Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
| Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway | |
|---|---|
| Rheilffordd y Trallwng a Llanfair Caereinion | |
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| 823 COUNTESS - one of the two original W&LLR engines | |
| Locale | Mid-Wales |
| Terminus | Welshpool |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway |
| Original gauge | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Length | 8.5 miles (13.7 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1903 |
| Closed to passengers | 1931 |
| Closed | 1956 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1963 | Re-opened as a heritage railway |
| 1972 | Services extended to Sylfaen |
| 1981 | Opening of extension to Raven Square |
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) (Welsh: Rheilffordd y Trallwng a Llanfair Caereinion) is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is around 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool (Welsh: Y Trallwng) via Castle Caereinion to the village of Llanfair Caereinion.
The W&LLR was one of the few narrow gauge branch lines to be built under the provisions of the 1896 Light Railways Act. Noted narrow gauge promoter Everard Calthrop appeared at the Light Railway Inquiry, and proposed the use of transporter wagons. However the line ended up being built by the Cambrian Railways engineer, with consequent conservative 4-wheel wagon and other provisions.
It was opened on 4 April 1903 to aid economic development in a remote area, never making a profit. It was originally operated by the Cambrian Railways, connecting with it at the former Oswestry and Newtown Railway station in the town of Welshpool. The line is built through difficult country, having a great number of curves in order to reach the summit of 600 ft. The original terminus at Welshpool was located alongside the main line station and trains wound their way through the town, using the locomotive bell as a warning.
In the 1923 Grouping of railway companies, Cambrian Railways, including the Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion line, was absorbed by the Great Western Railway (GWR). On 9 February 1931 the line lost its passenger service, which was replaced by a bus service, and it became a freight-only line. It was temporarily re-opened to passengers between 6 and 11 August 1945 for the Eisteddfod. The GWR itself was nationalised in 1948 and became part of British Railways.
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