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The Mid-Wales Railway was conceived as a trunk route through Wales connecting industrial areas in
north west England North West England is one of nine official regions of England and consists of the ceremonial counties of England, administrative counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The North West had a population of ...
with sea ports in
south west Wales South West Wales is one of the regions of Wales consisting of the unitary authorities of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. This definition is used by a number of government agencies and private organisations including ...
. The company was prevented from reaching its goal by competing proposals in Parliament, and it was only able to build a line between
Llanidloes Llanidloes () is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the third ...
and a junction with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway east of
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
. The line was long and opened in 1864. The company found it impossible to raise the share subscription, but the contractor partnership of Davies and Savin agreed to build the line and take shares in payment, The line passed through terrain requiring steep gradients and sharp curves in a sparsely populated area with little local traffic, and the limited long distance business was costly to operate. Finding continued independence impossible to sustain, the company amalgamated with the
Cambrian Railways The Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904. The Cambrian connected with two larger railways with connections to the ...
in 1904. Use of the line declined in the 1930s and afterwards, and the very limited use of the line resulted in closure after the last day of operation on 30 December 1962.


Crossing the centre of Wales

As the mainline network of England and Wales began to take shape in the 1840s, the centre of Wales remained without a railway. There were several proposals to cross the region by a trunk railway, in some cases to connect industrial England to Welsh west coast ports. For some time none of these came into effect, and it was a local line, the
Llanidloes and Newtown Railway The Llanidloes and Newtown Railway (L&NR) was a railway company between Llanidloes and Newtown, Powys, Newtown in Montgomeryshire, Wales. It was promoted locally when plans for trunk railways passing through the locality were cancelled; local peo ...
, that first occupied part of the area. It was long, and it opened in 1859, and it was not connected to any other railway. Newtown was a centre of the
flannel Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, b ...
manufacturing industry.R W Kidner, ''The Mid-Wales Railway'', Oakwood Press, Usk 2003, , pages 5 to 9 The
Oswestry and Newtown Railway The Oswestry and Newtown Railway was a British railway company that built a line between Oswestry in Shropshire and Newtown Montgomeryshire, now Powys. The line opened in stages in 1860 and 1861. It was conceived to open up the area to rail tran ...
followed in 1861; it connected to the
Shrewsbury and Chester Railway The North Wales Mineral Railway was formed to carry coal and ironstone from the mineral-bearing area around Wrexham to the River Dee wharves. It was extended to run from Shrewsbury and formed part of a main line trunk route, under the title ...
at
Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...
, giving access to the railway network. Next, the
Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway The Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway (S&WR) is a standard gauge railway which connects the towns of Shrewsbury and Welshpool. It opened in 1861 and the majority of the railway continues in use. History Incorporation The S&WR was incorporated ...
made a connection to the O&NR at
Buttington Buttington (Welsh: ''Tal-y-bont'') is a village in Powys, Wales, less than 3 km from Welshpool and about 300 m from the River Severn, in the community of Trewern. The Montgomery Canal passes through the village. The village stands on a sligh ...
in 1862, forming a route from Newtown to the
English Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
and
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.Rex Christiansen and R W Miller, ''The Cambrian Railways: volume I: 1852-1888'', David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1971, , pages 35 to 40Kidner, page 15 After a number of false starts, a practicable route across Mid Wales gathered support, when in March 1859 a meeting was held to further what became the Mid-Wales Railway. At that time it was described as "the Mid-Wales section of the
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
,
Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
&
Milford Haven Milford Haven ( cy, Aberdaugleddau, meaning "mouth of the two Rivers Cleddau") is both a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has ...
Junction Railway". This went to Parliament, competing for approval with other schemes. It was passed, but in a much truncated form, with the title the Mid-Wales Railway, to construct a line from Llanidloes to
Newbridge-on-Wye Newbridge-on-Wye ( cy, Y Bontnewydd-ar-Wy) is a small village in Powys, Wales. It lies, as its name suggests, on the River Wye, just downstream from the market town of Rhayader, and in the community of Llanyre. Location Newbridge-on-Wye is lo ...
by way of
Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...
. At Llanidloes it would connect with the L&NR, and from there to the national railway network. The Act was passed on 1 August 1859; authorised capital was £150,000.Kidner, page 33Peter E Baughan, ''A Regional History of the Railways Of Great Britain: volume 11: North and Mid Wales'', David St John Thomas, Nairn, 1980, , page 204 The line's supporters still saw it as part of a trunk express route, and the greatly reduced Parliamentary powers were, they believed, a temporary setback. Despite the sharp curves and steep gradients, the '' Shrewsbury Journal'' repeated the promoters' publicity that "express trains at the highest speeds reached can be run with the greatest ease and perfect security." The directors believed that "as the line would be passing through... one of the richest mineral districts in Britain", they would seek powers to exploit any minerals found during construction.Christiansen and Miller, page 103 The company's supporters still planned to reach
Llandovery Llandovery (; cy, Llanymddyfri ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 and A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and west of Brecon. Histo ...
as part of the onward thrust towards south-west Wales, but
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
was also considered to be a useful destination. Other railways were approaching Brecon: also in 1859 the
Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway The Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (B&MR) was a railway company in Wales. It was originally intended to link the towns in its name. Finding its access to Merthyr difficult at first, it acquired the Rumney Railway, an old plateway, and ...
(usually referred to as the Brecon and Merthyr Railway) was authorised, and the
Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway (HH&BR) was a railway company that built a line between Hereford in England and a junction with the Mid-Wales Railway at Three Cocks Junction. It opened its line in stages from 1862 to 1864. It never had enoug ...
had got its authorising Act in 1857.Kidner, pages 8 and 9Christiansen and Miller, page 106


