Cambrian Heritage Railways

Cambrian Heritage Railways
Locale Llynclys, Shropshire, England
Terminus Llynclys South
Commercial operations
Name Cambrian Railways
Original gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated by Cambrian Heritage Railways
Stations 1 (Oswestry section)
2 (Llynclys section)
Length 62 chains / 0.77 miles / 1.24 km
Preserved gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened 1860
Closed 1965
Preservation history
2004 Restoration and Relaying of track begin
2005 First trains run on newly restored (Llynclys section) of track
2011 First train service along restored (Oswestry section) of track
2012 Penygarreg Lane halt (on Llynclys section) opens to the public, officially

Cambrian Heritage Railways

Legend
closed
reopened
Shrewsbury to Chester Line
Gobowen
Shrewsbury to Chester Line
 Park Hall Halt 1965
 End of restored line
Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway
Oswestry 2014
 Weston Wharf proposed
Blodwel
Porthywaen Halt
Porthywaen Junction
Llynclys North
Llynclys Junction
Tanat Valley Light Railway
Llynclys 1965
End of restored line
Llynclys South 2005
Porthy-wd 1965
Penygarreg Lane Halt 2011
Pant 1965
Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway
Llanymynech 1965
Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway
Nantmawr Branch
 Four Crosses 1965
 Arddleen 1965
 Pool Quay 1965
Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway
 Buttington 1965
 Welshpool
 Oswestry and Newtown Railway

The Cambrian Heritage Railways are a heritage railway company, trust and society based at both Llynclys and in Oswestry in its newly restored railway station, Shropshire, England.

Formed after the 2009 merger of the Cambrian Railways Society and the Cambrian Railways Trust, it aims to reinstate the infrastructure required to operate trains from Gobowen to Llynclys Junction (for Pant), and to Blodwel.[1]

Cambrian Heritage Railways also operates the Cambrian Railways Museum in the Oswestry railway station's former goods depot.[2] Displays include photographs, signs, lamps, signal box fittings, and artefacts related to the history of the Cambrian Heritage Railways.

Cambrian Railways

Main article: Cambrian Railways

The Cambrian Railways was formed through the merger of a series of regional railway companies on the England/Wales border. Following LNWR sponsored connection with the LNWR station at Gobowen, it enabled CR and LNWR trains to run from the northwest and North Wales into Mid Wales, and beyond. This enabled the LNWR to have an alternative route to the GWR mainline, enabling it to run trains between the coal and steel industries of South Wales, into the industrialised Midlands and Northwest England.

Merged into the GWR on grouping, it closed its old Oswestry station and ran all services from the former CR/LNWR station. Initially on nationalisation in 1946 it became part of the Western Region of British Railways, but in 1963 moved to the London Midland Region. This brought about a sharp decline in services, with the final DMU powered passenger service running in 1968. Occasional quarry trains ran until 1988 to Blodwel, after which the track was left in place but abandoned by Network Rail.

National identity

All operations of the Cambrian Heritage Railways are located within England, albeit close to the Welsh border. However, the historical Cambrian Railways company operated from the Welsh/English border territory into Wales, with more than 95% of its permanent way located in Wales. A number of currently operational Welsh heritage railways were also part of the historical Cambrian Railways, including the Vale of Rheidol Railway, the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway, parts of the Ffestiniog Railway, the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, and the partially preserved Penmaenpool railway station. Cambrian Heritage Railways are widely publicised throughout Wales, and despite their English location, are preserving elements of significant Welsh railway heritage.

History

In 1972, a group of enthusiasts established the Cambrian Railways Society (CRS), which obtained a lease from BR over the former Oswestry goods yard and Oswestry South Signalbox. The CRS established a museum in the former CR goods shed, and acquired either directly or through members a number of steam and diesel engines, and associated rolling stock. In 1997, BR agreed to allow CRS to run trains under a Light Railway Order to Middleton Road, over a track of 300 metres (980 ft) in length. The CRS then purchased the freehold of Weston Wharf goods yard and shed with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund. After quarry trains finished in 1988, the CRS obtained further agreement from BR to run occasional works/inspection trains (i.e. non-passenger carrying, non-revenue earning) over the line to Blodwel.[3]

