth, Glamorgan. Arrived at Llanfair in 1968, Sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway in 1972 as Victor.
15	Orion *		Tubize	2369	1948	1983	2-6-2T	Steam	N/A	Previously from Finland. Returned to Jokioinen Museum Railway in Finland in 2006.

*=Name added by WLLR

Location maps

• Welshpool station: 52°39’35"N, 3°9’36"W
• Llanfair station: 52°39’7"N, 3°19’20"W

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway)

• The Weshpool & Llanfair Railway
• The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway – online photo album

References

• Cartwright, Ralph I. (2002). The Welshpool & Llanfair. RailRomances.  ISBN 1-900622-06-8