Extending southwards

The Mid-Wales Railway had no intention of terminating at Newbridge, and now tried again to get access to
Llandovery Llandovery (; cy, Llanymddyfri ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 and A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and west of Brecon. Histo ...
. In Parliament in the 1860 session it lost out against the Central Wales Extension Railway, and had to make do with powers to join the
Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway (HH&BR) was a railway company that built a line between Hereford in England and a junction with the Mid-Wales Railway at Three Cocks Junction. It opened its line in stages from 1862 to 1864. It never had enoug ...
at
Glasbury Glasbury ( cy, Y Clas-ar-Wy), also known as Glasbury-on-Wye, is a village and community in Powys, Wales. The village lies at an important crossing point on the River Wye, connecting the historic counties of Brecknockshire and Radnorshire, and ...
, making a junction at a place later known as
Three Cocks Three Cocks or () is a village near Glasbury in Powys, Wales. The Welsh name refers to the mouth of the Afon Llynfi which enters the River Wye a mile from the village. The nearest town is Hay-on-Wye some 5 miles (8.5 km) to the North Eas ...
, and continuing to Talyllyn to join the Brecon and Merthyr Railway there. This had been merely a proposed branch so far as the Mid-Wales was concerned, but having lost Llandovery a second time, the MWR now treated this as its main line. This was authorised by Act of Parliament on 3 July 1860. The connection to the Brecon and Merthyr Railway would give access not only to Brecon, but also to the mineral areas of
Dowlais Dowlais () is a village and community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. At the 2011 census the electoral ward had a population of 6,926, The population of the Community being 4,270 at the 2011 census having excluded Pant. Dowlai ...
and
Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
over that line.Christiansen and Miller, pages 108 and 109Kidner, pages 16 and 17 The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway would build from
Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...
to Glasbury only. The Mid-Wales Railway would adopt the HH&BR powers for a line southward from Glasbury as far as Talyllyn. This was to be over the old Hay Tramway, which was to be upgraded and realigned to make it suitable for locomotive operation. However the Mid-Wales board feared that the HH&BR might demand an unreasonable price to surrender its line, so they arranged for the acquisition to be authorised in Parliament, by Act of 12 June 1861.Christiansen and Miller, pages 120 to 124 The continuation from Talyllyn into Brecon was also to be mostly over the Hay Tramway route, and the Brecon and Merthyr Railway would adopt the HH&BR powers and construct that part of the route.


