Gwili Railway

Gwili Railway Rheilffordd Gwili
The official logo of the Gwili Railway ex-GWR No.4566 visiting in October 2008
Locale	Wales
Terminus	Bronwydd Arms
Commercial operations
Name	Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
Original gauge	7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm)
Preserved operations
Operated by	Gwili Railway Co. Ltd
Stations	3
Length	2.50 miles (4.02 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
1860	Opened
1881	Absorbed by Great Western Railway
1973	Closed
Preservation history
1978	Taken over by the preservation society
2001	Opening of extension to Danycoed
2002	Work starts on extension to Carmarthen

Gwili Railway
to Pencader Pencader Tunnel ( 985 yd 901 m ) Llanpumpsaint River Gwili Conwil Danycoed Halt Llwyfan Cerrig Nant Cwmdwyfran Bronwydd Arms B4301 Nant Tinc Abergwili Junction Llanelly Railway Carmarthen Eastern by-pass (A40) over River Towy Carmarthen South Wales Railway

The Gwili Steam Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Ager y Gwili) operates a standard gauge preserved railway from Abergwili Junction (near Carmarthen) in South Wales along a short section of the former Carmarthen to Aberystwyth railway that closed for passenger traffic in 1965, the track being lifted in 1975.

The Gwili Railway was formed in 1975 and, by 1978, had purchased and rescued about eight miles of track and was running an initial steam-hauled service on a one-mile section of it. The Gwili Railway has the distinction of becoming the first standard-gauge preserved railway to operate in Wales when it re-opened the one-mile section of the Carmarthen-Newcastle Emlyn route from its base at Bronwydd Arms, three miles north of Carmarthen. Since then, the railway has expanded to Danycoed and the company continues to hope to expand to Llanpumpsaint. Currently, the railway is working south towards Carmarthen to a new station called Carmarthen North built at the old Abergwili junction. The locomotive stock of the Gwili Railway is unusual in that it mostly represents local industrial and wartime operations rather than mainline services. In an interview with Steam Railway Magazine, it was stated that railway intends to obtain a larger loco or locos for passenger service.

History of the line

The broad-gauge railway was opened in 1860 from Carmarthen to Conwil by the ill-fated Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway Company (CCR), which fell in and out of insolvency until it was eventually absorbed by the Great Western Railway. Despite hostility from GWR, the line never reached Cardigan any further than Newcastle Emlyn.

The Manchester and Milford Railway made a junction with the CCR at Pencader, making a through route to Lampeter which, in turn, later extended to Aberystwyth. In 1872, the line became the last in Wales to be converted from Brunel's 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) gauge to standard gauge.

In its early days, the line thrived by serving the local farming and wool industries though, in the years following the First World War, this traffic gradually declined. The Second World War brought another lease of life as a relief route carrying heavy ammunition trains between South and North Wales.

Between the wars, the GWR sought to encourage traffic, opened several new halts along the route and provided camping coaches at several stations.

The route earned a reputation as a meandering rural branch; where trains trundled along, often flagged down by market-bound farmers' wives making their way across the fields to board the carriages. In fact, nearly three hours was permitted for the 56 mile journey between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth.

In the post-war years, closure of the spurs off the main line began. The Branches to Aberaeron and Newcastle Emlyn closed in 1952 which left only the route between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth open to traffic. The line enjoyed a brief resurgence in the 1950s, when the Royal Train traversed the route and other new traffic included Butlins through-specials taking holidaymakers to the new camp in Pwllheli.

However, declining passenger figures meant that the Beeching Axe was inevitable. In the end however, it was nature that struck the first blow. Heavy flooding severed the line six miles from Aberystwyth in December 1964, this taking place in the same weekend that storms that caused the Ruabon to Barmouth Line to suffer a similar washout. The last passenger train ran along the truncated route on 22 February 1965, two Hymek diesels providing the motive power. The line remained open for freight using Hymek locomotives until around 1970, then by Class 37 locomotives. The freight traffic that kept the remainder of the line open was dominated mainly by milk traffic between Carmarthen and Lampeter where traffic was routed to both the last remaining part of the main line to Aberystwyth as far as the milk creamery at Pont Llanio (near Llanddewi-Brefi which survived until 1970, plus the Aberaeron branch as far as the milk creamery at Green Grove near Felin Fach which continued in service until discontinued in 1973. This resulted in the final closure of the line. Track was left in place until the summer of 1975.

Two years after its closure, the Gwili Railway Company was formed with the ambition to preserve eight miles of the route, from Abergwili Junction up to Llanpumpsaint.

Track lifting had already started by the time of the formation of the new Company and, as a result, only a mile of track north of Bronwydd Arms was left in situ, the Company being able to acquire the full eight-mile stretch of trackbed from Abergwili to Llanpumsaint for rebuilding. Over time, the Railway has extended the operational length from one mile to 2½ miles, as well as reconstructing original features at Bronwydd Arms station and amassing a collection of locomotives and rolling stock.

Visitor attraction

Trains on the Gwili start from Bronwydd Arms where the replica GWR station is dominated by a Signal Box saved from Llandybie railway station on the Heart of Wales Line. The Signal box, which is open to the public, was built in 1885 and has been restored to operate signalling within the station area.

Typical features on the line include the gradients such as the 1 in 60 on the bank immediately north of Bronwydd Arms, the meandering River Gwili and the A484 road which are never far away and the wooded forests and sharp curves as the railway twists its way through the valley.

From Bronwydd, the line climbs between rural hills and meadows alongside the river River Gwili past the site of the first terminus of the newly opened Gwili Railway next to the old mill at Cwmdwyfran. From here, the line continues climbing until it passes under a rusticated brick bridge at the second terminus at Penybont station. The line carries over a redecked bridge crossing the River Gwili. This expansion was achieved in time for its 10th anniversary celebrations in 1988. At the same time, the new terminus of Llwyfan Cerrig was opened to the public. In 2001, a further half mile extension built by volunteer labour was opened to a new station at Danycoed.

