Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway
Encyclopedia
The Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway is a heritage railway
which aims to re-instate as much as possible of the former Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway which closed in 1989. The Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway, earlier known as the Carmarthenshire Tramroad was established in 1802 in Wales
by an Act of Parliament
. It began running trains in 1803, the initial line being a plateway
, with motive power provided by a pair of horses. The Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway is claimed to be the Oldest Public Railway in Britain. Although the Surrey Iron Railway
was the first to be incorporated, it is believed that the LMMR was the first to open to traffic.
The Carmarthenshire Tramroad closed in 1844 but the railway reopened in 1883 operated by the newly formed Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Co. That company disappeared in 1922 on being absorbed into the Great Western Railway
which was in turn of course absorbed into British Railways in 1947. Throughout the twentieth century the line continued as a main artery for coal distribution from the Gwendraeth valley, until the closure of Cynheidre Colliery
in 1989.
property board to the local authorities as part of a scheme to transform the track bed into a cycle way. This path is now labelled as the Swiss Valley Cycle Route, part of National Cycle Route 47, itself a part of the Celtic Trail.
company (Registered Charity No. 1087985) was incorporated
on the 15 April 1999. It is a non-profit making company limited by guarantee with no remuneration paid to its Directors. The company is named The Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway Company Ltd, therefore reviving the name of the former operator albeit with the later Llanelli spelling. The primary objective of the registered charity is to reinstate a railway on the historic line. A heritage centre
will also interpret the history of coal mining
in the area and in particular the industry which the railway served.
The charity's scheme will utilise derelict land on the site of the former colliery which is now owned by the LMMR outright as of 2005. In the long-term the railway which closed to rail traffic in 1989 will be re-instated where possible. Work at the site at Cynheidre near Llanelli
, South Wales
is currently progressing at a steady pace. The first phase will include the placing of a loco shed on site as well as making the site available to the public. The primary objective is to achieve a running line of one mile consisting of a platform
, loco shed, heritage centre
, gift shop
and café. As of September 2007 the loco shed had been fully constructed and this allowed for the rolling stock to be transported to the site on 19–22 November 2007.
The project is intended to be a vital educational resource
for future generations and will keep this historical site in the minds of people of all ages.
Steam:
• 1498 Avonside Engine Company
0-4-0 saddle tank
named 'Desmond' Built 1906 - Currently located at the Llangollen Railway
, North Wales pending restoration.
Diesel:
• 10222 0-4-0 Sentinel Waggon Works
(Rolls Royce) diesel
shunter
.
Multiple Unit:
• 51354 British Rail Class 117
Diesel Multiple Unit
Built 1960 1-Car Unit.
• 51396 British Rail Class 117
Diesel Multiple Unit
Built 1960 1-Car Unit.
• 52029 British Rail Class 107
Diesel Multiple Unit
Built 1961 1-Car Unit.
Coaching Stock:
• 1206 British Rail Mark 2
RFB 1st Class BR Buffet Car Built 1973.
• W34676 British Rail Mark 1 BSK 2nd Class BR Corridor Brake Coach Built 1955.
• 8597 Great Western Railway
Pre-1900 6 Wheel Luggage Composite Carriage
(Minus Wheel Frame).
• No. Unknown Great Western Railway
Pre-1900 6 Wheel Lavatory Composite Carriage
(Minus Wheel Frame).
Wagons
• 35377 Great Western Railway
'Toad' Brake van
.
• British Rail
Tar
Wagon (Circa 1959).
• British Rail
Tippler Wagon
.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
which aims to re-instate as much as possible of the former Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway which closed in 1989. The Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway, earlier known as the Carmarthenshire Tramroad was established in 1802 in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
. It began running trains in 1803, the initial line being a plateway
Plateway
A plateway is an early kind of railway or tramway or wagonway, with a cast iron rail. They were mainly used for about 50 years up to 1830, though some continued later....
, with motive power provided by a pair of horses. The Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway is claimed to be the Oldest Public Railway in Britain. Although the Surrey Iron Railway
Surrey Iron Railway
The Surrey Iron Railway was a horse drawn plateway whose width approximated to a standard gauge railway that linked the former Surrey towns of Wandsworth and Croydon via Mitcham...
was the first to be incorporated, it is believed that the LMMR was the first to open to traffic.