Construction conflict

On 23 July 1860, the
Manchester and Milford Railway The Manchester and Milford Railway was a Welsh railway company, intended to connect Manchester and the industrial areas of Northwest England with a deep-water port on Milford Haven, giving an alternative to the Port of Liverpool. Despite the ti ...
was authorised, also to start from Llanidloes and to run to Pencader.J S Holden, ''The Manchester and Milford Railway'', Oakwood Press, Tarrant Hinton, 1979, , page 12 Although Parliament passed the M&MR and the MWR Acts a few weeks apart, it was not noticed that for the first from Llanidloes, the Mid-Wales Railway and the M&MR were to occupy the same ground. When construction was being planned, this fact emerged, and each company wanted to build the duplicated section, and permit the other to use the line for a fee. Both companies refused each other's idea, and finally a compromise was agreed: the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway would build the duplicated part of the lines and allow the two companies to use it. The point of divergence of the two southward routes was Penpontbren, about from Llanidloes.Holden, pages 15 to 17 The Manchester and Milford Railway built part of its line from Penpontbren to
Llangurig Llangurig is both a village and a community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. The population was 723 in the 2011 UK Census. The community includes the hamlet of Cwmbelan. The River Wye, the A470 and the A44 trunk roads pass through Llangurig, ...
, a distance of about , and a single goods train traversed the stub of line, after which it became dormant.Holden, pages 43 and 44 By this time the Manchester and Milford Railway was having serious doubts about the wisdom of continuing construction over the difficult terrain to reach Llangurig from the south, and made the huge decision to divert the line to
Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
instead. The Llangurig stub remained, disused, and the M&MR paid the L&NR interest charges and operating and maintenance costs on the enlarged Llanidloes station, which it would now never use.Holden, page 17 The effect of all this was that the MWR joined the L&NR end-on at Penpontbren, and not at Llanidloes, but had shared ownership (with the L&NR and the M&MR) of the Llanidloes station.


Construction

The company had found raising the subscriptions for construction almost impossible, and the contractors David Davies and
Thomas Savin Thomas Savin (1826 – 23 July 1889) was a British railway engineer who was the contractor who built many railways in Wales and the Welsh borders from 1857 to 1866. He also in some cases was an investor in such schemes. Early life Savin was born ...
, enjoying considerable success in railway building in Wales, had agreed to construct the line, taking shares as most of their payment. This saved the company, which would otherwise almost certainly have failed. On 2 September 1859 the first sod of the northern part of the Mid-Wales Railway was cut at
Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...
. There was the customary banquet afterwards, and some directors made adverse remarks about Davies and Savin's financial involvement, which was felt to compromise the board's authority. The truth was that without that money, there would have been no railway, but unnecessary friction was generated by intemperate remarks. In fact Davies and Savin themselves fell out shortly afterwards, and parted company with each other and with the company before any construction was actually started. A fresh contractor, Alexander Thomas Gordon, took on the work. Little work was done by Gordon due to continuing money shortage, and he was followed by James Overend and John Watson on 26 March 1862. Like Davies and Savin, they were to be paid in shares: 223,000 ordinary shares, 117,000 debentures and 200,000 Lloyds bonds.Christiansen and Miller, pages 107, 108 and 111Baughan, pages 208 and 209 At
Talyllyn Junction Talyllyn Junction was a railway junction located east of Brecon, Powys, opened in 1869. The junction was triangular, with north, east and west chords, station platforms being sited at the western junction and also, until 1878, at the eastern j ...
, with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway, a triangular layout was adopted, and the Mid-Wales Railway built a station at the North Junction, with platforms for trains to
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
and also to
Dowlais Dowlais () is a village and community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. At the 2011 census the electoral ward had a population of 6,926, The population of the Community being 4,270 at the 2011 census having excluded Pant. Dowlai ...
, the latter being on the East Loop. The B&MR built a station by the West Junction. As a result Talyllyn had two stations to serve a tiny population: in 1900 Brynderwen had nine houses and Talyllyn eleven.Kidner, pages 19, 26 and 27 A length of line extending east from
Three Cocks Three Cocks or () is a village near Glasbury in Powys, Wales. The Welsh name refers to the mouth of the Afon Llynfi which enters the River Wye a mile from the village. The nearest town is Hay-on-Wye some 5 miles (8.5 km) to the North Eas ...
Junction towards Hereford was declared to be Mid-Wales property: the intention had been to make a triangular junction here, as at Talyllyn; there would have been an East Junction where the line entered the cutting to go under the Glasbury road. This was not proceeded with, but the Mid-Wales company owned what would have been the south-to-east arm of the triangle.Kidner, page 25 The Mid-Wales Railway operated a special demonstration train throughout the line on 23 August 1864. Remedial work was necessitated by the
Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...
inspecting officer's refusal to sanction opening for passenger traffic earlier. Full goods services (apart from the east loop at Talyllyn) operated from 1 September 1864. The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway service from Hereford to Brecon was running by 19 September, traversing the MWR from Three Cocks Junction to Talyllyn. Ordinary Mid-Wales passenger trains probably started on 21 September, although special trains were run on 19 and 20 September for Brecon Races, with borrowed engines.Kidner, page 20Christiansen and Miller, page 113