Llwyfan Cerrig (in English, Stone Platform) was a former quarrymen's halt and the Gwili has created a nature trail which winds through the old quarry and emerges above the stock sheds. The station building, which originally stood at Felin Fach on the Aberaeron branch and dates from 1911, was dismantled by volunteers and re-erected in the early 1990s. It has been restored and furnished to an authentic 1950s style.

From the platform, a path leads to a picnic area on the bank of the Gwili River where kingfishers and heron can sometimes be glimpsed. A miniature railway runs from this station and refreshments can be bought.

From Llwyfan Cerrig, the line runs uphill for another ¾ mile with the River Gwili on one side and a rock face on the other, until it reaches the present end of the line at Danycoed (English translation being 'foot of the wood') where a typical GWR rural halt has been recreated.

Operationally, the railway is normally run on a 'one engine in steam' basis although the facility exists to pass trains at Llwyfan Cerrig at busy periods such as Day Out With Thomas events. In recent years, the Railway has expanded the portfolio of events on offer with Dining Trains, Driver Experience days and Jazz and other themed nights now being part of the annual timetable.

Future expansion

Restoring the line northwards has proven to be more difficult than initially anticipated, volunteers' high hopes of reaching Llanpumsaint constantly being hindered by the number of bridges en-route. There are a total of seven bridges to overcome, all of which are in poor condition and need refurbishment to be worthy for rail traffic once more. There were several attempts to extend the railway to Cynwyl Elfed station in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The current situation of only being able to raise enough funds to expand to relatively nowhere, coupled with the financial difficulties involved in trying to reach Cynwyl Elfed station alone became all too apparent.

However, now that the recent half-mile extension to Danycoed is completed, the society has focused its attention to a southward extension towards Carmarthen. Since the preservation society owns the trackbed as far as Abergwili Junction, two miles south of Bronwydd Arms, this will allow for the construction of a new station which will be built alongside the new Carmarthen Eastern by-pass. This will, hopefully, greatly improve visibility of the railway to passing traffic on the busy Carmarthen East by-pass compared with the somewhat hidden Bronwydd Arms station.

The closure of the Swansea Vale Railway in 2007 resulted in a merger of that society with the Gwili. This has provided a boost to the southern extension with track materials, a footbridge, water tanks/cranes and signalling equipment from Swansea now earmarked for use on the extension.

As of 2010, over a mile of track has been laid on the extension and work is ongoing to improve signalling and the level crossing at Bronwydd Arms for future passenger operation.

Tracklaying is expected to re-commence in 2011, and certain other works will be undertaken, such as the removal of a small bridge (Bridge 6 on the above plan) and replacement with infill, the construction of a siding and signalling work.

Locomotives

Steam locomotives

'Victory' waiting at Bronwydd Arms

• 1914 Avonside Engine Company colliery engine built in 1914 and a long term restoration project. Works number 1680. Named "SIR JOHN"
• 2201 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tank built in 1945. Carries name VICTORY Stored awaiting Overhaul.
• 3879 Vulcan Foundry austerity locomotive built in 1945 (works number 5272). Rebuilt in 1961 by Hunslet Ltd (works number 3879). Operational on passenger trains. Named HAULWEN.
• 7058 Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns 0-4-0 saddle tank built in 1942. Named OLWEN. Used as Percy for Thomas the Tank Engine Events.
• 71516 War Department 0-6-0 saddle tank built in 1944 by Robert Stevenson Hawthorns (works number 7170). Under repair. Named WELSH GUARDSMAN.
• 3829 Hunslet austerity locomotive built in 1955. Ex- Swansea Vale Railway. Stored at Bronwydd Arms pending boiler overhaul
• 1345 Peckett Mond Nickel No.1. Ex Swansea Vale Railway. Stored at Bronwydd Arms, firebox repairs required.

Diesel locomotives

Pen-Y-Bont station in 1981.

• BR Class 117 3 car DMU Nos 51347 / 59508 / 51401
• D2178 British Rail Class 03 shunter. Operational. (Unnumbered)
• 27658 North British Locomotive Company shunting engine built for British Steel Landore
• 27878 North British Locomotive Company shunting engine built for British Steel's East Moor steelworks and later at the tinplate works at Felindre near Swansea
• 207103 Ruston and Hornsby industrial engine used at Bedwas coke ovens by British Benzol
• 393302 Ruston and Hornsby industrial engine built in 1955 and used at the Aluminium Wire and Cable Company in Swansea

Vintage coaches

The Gwili Railway has a fine collection of Vintage Coaches from various railway operators and historic companies.

Bronwydd Arms station and train in 1981.

• TVR No.145 - (built 1874) The oldest standard gauge coach surviving from a Welsh railway company. Recovered in late 2006 and returned to Wales. It is now in storage pending a decision on how best to proceed with its restoration. An initial examination suggests that the remaining ten doors, most of the floor, all the glazing and the external paneling on one side will need replacing.
• TVR No.220 - (Built 1891) Undergoing a repaint, expected to return to serive in 2011
• GWR No.216 - (Built 1888) Restoration ongoing, expected to be in service late 2011
• TVR No.153 - (Built 1874) In store pending restoration.
• GWR No.793 - (Built 1881) Offered to the group in 1991. No repair work can be done on this vehicle until coach No.216 is nearing completion.

External links

• Official website of the Gwili Railway Preservation Society (GRPS)
• The Gwili Railway home page
• Gwili Vintage Carriage Group's website
• Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
• Gwili Steam Railway from WalesRails