Sirhowy Tramroad

The Sirhowy Railway was a railway line which operated between 1860 and 1970 in the Sirhowy Valley, Monmouthshire, South East Wales.

The Sirhowy Tramroad was incorporated on 26 June 1802 to run from the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company's ironworks to Nine Mile Point where it joined the Monmouthshire Canal Company's tramroad to Newport. The Sirhowy was the third public tramway to receive Parliamentary approval for its line, the others being the Carmarthenshire Railway of 3 June 1802 and the Oystermouth Railway of 29 June 1804. A 4 ft 2 in (1,270 mm) plateway was laid to carry coal and iron to and from the ironworks. The first passenger service, which was known locally as The Caravan, was started in 1822 and ran twice a week from the Tredegar Arms in Newport to Tredegar. All traffic was horse-drawn until 17 December 1829 when a steam locomotive named Britannia was introduced on a trial basis. The locomotive was a success and made daily journeys of 28 miles (45 km) hauling loads of 50 and 60 tons, while reducing the cost of horse power by 35%.

A transitional period followed during which the tramroad was converted from a plateway to a railway for the use of the flanged wheel. After difficulties were experienced at Tredegar Junction, Nine Mile Point and other places, a solution was found using a combined wrought iron plate and the Great Western Railway's 'bridge' pattern heavy rail which provided a wide inner tread for unflanged wheels of 4ft 2in gauge and a raised external part for ordinary standard gauge flanged wheels.

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