Archifdy Ceredigion Archives
DB/40: Railway Records

Acc. 1390

Ref: DB/40

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

The following section aims to provide background information about the railway companies, their history, and the relationships between them.

Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway Company

The Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway Company was incorporated on 3 August 1846 for a proposed line from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton. The line running between Shrewsbury and Wellington was to be a joint line shared with the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company who were constructing a line between Stafford and Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury joint station was financed by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Chester and Shrewsbury and Hereford railway companies and the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company. The station opened on 12 October 1848.

The first section of the line was constructed between Shrewsbury and Oakengates and opened on 1 June 1849 and the second section to Wolverhampton opened on 12 November 1849. The Company were granted powers in 1854 to run their line into Birmingham through agreement with the London and North Western Railway Company, approximately ten months before their amalgamation with the Great Western Railway Company on 1 September 1854.


Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Company

The Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Company was incorporated on 29 July 1856 and proposed to construct a line between Coleham at Shrewsbury and Buttington Junction. The line was operated by the London and North Western Railway Company which had running powers over the Oswestry and Newtown Railway to Welshpool. In addition, a branch line was built to Minsterley to serve the lead mines at Stiperstones and this section opened on 14 February 1861. The remainder of the line to Buttington Junction was completed in the same year and opened on 27 January 1862.

The Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Company was taken over by the London and North Western Railway Company in 1864 and became a joint line shared between the latter and the Great Western Railway Company in 1865. The collection contains an agreement relating to this joint purchase of the line (item DB/40/3/2).

The Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway was to provide a vital link with the developing Welsh railway network.

Cambrian Railways and its constituent companies

The collection contains records relating to the four companies that were amalgamated to form Cambrian Railways on 25 July 1864. Llanidloes and Newtown Railway was the first to be incorporated on 4 August 1853 and the line opened on 11 August 1859. The contractor was David Davies of Llandinam, Montgomeryshire, who later became MP for Cardiganshire. Oswestry and Newtown Railway Company was incorporated on 26 June 1855 and the final part of the line between Welshpool and Newtown opened on 10 June 1861. This route was further extended by two branch lines to Llanfyllin and Kerry which both opened for traffic in 1863. Newtown and Machynlleth Railway Company was incorporated on 27 July 1857 and the line opened on 25 Feb 1863. The final company, Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway, was incorporated on 1 August 1861 and the first train ran from Whitchurch to Oswestry on 27 July 1864.

David Davies was joint contractor for the Oswestry and Newtown Railway and the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway, this time working with railway engineer Thomas Savin with whom he had formed a partnership in 1857. Together and individually they promoted, constructed and invested in a number of Welsh railways.

Records relating to the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway Company include a document giving specifications for the construction of the line with detailed instructions for the contractors Davies and Savin and engineers Robert and Benjamin Piercy (item DB/40/4/1). The papers also record the termination of the partnership between Davies and Savin in 1860, largely due to a financial dispute over Savin’s proposal to construct a coast line to Aberystwyth (series DB/40/4).

On amalgamation the four companies were dissolved and became a single undertaking, and the existing shareholders of the companies were incorporated under the name of the Cambrian Railways Company.

The following companies were amalgamated or operated by Cambrian Railways. They include the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway, Mid Wales Railway, Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway, Van Railway, Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, the Vale of Rheidol Railway and Tanat Valley Light Railway.

Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Company

The Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Company was incorporated by the Act of 22 July 1861 which divided the line into five sections, from Aberystwyth to Penmachno Embankment in the Parish of Llancynfelyn, Penmachno to Towyn, Towyn to Barmouth, Barmouth to Porthmadog and a line from Penmachno to join the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway at Machynlleth. The contract was agreed on 20 February 1862 with Thomas Savin to build the railway.

The railway was promoted and invested in by the Llanidloes and Newtown and the Oswestry and Newtown railway companies. The board of directors consisted of representatives of these two companies including George Hammond Whalley, Chairman of Llanidloes and Newtown, and Edward Williams, Chairman of Oswestry and Newtown.

The Aberystwyth Act of 29 July 1862 gave additional powers to raise further share capital and increase borrowing, and to establish railways to Dolgellau, Pwllheli and Porthdinllaen. On 25 February 1863 shareholders were informed of the proposal to build a branch to Aberystwyth harbour and a branch to the slate quarries at Ffestiniog. The Ffestiniog proposal was abandoned following strong opposition from the quarry owners who owned a narrow gauge tramway running between the quarries and the harbour at Porthmadog.