In 1998, to secure the trackbed and return trains to the residual CR lines, a wider community group of the CRS, Oswestry Council and local business people formed the Cambrian Railways Trust (CRT), to acquire the railway between Gobowen and Blodwel. Once secured, the CRT would hand over the legal agreement to the CRS to actually run trains. In 1997, the CRT obtained funding to carry out a business study of the plans, and subsequently agreed to purchase the track from Railtrack. By 2001, planning permission had been obtained for the entire project, along with a supporting business plan and funding.[3]

However, after government owned company Network Rail replaced Railtrack, they stopped negotiations and broke off the deal, stating that they would only deal with a local council. As a result, the CRS withdrew from the CRT, and went back to new direct negotiations with Network Rail. After negotiations failed for a second time, the CRS established a third base on part of the Nantmawr branch at Llanddu Junction.[3]

The enthusiasts left in CRT decided to embark on their own project, having been offered the freehold of trackbed between Llynclys and Pant. After obtaining European Union grant aid through Oswestry Borough Council’s tourism initiative, the trackbed was purchased by the council and leased to the CRT. From 2003/4, the CRT began rebuilding the track bed, which allowed trains to run from July 2005. Further grants from DEFRA and the EU allowed this small operation to expand, in both track as well as rolling stock assets. This culminated in the building of Llynclys South station.[3]

In 2005, the council bought the semi-derelict Oswestry railway station, refurbishing it with grant aid to provide both a visitor and small business centre. It established the Oswestry Station Building Trust to manage the building, and provide information on the old CR. Also in 2005 the CRT obtained via match-funding an HLF grant to establish a new business-plan to reinstate the railway between Gobowen, Llynclys and Blodwel.[3]

After completion of the study, the CRT proposed a merger with the CRS and the Oswestry Station Building Trust. This would enable: the assets of all three organisations to be merged; duplication of effort in restoring the railway to be removed; a revenue stream which would enable such efforts to continue; and a resultant organisation capable of obtaining monies to restore the railway at an earlier date. This was agreed to in 2009, resulting in the formation of the new trust company, Cambrian Heritage Railways'.[3]

Through a ballot at an Extraordinary General Meeting held at Oswestry railway station on 20 November 2009, members of both the CRS and CRT agreed that:

Operations

The CHR currently operates trains on a short stretch of line in Oswestry and on the former CRT Llynclys South to Pant line. The CHR has moved the museum collections of the CRS into Oswestry station, while retaining the former goods shed as an engine and rolling stock restoration point. CHR is also restoring more of the railway infrastructure in Oswestry to operational condition, and since 2006 has restored the former Oswestry South Signal Box, thanks to a £22,000 grant from the Oswestry Visitor Facilities Infrastructure fund.[4]

Extension developments

The Cambrian Heritage Railway is extending and repairing track northwards from Llynclys South towards Oswestry, to enable trains to run back into the former Cambrian Railway headquarters. The line between Llynclys Junction and the A483 level crossing at Weston on the Oswestry bypass has now been largely cleared; and was visited, with recommendations made by HM Railways Inspectorate in September 2009.

Additional working-party activities have concentrated on the eastern edge of Dolgoch housing estate (between Porth-y-waen & Llynclys) and the A483 road bridge at Llynclys. Efforts are soon expected to be directed from the Dolgoch housing estate, west towards Blodwell, which will link up with an already cleared section at Porth-y-waen.

Stations of the Cambrian Heritage Railways

Locomotives

The locomotive fleet currently based on the line is listed below.

Carriages

Passenger carriages are based on site at Llynclys for storage or future restoration to be carried out. Most of the British Rail Mark 1 variety had already seen service in preservation prior to being brought on site, as these vehicles were originally based at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.cambrianrailways.com/index.html
  2. ↑ "Museum". Cambrian Heritage Railways. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Preservation". Cambrian Heritage Railways. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  4. ↑ http://www.cambrian-railways-soc.co.uk/sigbox/index.html

External links

Coordinates: 52°48′29″N 3°03′50″W / 52.808°N 3.064°W / 52.808; -3.064

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