Saundersfoot Railway
Encyclopedia
The Saundersfoot Railway was a Welsh
industrial
narrow gauge railway built in 1829 to carry coal from mines around Reynalton
to the harbour at Saundersfoot
on the Pembrokeshire
coast. It was the first railway line to be built in Pembrokeshire, remaining independent until it closed in 1939.
s along the tracks.
The first line connected the Stepaside/Kilgetty
Collieries & Ironworks (a mile east of Kilgetty railway station) to Saundersfoot Harbour, running along the coast through a series of short tunnels and through the centre of the town.
The second line ran from the harbour to Reynalton
. The route, which traversed an incline of 1 in 5 approx a ½ mile from the harbour, passed beneath the GWR station
through a tunnel. The line terminated at the Broom and Thomas Chapel Collieries. A branch line also ran on to the a colliery at Reynalton
.
Due to production levels at the collieries, the whole line was upgraded to a narrow gauge railway in 1874. The tramway was relaid with flat bottom rails on wooden sleepers allowing locomotives to be used on the line.
But by the late 1920s the coal industry was in recession and the line had been mothballed. In 1932 a brief resurgence in local mining led to the lines being briefly reopened.
However only seven years later, due to financial costs and the workings exhausted, the railway was closed in 1939 on the eve of the Second World War. The rolling stock along with the lines were scrapped for use in the war effort.
. It is now a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) section on the Miners Trail, part of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
. Walkers using the trail pass through three tunnels on the former line.
until 1951.
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...
industrial
Industrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
narrow gauge railway built in 1829 to carry coal from mines around Reynalton
Reynalton
Reynalton is a small village in Pembrokeshire, Wales, near to Tenby and Kilgetty, belonging to the Kilgetty/Begelly community.Reynalton was one of six broadband "not-spots" in Wales – communities without high-speed Internet access...
to the harbour at Saundersfoot
Saundersfoot
Saundersfoot is a community in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. It is known as a seaside resort, and along with nearby Tenby is one of the most visited Welsh holiday destinations.-Harbour:...
on the Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
coast. It was the first railway line to be built in Pembrokeshire, remaining independent until it closed in 1939.
History
The Saundersfoot Railway and Harbour Company was created in 1828 to build a harbour at Saundersfoot and a tramway connecting it to the collieries around Reynalton. The tramway, which consisted of two main mineral lines and a number of small branches, originally used horses to pull up to three laden waggonHopper car
A hopper car is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, track ballast, and the like. The name originated from the coke manufacturing industry which is part of the steel industry ....
s along the tracks.
The first line connected the Stepaside/Kilgetty
Kilgetty
Kilgetty is a village near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It lies at the crossing of the A477 road between St. Clears and Pembroke Dock and the A478 road between Tenby and Cardigan....
Collieries & Ironworks (a mile east of Kilgetty railway station) to Saundersfoot Harbour, running along the coast through a series of short tunnels and through the centre of the town.
The second line ran from the harbour to Reynalton
Reynalton
Reynalton is a small village in Pembrokeshire, Wales, near to Tenby and Kilgetty, belonging to the Kilgetty/Begelly community.Reynalton was one of six broadband "not-spots" in Wales – communities without high-speed Internet access...
. The route, which traversed an incline of 1 in 5 approx a ½ mile from the harbour, passed beneath the GWR station
Saundersfoot railway station
Saundersfoot railway station serves the seaside village of Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is managed by Arriva Trains Wales. It is usually a request stop apart from the limited stop First Great Western Pembroke Dock services which make a scheduled stop here. The station is a mile from the...
through a tunnel. The line terminated at the Broom and Thomas Chapel Collieries. A branch line also ran on to the a colliery at Reynalton
Reynalton
Reynalton is a small village in Pembrokeshire, Wales, near to Tenby and Kilgetty, belonging to the Kilgetty/Begelly community.Reynalton was one of six broadband "not-spots" in Wales – communities without high-speed Internet access...
.
Due to production levels at the collieries, the whole line was upgraded to a narrow gauge railway in 1874. The tramway was relaid with flat bottom rails on wooden sleepers allowing locomotives to be used on the line.
But by the late 1920s the coal industry was in recession and the line had been mothballed. In 1932 a brief resurgence in local mining led to the lines being briefly reopened.
However only seven years later, due to financial costs and the workings exhausted, the railway was closed in 1939 on the eve of the Second World War. The rolling stock along with the lines were scrapped for use in the war effort.
Present day
Part of the route follows the coastline from Saundersfoot to Wisemans BridgeWisemans Bridge
Wisemans Bridge is a small hamlet and holiday resort on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path between Amroth and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is part of the Community of Amroth In 1943, Winston Churchill visited the area as the allies practised for the D Day landings. The footpath linking it and...
. It is now a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) section on the Miners Trail, part of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
Pembrokeshire Coast Path
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a National Trail in southwest Wales. It was established in 1970, and is 186 miles long, mostly at cliff-top level, with 35,000 feet of ascent and descent. The northern end is at Poppit Sands, near St...
. Walkers using the trail pass through three tunnels on the former line.
Locomotives
Both engines used on the line had low profiles so they could work the tunnels. Although Rosalind was scrapped, Bulldog continued to work at Llanelli steel worksSteel Company of Wales
The Steel Company of Wales Ltd was a Welsh steel and tinplate producer. It was formed in 1947 and absorbed into British Steel in 1967. The business now forms part of Corus, a subsidiary of Tata Steel....
until 1951.
| Name | Builder | Type | Date | Works number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosalind | Manning Wardle Manning Wardle Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,... |
0-4-0ST | 1874 | 476 | |
| Bulldog | Kerr Stuart Kerr Stuart Kerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as James Kerr & Company, and became Kerr, Stuart & Company from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner... |
0-4-0ST | 1915 | 2040 | Purchased from the Reynalton Colliery railway in 1921 |
External links
- http://disused-rlys.fotopic.net/c915711.html