The Act of 13 July 1863 approved the construction of the Aberystwyth Harbour Branch although this was not constructed until 1868 by the Manchester and Milford Railway Company on behalf of the Harbour Trustees. The collection contains records relating to opposition to the harbour line in 1863 by Manchester and Milford and Newtown and Machynlleth railway companies, and also the Harbour Trustees who believed the proposed line would interfere with their own plan to build a quay at Aberystwyth harbour and damage trade and shipping rights (series DB/40/8).

The line to Aberystwyth opened for goods traffic on 23 June 1864 and for passengers on 1 August the same year. The Company was excluded from the 1864 amalgamation which formed Cambrian Railways because the conditions relating to progress of work and expenditure of capital had not been met. Amalgamation took place following authorisation by Act of Parliament on 5 July 1865 once these conditions had been fulfilled. The remaining section of the line to Pwllheli was opened by Cambrian Railways on 10 October 1867.

Mid Wales Railway Company

As part of a long term proposal to link Manchester and Milford Haven, The Mid Wales Railway Company promoted a route from Llanidloes to Newbridge on Wye, and from Newbridge to Llandovery. The first section to Newbridge on Wye was approved by an Act on 3 July 1860 although the second section to Llandovery was rejected, with preference given to the construction of Central Wales Railway between Knighton and Llandovery. Mid Wales Railway submitted an alternative route from Newbridge on Wye to Talyllyn Junction, joining the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway at Three Cocks Junction, with running powers to Brecon. Cambrian Railways Company worked the Mid Wales Railway from 2 April 1888 and amalgamation took place in July 1904.

Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway Company

The Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway Company was incorporated on 31 July 1885 and was to be financed by Cambrian Railways, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway and the Wrexham, Mold and Connah’s Quay Railway companies. Work on the line was delayed for financial reasons and an extension for the work was granted in 1888. In 1891 a further scheme to fund the line was proposed by Cambrian Railways, Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway and Great Western Railway although the Great Western company withdrew its support from the scheme. Building commenced in 1892 and Wrexham Central Station was rebuilt to serve the line. The line was operated by Cambrian Railways and opened for traffic on 2 November 1895, giving an alternative route from the north west of England to that provided by the London and North Western Railway Company.

Light Railways

The Cambrian Railways Company also operated a number of light railways. These included the Van Railway which linked the lead mines at Van and was taken over by Cambrian Railways in 1896. The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway was operated by Cambrian Railways from its opening on 4 April 1903 and connected with the former Oswestry and Newtown Station at Welshpool. The Vale of Rheidol Railway opened to passengers on 22 December 1902 and its original stations were at Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn, Capel Bangor, Nantyronnen and Devil's Bridge. It was originally built to support the lead mining and timber industries and later became a popular line for tourists from Aberystwyth. It was amalgamated into Cambrian Railways in July 1913. The Tanat Valley Light Railway opened on 5 January 1904, running between Llangynog and Llanyblodwel, serving the local quarries and giving access to Oswestry. It was amalgamated in March 1921.

Cambrian Railways Company

The series relating to Cambrian Railways includes a number of agreements with other railway companies concerning amalgamation, division of traffic, use of land and sidings and financial arrangements, and contracts with manufacturers for the procurement of rolling stock and provision of gas lighting for carriages (series DB/40/9/4/2-3). These include a contractors’ bond from Robert Stephenson & Company Limited relating to the construction of five locomotive engines (item DB/40/9/3/15). Other agreements relate to the use of the railway and sidings for companies working in the slate mining and timber industries.

The records also demonstrate the Company’s relationships with other businesses including agreements with booksellers and refreshment suppliers on their stations, for example, Grants of Right for W H Smith & Son to vend books and exhibit advertisements in 1888 and 1901 (items DB/40/9/4/2 and DB/40/9/4/10). The collection includes an agreement between Cambrian Railways and Barnum and Bailey Limited in 1904 relating to rules for the transportation of the show ‘Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World’ (item DB/40/9/4/11).

The directors of the Cambrian Railways Company had their final meeting on 15 March 1922 where they nominated David Davies as a director of the Great Western Railway Company. Cambrian Railways was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway Company on 25 March 1922.

Manchester and Milford Railway Company

The first scheme to connect Manchester and Milford Haven by railway was promoted in 1845. There was seen to be potential to develop the harbour at Milford Haven into a major port to be promoted as an alternative port to Liverpool for use of the north west of England, particularly to serve the cotton industries of Manchester and Lancashire, with a more direct route to North America. This line was to begin at Crewe and travel through Whitchurch, Ellesmere, Oswestry, Welshpool, Newtown and Llanidloes, with a branch to Aberystwyth commencing near Devil’s Bridge. It would then continue south from Llanidloes onto Tregaron, Lampeter, Newcastle Emlyn and Haverford West to Milford Haven.

