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__NOINDEX__
__NOINDEX__
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width =
| name = Llangurig branch
| color =
| logo =
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| logo_alt =
| image =
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| image_alt =
| caption =
| type =
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| status = Operational
| locale =
| start = {{rws|Newton (Powys)}}
| end = {{rws|Machynlleth}}
| stations = {{rws|Scafell Halt}}<br>{{rws|Moat Lane Junction}}
| routes =
| ridership =
| ridership2 =
| open = 1863
| close =
| owner = [[Newtown and Machynlleth Railway]]
| operator =
| character =
| depot =
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| linelength_km =
| linelength_mi = 23
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}}
{|{{Railway line header|collapse={{#if:{{{collapse|}}}|yes}}}}
{|{{Railway line header|collapse={{#if:{{{collapse|}}}|yes}}}}
{{BS-header|Newtown and Machynlleth Railway|Newtown and Machynlleth Railway}}
{{BS-header|Newtown and Machynlleth Railway|Newtown and Machynlleth Railway}}
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{{BS3||CONTg||||''[[Oswestry and Newtown Railway]]''}}
{{BS3||CONTg||||''[[Oswestry and Newtown Railway]]''}}
{{BS3||BHF|||{{rws|Newtown (Powys)}}}}
{{BS3||BHF|||{{rws|Newtown (Powys)}}}}
{{BS3||eHST|||[[Scafell Halt railway station|Scafell Halt]]}}
{{BS3||eHST|||{{rws|Scafell Halt}}}}
{{BS3||eHST|||[[Moat Lane Junction railway station|Moat Lane Junction]]}}
{{BS3||eHST|||{{rws|Moat Lane Junction}}}}
{{BS3||eABZlf|exCONTl|||''[[Llanidloes and Newtown Railway|L&NR]] to {{rws|Llanidloes}}/[[Mid-Wales Railway|MWR]]}}
{{BS3||eABZlf|exCONTl|||''[[Llanidloes and Newtown Railway|L&NR]] to {{rws|Llanidloes}}/[[Mid-Wales Railway|MWR]]}}
{{BS3||WBRÜCKE|||[[River Severn]]|Penstrowed bridge}}
{{BS3||WBRÜCKE|||[[River Severn]]|Penstrowed bridge}}
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The difficulty with the construction of the N&MR, was geographic over any other obstacle. Firstly, exiting Newtown, all routes had to cross the [[River Severn]]. Secondly, then heading due west, the railway had to make an economic and accessible to railway locomotives crossing of the [[Cambrian Mountains]]. This made the shortest but direct route both difficult to construct, resultantly expensive and potentially unworkable. This was much like the dilema which resulted in the economic termination of the strategic route which was the [[Llangurig branch]] of the [[Manchester and Milford Railway]].
The difficulty with the construction of the N&MR, was geographic over any other obstacle. Firstly, exiting Newtown, all routes had to cross the [[River Severn]]. Secondly, then heading due west, the railway had to make an economic and accessible to railway locomotives crossing of the [[Cambrian Mountains]]. This made the shortest but direct route both difficult to construct, resultantly expensive and potentially unworkable. This was much like the dilema which resulted in the economic termination of the strategic route which was the [[Llangurig branch]] of the [[Manchester and Milford Railway]].


Vested by an [[Act of Parliament]] on 27 July 1857
By the start of construction in 1860, the [[Llanidloes and Newtown Railway]] had bridged the River Severn south of Newtown, leaving the N&MR to only need to construct the twin spans of Penstrowed bridge to head west. The line then followed the natural line of the rising ground up towards the village of [[Talerddig]], where a station was created to allow construction of the Talerddig cutting, which allowed the railway to cross the Cambrian Mountains. Now heading gently down hill along the course of [[River Twymyn]] towards the coast, via a junction with the [[Mawddwy Railway]] at {{rws|Cemmes Road}}, the line terminated at Machynlleth. The economic construction of the line created a meandering path, but the low cost of construction.

