Talyllyn Junction
Encyclopedia
Talyllyn Junction was a railway junction located 4 miles east of Brecon
, Powys
, opened in 1863. The junction was triangular, with north, east and west chords, station platforms being sited at the western junction and also, until 1878, at the eastern junction. The Junction took its name from the adjacent tiny hamlet.
The junction was created where the Brecon and Merthyr Railway
from the south met the Mid-Wales Railway
from the north-east. Both railways were to serve Brecon, and to achieve this the latter had running powers over the former from Talyllyn into Brecon. The eastern spur of the triangle permitted through running from South Wales to mid-Wales and also to Hereford.
The northern side of the triangle followed the course of the 1816 Hay Railway, a tram-road worked by horses connecting the town of Hay
with the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal at Brecon
. At the western end lay a tunnel which required widening and deepening for use by standard gauge trains.
Talyllyn Junction is often quoted as a defining feature of the Great Western Railway in Wales, namely its inheritance of junctions in unlikely and inconvenient locations. Other examples are Moat Lane Junction
, Dovey Junction, Afon Wen
and Barmouth Junction (renamed Morfa Mawddach
in 1960).
All the railways at Talyllyn Junction were closed to passengers in 1962.
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, opened in 1863. The junction was triangular, with north, east and west chords, station platforms being sited at the western junction and also, until 1878, at the eastern junction. The Junction took its name from the adjacent tiny hamlet.
The junction was created where the Brecon and Merthyr Railway
Brecon and Merthyr Railway
The Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
from the south met the Mid-Wales Railway
Mid-Wales Railway
-Company Formation and Parliamentary authorisation:The company was formed in 1859 and parliamentary approval was received on 1 August for the northern section of the line from Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire to Llandovery, Carmarthenshire...
from the north-east. Both railways were to serve Brecon, and to achieve this the latter had running powers over the former from Talyllyn into Brecon. The eastern spur of the triangle permitted through running from South Wales to mid-Wales and also to Hereford.
The northern side of the triangle followed the course of the 1816 Hay Railway, a tram-road worked by horses connecting the town of Hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
with the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal at Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
. At the western end lay a tunnel which required widening and deepening for use by standard gauge trains.
Talyllyn Junction is often quoted as a defining feature of the Great Western Railway in Wales, namely its inheritance of junctions in unlikely and inconvenient locations. Other examples are Moat Lane Junction
Moat Lane Junction
Moat Lane Junction was a railway junction in Montgomeryshire near to the village of Caersws in mid-Wales. It was the junction where the Newtown and Machynlleth railway opened in 1863 diverged from the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway which opened four years earlier...
, Dovey Junction, Afon Wen
Afon Wen railway station
Afon Wen was a railway station located in Afon Wen, Gwynedd.The station formed a junction between the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway and the Carnarvonshire Railway.- History :...
and Barmouth Junction (renamed Morfa Mawddach
Morfa Mawddach railway station
Morfa Mawddach railway station, formerly Barmouth Junction, is in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Cambrian Coast Railway between and at its junction with the Dolgelley branch of the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway part of the Ruabon to Barmouth Line which closed in 1965.- Background :North of Morfa...
in 1960).
All the railways at Talyllyn Junction were closed to passengers in 1962.