Cambrian Railways formed

Before long, the several networks centred on Newtown decided that they needed to join up with one another, and in July 1864 the
Cambrian Railways The Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904. The Cambrian connected with two larger railways with connections to the ...
company was formed by the amalgamation of four existing companies: the
Llanidloes and Newtown Railway The Llanidloes and Newtown Railway (L&NR) was a railway company between Llanidloes and Newtown, Powys, Newtown in Montgomeryshire, Wales. It was promoted locally when plans for trunk railways passing through the locality were cancelled; local peo ...
, the
Oswestry and Newtown Railway The Oswestry and Newtown Railway was a British railway company that built a line between Oswestry in Shropshire and Newtown Montgomeryshire, now Powys. The line opened in stages in 1860 and 1861. It was conceived to open up the area to rail tran ...
, the
Newtown and Machynlleth Railway The Newtown and Machynlleth Railway was a railway company in Wales. It built a line from a junction with the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway near Caersws to the market town of Machynlleth; the line opened in 1862. Newtown had become the hub of ...
, and the
Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway The Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway was a railway company that constructed a line from Whitchurch via Ellesmere to Oswestry. Most of the line was in Shropshire but part entered Flintshire, now Wrexham County Borough. It was seen as ...
(the
Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway The Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway was a standard gauge railway company, running a line along the west coast of Wales. The railway was planned to run between Anglicised place name spellings were used during most of the history of the line ...
would join soon after). The Mid-Wales Railway did not participate in this amalgamation, but the Amalgamation Act preserved the MWR rights concerning running powers over parts of the other lines.Christiansen and Miller, page 71


Builth Wells connection

The directors of the Mid-Wales Railway still hoped to get part of the traffic they had anticipated if they had reached Llandovery, as they had originally proposed. A spur connection at
Llechryd Llechryd () is a rural village on the A484 road approximately from Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales. Situated on the north bank of the tidal River Teifi, Llechryd is the first point upstream of Cardigan where crossing is possible. Most of the village ...
to the proposed Central Wales Extension Railway would at least give the possibility of reaching Llandovery, and from there onwards to south-west Wales. A connection was agreed near
Builth Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...
where the lines intersected, and the MWR got powers on 30 June 1864. It opened a station called Llechryd (for Central Wales) near the intersection in April 1866, and the spur was brought into use on 1 November 1866, when the Central Wales Extension Railway opened from Llandrindod to Builth Road. The rest of the CWER to Llandovery was not opened until 1 June 1868. The spur was transferred to the
London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
when it took over the CWER on 4 July 1870.Christiansen and Miller, page 115


Merthyr

In 1864 the Mid-Wales Railway was receiving mineral traffic from Dowlais over the Brecon and Merthyr Railway, but the connection to Merthyr, which would be more productive of through traffic, was not open until 1 August 1868. It provided a direct outlet to
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
and the
Rhondda Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ('' ...
and
Taff Taff may refer to: * River Taff, a large river in Wales * ''Taff'' (TV series), a German tabloid news programme * Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, an organisation for science fiction fandom People * a demonym for anyone from south Wales * Jerry Taff ( ...
valleys, and from the opening day coal trains ran through from South Wales to
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
. There was massive demand for coal at Birkenhead for
bunkering Bunkering is the supplying of fuel for use by ships (such fuel is referred to as bunker), including the logistics of loading and distributing the fuel among available shipboard tanks. A person dealing in trade of bunker (fuel) is called a bunk ...
steamships, and South Wales steam coal was particularly desirable for the purpose.Christiansen and Miller, page 117Kidner, page 23