23 miles (37 km): 27 July 1857; 1863

Vested by an [[Act of Parliament]] on 27 July 1857, by the start of construction in 1860, the [[Llanidloes and Newtown Railway]] had already bridged the River Severn south of Newtown, leaving the N&MR to only need to construct the twin spans of Penstrowed bridge to head west. The line then followed the natural line of the rising ground up towards the village of [[Talerddig]], where a station was created to allow construction of the Talerddig cutting, which allowed the railway to cross the Cambrian Mountains. Now heading gently down hill along the course of [[River Twymyn]] towards the coast, via a junction with the [[Mawddwy Railway]] at {{rws|Cemmes Road}}, the line terminated at Machynlleth. The economic construction of the line created a meandering path, but the low cost of construction.


==Machynlleth station==
==Machynlleth station==
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[[Category:Cambrian Railways]]
[[Category:Cambrian Railways]]
[[Category:Railway companies established in 1857]]
[[Category:Railway lines opene in 1863]]

Revision as of 21:25, 10 February 2012

Llangurig branch
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerNewtown and Machynlleth Railway
Termini
StationsScafell Halt
Moat Lane Junction
History
Opened1863
Technical
Line length23 mi (37 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Template:BS-headerTemplate:BS-tableTemplate:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS5Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3Template:BS3

|} The Newtown and Machynlleth Railway (N&MR) was a short railway created to allow the Oswestry and Newtown Railway and the Mid-Wales Railway access the Mid-Wales market town of Machynlleth, from their communal station at Newtown, Powys. Crossing the River Severn and the Cambrian Mountains, on completion in 1863 it immediately became part of the Cambrian Railways system.

Construction

Moat Lane Junction, a joint station with the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway. The N&MR to the Cambrian Mountains and Cardigan Bay proceeds ahead, the L&NR to Built Wells proceeds to the left. Two Ivatt 2-6-0's work within the station, 11 May 1957
The twin spans of Penstrowed bridge, how the N&MR crossed the River Severn
Talerddig cutting, how the N&MR crossed the Cambrian Mountains
The meandering nature of the N&MR, as illustrated on the route west of Llyn Mawr
Eastbound local train calls at Machynlleth, 1951

The railways of Wales were built by a series of adhoc companies, often backed by a network of local and national investors, and engineered by a group of communal civil engineers.

The difficulty with the construction of the N&MR, was geographic over any other obstacle. Firstly, exiting Newtown, all routes had to cross the River Severn. Secondly, then heading due west, the railway had to make an economic and accessible to railway locomotives crossing of the Cambrian Mountains. This made the shortest but direct route both difficult to construct, resultantly expensive and potentially unworkable. This was much like the dilema which resulted in the economic termination of the strategic route which was the Llangurig branch of the Manchester and Milford Railway.

Vested by an Act of Parliament on 27 July 1857

23 miles (37 km): 27 July 1857; 1863

Vested by an Act of Parliament on 27 July 1857, by the start of construction in 1860, the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway had already bridged the River Severn south of Newtown, leaving the N&MR to only need to construct the twin spans of Penstrowed bridge to head west. The line then followed the natural line of the rising ground up towards the village of Talerddig, where a station was created to allow construction of the Talerddig cutting, which allowed the railway to cross the Cambrian Mountains. Now heading gently down hill along the course of River Twymyn towards the coast, via a junction with the Mawddwy Railway at Cemmes Road, the line terminated at Machynlleth. The economic construction of the line created a meandering path, but the low cost of construction.

Machynlleth station

The first railway station in Machynlleth was the narrow gauge Corris Railway, which opened its station building on the north side of the main-line goods yard in 1859. This was later made accessible from the mainline station by a flight of steps from the standard gauge platform.

The N&MR arrived in Machynlleth in 1863, three years after the formation of the Cambrian Railways. As allowed by its Act of Parliament, the N&MR was instructed to build a station capable of connecting to the towns of Cardigan Bay via the 1861 authorised Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway (A&WCR). This it did the following year, conneting Dovey Junction to Aberystwyth. In 1867 the A&WCR was extended from Barmouth to Pwllheli via Porthmadog (then Portmadoc).

History

In 1868 the station and lines were absorbed into the Cambrian Railways.[1] The Cambrian Railways were absorbed by the Great Western Railway on 1 January 1922 as a result of the Railways Act 1921, and became part of British Railways in 1948.

References

  1. ^ Christiansen, Rex & Miller, R.W. The Cambrian Railways, Vol. 1 David & Charles (1967); p 65