Teifi Valley Railway

Heritage Railway
name = Teifi Valley Railway


caption = One of the diesel engines sits idle at the station in Henllan.
locale = Wales
terminus = Henllan
linename = Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
Great Western Railway
builtby = South Wales Railway
originalgauge = convert|7|ft|0.25|in|mm|
convert|4|ft|8.5|in|mm
preservedgauge = convert|2|ft|mm
era =
owned =
operator = Teifi Valley Railway Society
stations = 5
length = convert|2|mi|km
originalopen = 1860
closed = 1973
stageyears = 1981
stage = Track bed bought by Teifi Valley Railway Society.
years = 1983
events = Reopened to Pontpreshitw.
years1 = 2003 -
events1 = Reopened to Llandyfriog and the Afon Teifi at Riverside.The Teifi Valley Railway is a preserved railway operating between Carmarthen and Cardigan along the Teifi Valley, south Wales. It is a steam-hauled narrow gauge tourist railway on the built on the trackbed of part of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway and later GWR. Currently operating on over 2 miles of track, it is one of few South West Wales railways to be still expanding, with plans for a new platform opposite from its original location and line expansion to Pentrecwrt and Newcastle Emlyn. The trains currently run from Henllan station to a small stop at Riverside.

History

The Teifi Valley Railway in its original form was meant to be the broad gauge line between Carmarthen and Cardigan. The line first opened, albeit temporarily, in 1860, under the South Wales Railway; and was opened fully the following year operated by the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway, running from Carmarthen to Conwil. In 1864, the line was extended to Pencader and Llandysul, and by 1872 had been converted to standard gauge. By this time though, the line was bankrupt and due to the waterfalls at Cenarth and the subsequent road-building, there was no space in the gorge between Llechryd and Cilgerran for the railway. The line was eventually bought by the Great Western Railway, who moved the terminus to Newcastle Emlyn. Passenger trains ceased to operate in 1952, and in 1973 when freight services discontinued the line was finally closed and dismantled.cite web|url=http://www.teifivalleyrailway.com/About.htm|title=About the Railway|publisher=Teifi Valley Railway|accessdate=2008-02-09] All that was left were the platforms, bridges and the tunnel.

Although attempts had been made in 1973 to preserve the railway as standard gauge, it was not until 1981 that any true restoration project got underway. A group formed and bought the trackbed, and in 1983 laid a 2 foot gauge track. The line originally ran from Henllan to Pontprenshitw, where passengers were invited to take a short walk to see the waterfall under the railway bridge. In 1990, the line was extended as far as Llandyfriog, and since 2006, the line has been extended to the current end of the line, known as Riverside, where a bridge has collapsed into the Afon Teifi.

The line

The line between Henllan station and the old Llandyfroig station is built on the side of a valley, with a number of bridges:

Bridge 53- a small access bridge

Bridge 54- a large single arch bridge (built by Joseph Hamlet of West Bromwich in 1893) carrying the railway over the River Cynllo, gorge and historic Celtic leat

Bridge 55 'Little Pont'- a small access bridge

Bridge 56- an access bridge to the farm and the river Teifi

Between the old Llandyfroig station and the new Riverside station the railway is built on an enbankment:

Bridge 57 'Admiral's Bridge'- a bridge to give access to the house on the bank of the Teifi

Bridge 58- an access bridge to a farm

Bridge 59 'Pont Goch'- a large piered beam bridge part of which has since abandonment collapsed into the Teifi. Due to heavy rainfall in Autumn 1995, the Teifi turned into a torrent which caused the half of the bridge to sink in to the river. This part was removed. The other half remains sound however, and is used as the main station area of Riverside station.

Rolling Stock and Locomotives

;Steam Locomotives:
*Kerr Stuart 0-6-2 Haig Class: 'Sgt. Murphy'(1918)- purchased in 1998
*Kerr Stuart 0-6-0 Joffre Class: 'Fleur'(1915) - acquired in 1998 and dismantled pending restoration
*Hunslet 0-4-0 'Alan George'(1894)- purchased 1983

;Diesel Locomotives:
*0-4-0 'Sammy'(1951)-bought in 1989
*0-4-0 'Simon' (1936) - purchased in 1983 and sold in 2007 (now no longer at the Railway)
*0-4-0 'Sholto' (1941)
*0-4-0 'Henry'

;Rolling Stock

;Carriages

1. 'Annie' (Bogied)- built 1983

2. 'Rhianwen' (Bogied)- built 1984

3. 'Jacqueline' (Bogied)- built 1987

4. 'Lisa' (4 wheeled)- built 1990

5. 'Rhoysen' (4 wheeled)- built 1994

6. 'Emma' (4 wheeled)- completed in 2003

7. 'Nancy' (Bogied)- built 1973 (Previously owned by the Welsh Highland Railway, known as the 'Cote coach' or Coach no.1)

;Wagons and trucks

Side tipping wagons 101-106 of Hudsons

End door box wagons 120-121 built at Henllan in 1984

Single bolster wagons 140-141 also built at Henllan using frames of two side tipping wagons

Box wagons 190,191,196

Flat bodied wagons 254,374 (254 was used as the base to Coach no.5)

Five Ex. War Department vehicles- requiring re-gauging

ee also

*British narrow gauge railways
*Heritage railway

External links

* [http://www.teifivalleyrailway.com/ Official Site]

References