Commercial results

The population of mid-Wales was tiny: there were probably under 20,000 people living in the area served by the entire line; the largest town served by the MWR trains was
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
with a population of 5,000.
Llanidloes Llanidloes () is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the third ...
was an important centre, but its commerce was orientated more towards Newtown and
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
.
Builth Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...
had a population of 1,200 when the line was opened;
Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...
had 1,000. In consequence local business on the line was always light. Emphasis was laid more on passenger than goods services as there were few freight originating points. Goods carried in the last half of 1865 amounted to some 12,000 tons which yielded about a quarter of the gross receipts. Figures for the first half of 1865 showed that working expenses of £6,550 represented nearly 58 per cent of the receipts of £11,312. The national average at the time was 46%. The number of trains run for each mile of route was 3,425 compared with the national average of 10,095. Through goods services should have been lucrative, but the company found that the big companies, the
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 ...
and the
London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
in particular, which had their own established trunk routes in Wales, were not prepared to quote through goods rates in competition with their own business. Half of the 36,000 tons of mineral traffic that the company carried in that period was iron ore from
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
to South Wales, routed forward over the B&MR, and the MWR share of the transit was only between Three Cocks and Talyllyn. Moreover, the MWR found it difficult to match the GWR's quoted rates for carrying coal from South Wales to Birkenhead; the only traffic which did grow was inwards carriage of lime: in 1865, 8,000 tons were carried. A crisis came when Watson & Overend gave up their lease and stopped working the line as a result of the failure of Savin, who had backed Watson financially. At short notice the MWR company had to find an alternative way to work the line. In late February 1865 the directors tried to interest other companies in working it, including the
Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...
and the
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) was formed in 1847 when the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway joined with authorised but unbuilt railway companies, forming a proposed network from Manchester to Grimsb ...
, both of which were known to be interested in expanding their activities into Wales; however both declined. Under an 1871 Agreement the Mid-Wales paid the B&MR £400 per annum plus £400 for working expenses for both the Brecon and Talyllyn stations. The B&MR built a new station at Talyllyn; it opened on 1 October 1869. While it was being built the B&M's old station, called Brynderwen, could not be used, so trains from Brecon to Dowlais set back from the east junction to the platform of the Mid-Wales station on the east loop.Kidner, page 26 In 1879 the MWR's
debenture In corporate finance, a debenture is a medium- to long-term debt instrument used by large companies to borrow money, at a fixed rate of interest. The legal term "debenture" originally referred to a document that either creates a debt or acknowl ...
holders went to Court in the Chancery Division, and a receiver was appointed. The company had issued £275,706 in debentures and was unable to meet the interest. Nevertheless after lengthy hearings, the action was dismissed and the receiver was discharged. The company was allowed to raise a further £40,000 in debentures, and a
Scheme of arrangement A scheme of arrangement (or a "scheme of reconstruction") is a court-approved agreement between a company and its shareholders or creditors (e.g. lenders or debenture holders). It may affect mergers and amalgamations and may alter shareholder o ...
was drawn up under which holders of 'A' stock would receive 4 per cent from 1 July 1879 and of 'B' stock 3.5 per cent. Most of the new capital would of course be consumed in paying back interest to existing debenture holders; it was a delaying operation, and it did not resolve anything.Kidner, page 35


Worked by the Cambrian Railways, and amalgamation

In 1887 an agreement was concluded whereby the
Cambrian Railways The Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904. The Cambrian connected with two larger railways with connections to the ...
took over the working of the Mid-Wales Railway; it was to be effective from 1 January 1888.Kidner, page 39 The working agreement proved a success and encouraged thought of amalgamation. Early in 1903 the decision was taken to do so, although it was not until 28 October 1903 that measures to present an authorising Bill was finally taken. This was passed by Act of 24 June 1904, and was effective from 1 July.Rex Christiansen and R W Miller, ''The Cambrian Railways: volume II: 1889 - 1968'', David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1967, , page 52Baughan, page 211


