The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

[RogerFarnworth]

The abandoned length through the town ...

Those involved with the creation of the preservation line always intended to include the part of the line which ran through the centre of Welshpool. Sadly that was not to be. The local authorities were concerned about the effect of the railway traffic on road traffic in and around the town. Pretty much all that remains of that length of the line are photographs, short bits of film and memories. Road improvements and building clearance have changed parts of the old town.

Elements of the original route are difficult to identify. This is compounded by OS Mapping. The 1949 6" Ordnance Survey, which should have provided a definitive map of the town centre, seems to have used the route of an old tramroad to define the route of the line rather than undertake a local survey of the line. It also seems to have left the Seven Stars pub in place when it was actually demolished to make room for the railway. The result of these things being a rather unrealistic mapped route of the line through parts of the town.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/07/24...light-railway/

For some time I'd thought about looking at the lost length of the line. I was reminded of this when my wife decided that it would be good for us to visit the preservation line. After that journey, my interest was rekindled. The linked article above is the result. ....

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long and runs eastwards from the village of Llanfair Caereinion via Castle Caereinion to the town of Welshpool. The headquarters of the line are at Llanfair Caereinion.

[RogerFarnworth]

After my first article about the Town Section of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway a number of folks got in touch with their photos of the line and I have, since deciding to write an addendum, found other photographs which people have kindly allowed me to include in this additional article. There are a few embedded links to Flickr images as well.

It has been a joy pulling all these together. ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/09/23...y-an-addendum/

[RogerFarnworth]

The OS map in the link below has the correct route across Church Street. This link was kindly pointed out to me by an acquaintance on another forum.

Ref SJ20NW - A
Surveyed / Revised: Pre 1930 to 1962, Published: 1964

https://maps.nls.uk/view/189186867

[hereward]

Seeing American trains travelling on city streets with their bells clanging, on video, would fill me with awe. I didn't know it had happened here. I had delivered to that old station, to a craft shop, I think, I had assumed the station was the other side of the building, not having time to explore. I'm sure I saw something about a head on collision on the single track standard gauge line. Can't find it now, something about people thinking somebody else had given the driver the staff to travel. Had to look up how the system worked, now I am wondering how the system failed.

[RogerFarnworth]

I would have liked to have seen the W&LLR travelling through the town. It looks impractical that it could be rebuilt as much has changed in the town centre and the costs would probably be beyond the preservation group.

[46232]

Thanks for sharing this info Roger which I found very interesting.
I've never seen so many photos of the section of the line that went through the town
A few year ago I spent half an hour chatting with a local man who had a display stand at the Raven Sq. Station about the lost town section. He had put it on view as it was the steam gala weekend.

A fantastic little railway

[RogerFarnworth]

Thank you. You're welcome.

[RogerFarnworth]

I was reading (in August 2024) the July 1903 Railway Magazine and came across an article about the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. The article marked the opening of the line at the beginning of April 1903.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/17...ne-april-1903/