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List Of Constituents Of The Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1835 and nationalised on 1 January 1948. During this time it amalgamated with, or purchased outright, many other railway companies. These are listed here in two groups. The early amalgamations (mostly between 1843 and 1900) often involved railway companies that were already being financially supported by the GWR. The Railways Act 1921 brought many new companies into the fold including many successful Welsh lines. List Key :(date) – the date on which the company was amalgamated into, or purchased by, the GWR. :♠ – Companies that were already operated by or leased to the GWR or one of the other absorbed railways before amalgamation. ''Note: This list is incomplete.'' :‡ – Companies operating wholly or partly on the broad gauge at the time that they combined with the GWR. The broad gauge was finally abandoned on 21 May 1892. Early amalgamations and purchases * Cheltenham and Great Wester ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838 with the initial route completed between London and Bristol in 1841. It was engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who chose a broad gauge of —later slightly widened to —but, from 1854, a series of amalgamations saw it also operate standard-gauge trains; the last broad-gauge services were operated in 1892. The GWR was the only company to keep its identity through the Railways Act 1921, which amalgamated it with the remaining independent railways within its territory, and it was finally merged at the end of 1947 when it was nationalised and became the Western Region of British Railways. The GWR was called by some "God's Wonderful Railway" and by others the "Great Way Round" but it was famed as the "Holiday ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway ( cy, Rheilffordd De Cymru) was a main line railway which opened in stages from 1850, connecting the Great Western Railway from Gloucester to South Wales. It was constructed on the broad gauge. An original aspiration was to reach Fishguard to engender an Irish ferry transit and transatlantic trade, but the latter did not materialise for many years, and never became an important sector of the business. Neyland was the western terminus of the line until 1906. The company amalgamated with the Great Western Railway in 1863 and the track was converted to narrow (standard) gauge in 1873. In 1922–1923, most of the independent Welsh railways were constituents of the new enlarged Great Western Railway, enabling rationalisation and benefits of scale. Nearly all of the original main line of the South Wales Railway remains in use at present (2020). Proposals The prospectus of the South Wales Railway was issued in the summer of 1844. It proposed a railway with capital ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wallingford And Watlington Railway
The Wallingford railway branch line was a branch line between the market town of Wallingford and the Great Western Railway main line at Wallingford Road in Oxfordshire. The railway, which opened in 1866, was originally planned to go a further to Watlington but this was never completed because of insufficient funds. Instead Watlington was reached by a line completed by the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway company in 1872. After the Wallingford branch line opened, it ran regular passenger shuttle services to the GWR mainline for almost a century. It closed to passengers in 1959; the line escaped the Beeching Axe, remaining open for goods services until 1981. In 1985, the line was acquired by the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway; in 1997 the heritage railway began operating a selection of vintage train services on part of the line near Wallingford. Background The Great Western Railway opened its first broad gauge main line in stages. When Reading to Steventon was op ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Western And Brentford Railway
The Brentford branch line, also known as the Brentford Dock Line, is a freight-only branch railway line in west London, England. The route, which opened in 1859, was backed by the Great Western Railway and built by the Great Western & Brentford Railway Company. It ran from Southall to Brentford Dock. In 1964, the line to the wharves was closed. The branch now runs from the Great Western Main Line to a goods yard and waste transfer station in Brentford. History Early years The line was proposed by the Great Western Railway (GWR) during the 1840s, as a means of reaching the inner London docks via the River Thames. Brentford was chosen as the most suitable location for the terminus of the line, being the point where the Great Western Main Line is nearest to the Thames, and also the point where the Grand Junction Canal meets the river. In August 1855, an Act of Parliament incorporated the Great Western & Brentford Railway Company, which had been promoted by the GWR. Construct ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stourbridge Railway
The Stourbridge Railway was a small independent railway company in England which existed between 1860, and 1870 when it was taken over by the Great Western Railway (GWR). The company built a line from the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OWWR) at to Smethwick, where it joined the Stour Valley Line at Galton Junction. History Opening The act incorporating the company was passed on 14 June 1860, allowing it to build a three and a half mile long line from Stourbridge Junction to , another act was passed the following year to allow it to reach the Stour Valley Line at Smethwick. The route was open in full by 1 April 1867. GWR link to Handsworth The OWWR had come under the control of the GWR by this time, and so in order to integrate the Stourbridge Railway with their system, the GWR constructed a link from the Stourbridge Railway at Smethwick to Handsworth Junction, which was opened at the same time, connecting it to the GWR's Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tenbury And Bewdley Railway