Train services

During its independent days the Mid-Wales Railway did not alter its basic passenger train service from three trains per day each way down the whole line. There were in addition short workings from
Builth Wells Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...
, and sometimes other stations south, to
Llechryd Llechryd () is a rural village on the A484 road approximately from Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales. Situated on the north bank of the tidal River Teifi, Llechryd is the first point upstream of Cardigan where crossing is possible. Most of the village ...
to make connection with the Central Wales line trains. The early timetables of the Mid-Wales Railway showed Dowlais (and Merthyr when opened) as if they were its own stations; in fact all stations from Talyllyn to Dowlais Top and Merthyr were listed.Kidner, page 40 All regular passenger train crossings on the single line were at Builth Wells or Three Cocks. In 1874 a service was begun of three trains a week from Llanidloes to
Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...
; a Mid-Wales engine worked through to Neath. From 1880 in summertime through carriages were run from
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
over the
Rhymney Railway The Rhymney Railway was a railway company in South Wales, founded to transport minerals and materials to and from collieries and ironworks in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales, and to docks in Cardiff. It opened a main line in 1858, and a limite ...
via
Bargoed Bargoed ( cy, Bargod) is a town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly. It straddles the ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, with ...
and on over the B&MR to Talyllyn Junction, then over the Mid-Wales and Cambrian Railways to
Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
. Mid-Wales carriages were also kept at
Cardiff Queen Street , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Cardiff Queen St. (19366639218).jpg , caption = Cardiff Queen Street seen from the north. , borough = Cardiff, City and County of Cardiff , country = Wales , coordinates = , grid_name = ...
and Newport High Street stations. Much of this traffic went through to Cambrian Railway resorts, but some was for
Llandrindod Wells Llandrindod Wells (, ; cy, Llandrindod, /ɬanˈdɾindɔd/  "Trinity Parish"), sometimes known colloquially as Llandod, is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powys ...
, and this was handled by arranging connecting trains at Llechryd, with the Central Wales line of the LNWR. At about this time the connection at Builth Road with the Central Wales line was altered to take passenger traffic, but it seems that passenger trains did not operate for some time. From the tourism point of view, its only value would have been to put Builth Wells on a direct service with the other "Wells" towns, Llandrindod,
Llanwrtyd Llanwrtyd is a small settlement in Powys, mid-Wales, giving its name to a community, in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), through which flows the River Irfon. It lies 1.5 miles north of the town of Llanwrtyd Wells. Llanwrtyd ...
and Llangamarch, but this would have required a double reverse at Builth Road. In fact shuttle trains operated and passengers changed at the junction.Kidner, page 36


Elan valley reservoir railway

In the early 1890s Birmingham Corporation determined that the
Elan Valley The Elan Valley ( cy, Cwm Elan) is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader, in Powys, Wales, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers of lake and countryside. The valley contains the Elan Valley Reservoirs and Elan Villa ...
could be dammed to make a
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
to supply some of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
's needs. In 1892 the idea became a definite plan, and when implemented it was one of the greatest projects of municipal dam building. The nearest station was Rhayader and the area was remote, and would need a railway connection to reach all the dam sites. By October 1893 a junction had been made just south of the tunnel near
Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...
; the Cambrian erected a 40-lever
signal box In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...
by the junction, controlling access to a loop. The Birmingham Water Works Committee worked the line itself after the initial setting-up period. The signal box and junction loop were opened in June 1894; the exchange sidings were not completed until August 1895, although a press and VIP visit had been run on 10 July 1894.Kidner, pages 104 to 107 Some of the construction workers lived in Llanidloes, and for them a workmen's train was put on by the Cambrian early on Monday mornings, running non-stop to Rhayader; also a similar return train ran on Saturday afternoons.