The Carmarthenshire Tramroad closed in 1844 but the railway reopened in 1883 operated by the newly formed Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Co. That company disappeared in 1922 on being absorbed into the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
which was in turn of course absorbed into British Railways in 1947. Throughout the twentieth century the line continued as a main artery for coal distribution from the Gwendraeth valley, until the closure of Cynheidre Colliery
Cynheidre Colliery
Cynheidre Colliery was a coal mine located in the Gwendraeth valley, in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Opened in 1954, it closed in 1989.Cynheidre was a new "super-pit" developed post-World War II by the newly nationalised National Coal Board...
in 1989.
Llanelli and District Railway Society
Following a campaign lasting almost ten years from the Llanelli and District Railway Society (L&DRS) to save the intact, but derelict line the hopes were dashed in the mid-90's when the railway was sold by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
property board to the local authorities as part of a scheme to transform the track bed into a cycle way. This path is now labelled as the Swiss Valley Cycle Route, part of National Cycle Route 47, itself a part of the Celtic Trail.
Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway Company Limited
Whilst the L&DRS's efforts were thwarted, a new charitableCharitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
company (Registered Charity No. 1087985) was incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
on the 15 April 1999. It is a non-profit making company limited by guarantee with no remuneration paid to its Directors. The company is named The Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway Company Ltd, therefore reviving the name of the former operator albeit with the later Llanelli spelling. The primary objective of the registered charity is to reinstate a railway on the historic line. A heritage centre
Heritage centre
A heritage centre is a museum facility primarily dedicated to the presentation of historical and cultural information about a place and its people, including, to some degree, natural features...
will also interpret the history of coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in the area and in particular the industry which the railway served.
The charity's scheme will utilise derelict land on the site of the former colliery which is now owned by the LMMR outright as of 2005. In the long-term the railway which closed to rail traffic in 1989 will be re-instated where possible. Work at the site at Cynheidre near Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
is currently progressing at a steady pace. The first phase will include the placing of a loco shed on site as well as making the site available to the public. The primary objective is to achieve a running line of one mile consisting of a platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
, loco shed, heritage centre
Heritage centre
A heritage centre is a museum facility primarily dedicated to the presentation of historical and cultural information about a place and its people, including, to some degree, natural features...
, gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
and café. As of September 2007 the loco shed had been fully constructed and this allowed for the rolling stock to be transported to the site on 19–22 November 2007.
The project is intended to be a vital educational resource
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
for future generations and will keep this historical site in the minds of people of all ages.
Rolling stock
The LMMR Co. Ltd. owns the following rolling stock for use at Cynheidre and all except the steam locomotive are currently on site at Cynheidre.Steam:
• 1498 Avonside Engine Company
Avonside Engine Company
The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
0-4-0 saddle tank
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
named 'Desmond' Built 1906 - Currently located at the Llangollen Railway
Llangollen Railway
The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of...
, North Wales pending restoration.
Diesel:
• 10222 0-4-0 Sentinel Waggon Works
Sentinel Waggon Works
Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries, railway locomotives, and later, diesel engined lorries and locomotives.-Alley & MacLellan, Sentinel Works, Jessie Street Glasgow:...
(Rolls Royce) diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
shunter
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
.
Multiple Unit:
• 51354 British Rail Class 117
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
Diesel Multiple Unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
Built 1960 1-Car Unit.
• 51396 British Rail Class 117
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
Diesel Multiple Unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
Built 1960 1-Car Unit.
• 52029 British Rail Class 107
British Rail Class 107
The British Rail Class 107 diesel multiple units were built by the Derby Works of British Railways and were introduced in 1960. The class looked similar to the later Class 108 units, but were heavier - having been built out of steel.-Usage:...
Diesel Multiple Unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
Built 1961 1-Car Unit.
Coaching Stock:
• 1206 British Rail Mark 2
British Rail Mark 2
The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975...
RFB 1st Class BR Buffet Car Built 1973.
• W34676 British Rail Mark 1 BSK 2nd Class BR Corridor Brake Coach Built 1955.
• 8597 Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
Pre-1900 6 Wheel Luggage Composite Carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
(Minus Wheel Frame).
• No. Unknown Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
Pre-1900 6 Wheel Lavatory Composite Carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
(Minus Wheel Frame).
Wagons
• 35377 Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
'Toad' Brake van
Brake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard...
.
• British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
Wagon (Circa 1959).
• British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Tippler Wagon
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
.
External links
Reading Material
- The Llanelly & Mynydd Mawr Railway - 1st Edition - 1992 by M.R.C. Price - Oakwood Press ISBN 0 85361 423 7