The Tenbury and Bewdley Railway was an English railway company that built its line from Bewdley in Worcestershire to Tenbury station, which was in Shropshire. The line connected the Severn Valley Railway at Bewdley with the Tenbury Railway at Tenbury. The Tenbury Railway connected at Woofferton with the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway main line. Two railways were sometimes referred to as the Wyre Forest line or simply the Tenbury Line. The Tenbury and Bewdley Railway opened its line in 1864. It passed into the control of the Great Western Railway. The line closed to passenger trains in 1962 and to goods traffic in 1965; there is now no railway activity on the former line. Conception The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway opened its line throughout on 6 December 1852. Tenbury was a little over five miles from Woofferton station on that line, and a branch line was planned: it opened on 1 August 1861.Richard K Morriss, ''Railways of Shropshire: A brief history'', Shropshire Libraries, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bristol And South Wales Union Railway
The Bristol and South Wales Union Railway was built to connect Bristol, England, with south Wales. The route involved a ferry crossing of the River Severn but was considerably shorter than the alternative route through Gloucester. The ferry was replaced by the Severn Tunnel in 1886 but part of the route continues to be used, forming parts of the Cross-Country Route and the South Wales Main Line. History Construction and independent operation A "Bristol and South Wales Junction Railway" was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1846. Isambard Kingdom Brunel surveyed a route across the Severn and the ferry at New Passage was purchased, but the line failed to raise enough money so was not built. The "Bristol, South Wales and Southampton Union Railway" proposed in 1854 to carry a line through the centre of Bristol and along the Avon Gorge to New Passage, where a train ferry would cross the water. This became the "Bristol and South Wales Union Railway" (B&SWUR) which received i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to . History The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846. The act authorised the construction of a single line railway from the Great Western Railway's Maidenhead railway station, then located close to the site of the current Taplow railway station. In 1852 construction started; the first section to be built was between Maidenhead and High Wycombe, and opened for passenger services on 1 August 1854. It linked the town of High Wycombe with the Great Western Main Line, and the Great Western Railway operated the services for the Wycombe Railway company. The GWR had been built to Isambard Kingdom Brunel's broad gauge of , so the Wycombe Railway was also built to this gauge. In 1862, the Wycombe Railway opened an extension from High Wycombe via Princes Risborough to Thame. In 1863, it opened a branch line ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aberdare Valley Railway
Aberdare ( ; cy, Aberdâr) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydfil, north-west of Cardiff and east-north-east of Swansea. During the 19th century it became a thriving industrial settlement, which was also notable for the vitality of its cultural life and as an important publishing centre. Etymology The name ''Aberdare'' means "mouth/confluence of the river dare", as the town is located where the Dare river ( cy, Afon Dâr) meets the Cynon ( cy, afon Cynon). While the town's Welsh spelling uses formal conventions, the English spelling of the name reflects the town's pronunciation in the local Gwenhwyseg dialect of South East Wales. ''Dâr'' is an archaic Welsh word for oaks (the plural of ''derwen''), and the valley was noted for its large and fine oaks as late as the nineteenth century. In ancient ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vale Of Neath Railway
The Vale of Neath Railway (VoNR) was a broad gauge railway company, that built a line from Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare to Neath, in Wales, chiefly to transport the products of the Merthyr iron industries to ports on Swansea Bay. The railway focused on transporting coal from the rapidly developing rich colliery area around Aberdare. When the narrow (standard) gauge Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway (NA&HR) made moves to link to the area, with its Taff Vale Extension line, the Vale of Neath Railway saw that there was potential in connecting up; it laid a third rail to make mixed gauge. The link was made in 1864 and coal was conveyed to London and the north-west of England by that route. By that time the VoNR and the NA&HR had been absorbed into the Great Western Railway (GWR) system. Connections to the docks at Swansea had not been fruitful in the early days, and the Swansea and Neath Railway, soon taken over by the VoNR, made some improvement, but the docks area remai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The heritage line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route, and crossing the river on the historic Victoria Bridge. The railway is the sixth-longest standard gauge heritage line in the United Kingdom. Train services are hauled predominantly by steam locomotives, with vintage diesel locomotives hauling occasionally. Diesel locomotives are also used for engineering trains, to replace failed steam locomotives at short notice, and during periods of high fire risk. The railway hosts numerous special events throughout the year, including both steam and diesel galas. History Commercial history The Severn Valley Railway was built between 1858 and 1862, and linked Hartlebury, near Droitwich Spa, with Shrewsbury, a distance of . Important stations on the line were , , and within Worcestershire; and , , , , , ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Worcester And Hereford Railway
The Worcester and Hereford Railway started the construction of a standard gauge railway between the two cities in 1858. It had needed the financial assistance of larger concerns, chiefly the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway, and the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway. It opened its line progressively from 1859 to 1861, delayed by exceptionally difficult tunnelling at Colwall and Ledbury. The company was purchased by the West Midland Railway in 1860, and that company amalgamated with the Great Western Railway in 1863. The line was double track as far as Malvern at first, but was later doubled throughout except for the two tunnels. The line was conceived chiefly as a through railway for passenger and goods trains; the local traffic remained thin. The line remained a secondary main line, and is in operation today. Conception The London and North Western Railway decided to promote a narrow (standard) gauge Worcester and Hereford Railway in the 1852 session of Parli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