From 1922

The Government decided to merge most of the numerous independent railways of Great Britain into one or other of four new large companies, in a process called the "grouping of the railways" under the
Railways Act 1921 The Railways Act 1921 (c. 55), also known as the Grouping Act, was an Act of Parliament enacted by the British government and intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, by "grouping" them into four la ...
. The
Cambrian Railways The Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904. The Cambrian connected with two larger railways with connections to the ...
, of which the Mid-Wales Railway network was now a part, was to be a constituent of the new
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 ...
group. Summary statistics prepared for the process showed that the Cambrian Railway group were not paying a dividend in 1921. Semmens claims that the Cambrian Railways finished the year with a good balance on its books, which showed a profit of £122,970.Semmens refers to this as "net income"; Christiansen and Miller quote the same figure but call it "profit". In either case it probably means "operating profit" and almost certainly excludes tax and interest charges.Christiansen and Miller, volume II, pages 63 and 64Peter Semmens, ''A History of the Great Western Railway: I: Consolidation, 1923-29'', George Allen & Unwin, London, 1985, , page 32 Christiansen and Miller say "the increases in trade and fares were not sufficient to keep the small companies buoyant and everything was against them remaining independent any longer. Costs and wages had soared to such a level that it was impossible for a company the size of the Cambrian, which had limited potential, to meet expenses out of revenue." The new Great Western Railway was formed from its seven constituents from 1 January 1922. Due to the amalgamation tribunal not giving its assent until March, the actual date of amalgamation was 25 March 1922. During the 1930s the GWR made great efforts to stimulate traffic on the Mid-Wales line by excursions and cheap tickets. Such events as the Brecon Agricultural Show, the Radnorshire Show, or the Shrewsbury Floral Fete were the occasion for cheap fares or special trains, though timetabled trains were more often used. There were some remarkable long distance excursions, such as Builth Wells to
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, good value at 6 shillings. Another 6-shilling trip was an excursion from Llanidloes to
Barry Island Barry Island ( cy, Ynys y Barri) is a district, peninsula and seaside resort, forming part of the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is named after the 6th century Saint Baruc. Barry's stretch of coast, on the Bristol Chan ...
on a Sunday.Kidner, page 139 Goods traffic on the line had always been varied. Although timber had been handled at two of the private sidings and stone at the
Llanelwedd Llanelwedd is a village and community near Builth Wells, in Powys, Wales. It lies within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire. Llanelwedd features the Royal Welsh Showground. Location and geography Llanelwedd is on the right bank of the W ...
siding, there were no important industries along the route itself; it was through traffic, apart from some local sheep transfers. Kidner quotes a foreman on the line from 1920 to 1964: there was
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
from the Cambrian's northern lines going to South Wales;
dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
from the
Llynclys Llynclys (, )) is a small village in Shropshire, England, in the civil parish of Llanyblodwel. It lies north of Pant at the crossroads of the A483 and B4396, where there are several houses and a pub, the ''White Lion''. Etymology The name Lly ...
quarry to
Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale (; cy, Glynebwy) is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River in Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough. The Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr con ...
and
Dowlais Dowlais () is a village and community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. At the 2011 census the electoral ward had a population of 6,926, The population of the Community being 4,270 at the 2011 census having excluded Pant. Dowlai ...
, one train per day for many years. Some structural steel, fabricated or semi-fabricated, came off the Cheshire Lines railway and down through the Mid-Wales for export at Cardiff.


Closure

Details emerged in early Spring of 1962 of proposals to be put to the Transport Users' Consultative Committee to close all the three lines into Brecon. The last train on the Mid-Wales Railway ran on 30 December 1962.Baughan, pages 213 and 214 Rhayader yard was left open for coal concentration (not rail connected) until 5 April 1965, as were the depots at Builth Wells and Talgarth. Builth Road low level yard continued to be served by the curve from the Central Wales until 6 September 1965.Kidner, page 149


Topography


Gradients

The Mid-Wales Railway ran through hilly country. From a zero mileage at
Llanidloes Llanidloes () is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the third ...
in the
Severn Valley The Severn Valley is a rural area of the West Midlands region of England, through which the River Severn runs and the Severn Valley Railway steam heritage line operates, starting at its northernmost point in Bridgnorth, Shropshire and runni ...
it climbed almost continuously at typically 1 in 77 for to a summit near Pantydŵr, at above sea level. The line then descended into the
Wye Valley The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; cy, Dyffryn Gwy) is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. The River Wye ( cy, Afon Gwy) is the fourth-longest river in th ...
at similar gradients, with only a short respite at St Harmons and a short climb at
Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...
. This descent continued to milepost 18 () beyond Doldowlod, after which the line undulated, ending in another steep descent to
Builth Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...
, . A climb to a further summit at Tir Celyn was next, then falling for to
Boughrood Boughrood ( cy, Bochrwyd) is a village in the community of Glasbury in Powys, Wales. Historically in Radnorshire, the village is situated near the River Wye between Hay-on-Wye and Builth Wells. The River Wye passes to the west and north of th ...
, in the Usk Valley. From
Three Cocks Three Cocks or () is a village near Glasbury in Powys, Wales. The Welsh name refers to the mouth of the Afon Llynfi which enters the River Wye a mile from the village. The nearest town is Hay-on-Wye some 5 miles (8.5 km) to the North Eas ...
there was another steep climb of to Talyllyn. There were two short tunnels.Christiansen and Miller, pages 104, 105 and 109


Locations

*
Llanidloes Llanidloes () is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the third ...
; opened 2 September 1859; relocated by January 1862; closed 31 December 1962; station joint between
Llanidloes and Newtown Railway The Llanidloes and Newtown Railway (L&NR) was a railway company between Llanidloes and Newtown, Powys, Newtown in Montgomeryshire, Wales. It was promoted locally when plans for trunk railways passing through the locality were cancelled; local peo ...
, Mid-Wales Railway, and
Manchester and Milford Railway The Manchester and Milford Railway was a Welsh railway company, intended to connect Manchester and the industrial areas of Northwest England with a deep-water port on Milford Haven, giving an alternative to the Port of Liverpool. Despite the ti ...
; line to Penpontbren Junction owned by L&NR; * ''Penpontbren Junction''; divergence of Manchester and Milford Railway branch; start of Mid-Wales Railway; * Tylwch; opened 21 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; * Glan-yr-Afon Halt; opened 16 January 1928; closed 31 December 1962; * Pantydwr; opened 21 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; * St Harmons; opened June 1872; closed 31 December 1962; * ''Marteg Tunnel''; ; * Marteg Halt; opened 18 May 1931; closed 31 December 1962; * ''Rhayader Tunnel''; ; *
Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...
; opened 21 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; * ''Elan Valley Junction''; for Elan Valley Reservoir construction; * Doldowlod; opened 21 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; *
Newbridge-on-Wye Newbridge-on-Wye ( cy, Y Bontnewydd-ar-Wy) is a small village in Powys, Wales. It lies, as its name suggests, on the River Wye, just downstream from the market town of Rhayader, and in the community of Llanyre. Location Newbridge-on-Wye is lo ...
; opened 21 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; * ''Builth Road Low Level Junction''; divergence of connecting spur to
Central Wales Extension line Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center (disambiguation), center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa ...
; * Builth Road Junction; opened 1 November 1866; variously known as Central Wales Junction; then Llechryd; then Builth Road from 1 May 1889; renamed Builth Road Low Level 1950; closed 31 December 1962; * Builth; opened 21 September 1864; renamed
Builth Wells Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...
1865; closed 31 December 1962; * Llanfaredd Halt; opened 7 May 1934; closed 31 December 1962; *
Aberedw Aberedw is a village and community in Radnorshire, Powys, Wales. The community covers an area of . Its population was 229, according to the 2011 census; a 4.57% increase since the 219 people noted in 2001. The 2011 census showed 4.8% of the po ...
; opened November 1867; closed 31 December 1962; *
Erwood Erwood ( cy, Erwyd) is a village and community lying beside the River Wye, on the A470 road some 6 miles south-east of Builth Wells in Powys, Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 429. It is in the historic county ...
; opened 21 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; * Llanstephan Halt; opened 6 March 1933; closed 31 December 1962; * Boughrood; opened 21 September 1864; renamed Boughrood and Llyswen 1 October 1912; closed 31 December 1962; * Three Cocks Junction; opened 19 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; convergence of
Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway (HH&BR) was a railway company that built a line between Hereford in England and a junction with the Mid-Wales Railway at Three Cocks Junction. It opened its line in stages from 1862 to 1864. It never had enoug ...
; *
Talgarth Talgarth is a market town, community and electoral ward in southern Powys, Mid Wales, about north of Crickhowell, north-east of Brecon and south-east of Builth Wells. Notable buildings in the town include the 14th-century parish church and a ...
; opened 19 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; * Trefeinon; opened October 1864; closed 31 December 1962; * Llangorse Lake Halt; opened 9 July 1923; closed 31 December 1962; * Talyllyn North Junction; * ''end of MWR and start of Brecon and Merthyr Railway;'' * ''Talyllyn West Junction''; *
Talyllyn Junction Talyllyn Junction was a railway junction located east of Brecon, Powys, opened in 1869. The junction was triangular, with north, east and west chords, station platforms being sited at the western junction and also, until 1878, at the eastern j ...
; opened 21 September 1864; closed 31 December 1962; line on to
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
.


Notes


References

{{Authority control Cambrian Railways Early Welsh railway companies Railway companies established in 1859 Railway lines opened in 1864 Railway companies disestablished in 1904 Standard gauge railways in Wales