This early proposal and subsequent schemes were not successful but on 23 July 1860 the Manchester and Milford Railway Company was finally authorised by Act of Parliament to construct a section of line between Pencader and Llanidloes passing through Llanybydder, Lampeter, Tregaron, Pontrhydfendigaid, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Pontrhydygroes and to a junction at Devil’s Bridge, with the main line continuing to Llanidloes via Pant Mawr and Llangurig and a branch line to Aberystwyth.

Frederick Beeston was appointed as contractor and William Chambers became the chairman of the Company. John Barrow joined the Board of Directors and he and his son John James went on to have important roles in the running of the Company. At a meeting held in February 1863 all the original directors apart from Chambers and Barrow were voted off the Board, and at this stage Barrow’s son was elected.

By 1861 Mid Wales Railway Company were constructing a line between Newbridge on Wye and Llanidloes and it was discovered that both they and Manchester and Milford Railway Company had been granted permission to build on the same territory south of Llanidloes, interfering with each other’s progress. An agreement was made with the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway that they should build the line from Llanidloes to Penpontbren for the sole use of Manchester and Milford and Mid Wales railways with a joint station for the three companies at Llanidloes. Manchester and Milford had completed the remaining line from Penpontbren to just beyond Llangurig by 1864.

In 1864 it was decided to alter the route between Llanidloes and Pencader, bypassing Devil’s Bridge and taking a more direct route from Llanidloes along the valley of the River Ystwyth to Ysbyty Ystwyth. The line would continue to form a junction near Ystrad Meurig to provide access for a branch line to Aberystwyth. The Company submitted a Deviation Bill to Parliament but this was not successful.

The portion of line between Llanidloes and Llangurig was eventually abandoned by Manchester and Milford who were unable to progress with the work and it was agreed that the Mid Wales Railway would construct a route across the mountains to Ysbyty Ystwyth where Manchester and Milford could connect with their line from Pencader. Manchester and Milford were to be granted running powers to Llangurig and in return Mid Wales was to have running powers from Ystrad Meurig to Aberystwyth. The Mid Wales Company failed to build the line for financial reasons and eventually they sought an Abandonment Act in 1876 which Manchester and Milford unsuccessfully opposed.

Frederick Beeston and David Davies were appointed as contractors for the line from Pencader to Pontrhydfendigaid and subsequently for the branch line to Aberystwyth. This line was viewed as one of Davies’s greatest achievements. He had to fund much of the work due to the collapse of the bankers Overend, Gurney and Company. In 1864 James W. Szlumper was employed as head engineer to supervise the building of the line from Pencader, replacing the previous engineer Hamilton Fulton.

The line from Pencader to Lampeter opened on 1 January 1866 and by August of that year the line from Ystrad Meurig, renamed by the Manchester and Milford Railway as Strata Florida, had opened for traffic. Manchester and Milford also constructed a standard gauge track between Pencader and Carmarthen when the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway failed to complete the necessary works. The branch line to Aberystwyth was opened on 12 August 1867 and an extension to Aberystwyth harbour in 1868.

In 1871 the Company decided to support a semi-independent scheme to build a branch line to Devil’s Bridge. This line would commence from a junction between Llanilar station and Trawscoed. The Devil’s Bridge Branch Bill passed successfully through Parliament in 1872, including compulsory purchase powers for land in order to build a new station at Aberystwyth. Worked was delayed due to financial pressures and the Company was granted an extension for the work in 1876. Again no progress was made and in 1880 the Devil’s Bridge Abandonment Act was passed. The collection contains records relating to both the proposed branch to Devil’s Bridge and the following Abandonment Act (series DB40/7/2-3).

The financial problems continued and Manchester and Milford was in arrears for costs owed for the shared station at Llanidloes and the joint station at Aberystwyth it now shared with Cambrian Railways. Both Cambrian and Mid Wales railways obtained judgement against Manchester and Milford and in 1875 the Company was put into receivership. In the subsequent years agreements were made with Great Western Railway which finally absorbed the Company in 1911. The line closed for passengers in 1965.

Lampeter and Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway

The Lampeter and Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway was a proposed independent branch line to run from the Carmarthen to Aberystwyth line originally owned by the Manchester and Milford Railway Company. Great Western Railway Company had taken over the running of this line in 1906. A Light Railway Order for the branch was granted in 1906 and by 1908 a contract for the work had been agreed. The original intention to end the line at Aberaeron harbour was changed following opposition from the owners of the harbour. The line from Lampeter to Aberaeron was opened in April 1911, the same year that Manchester and Milford Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway. The section of line to New Quay was never constructed. Passenger services ran between Lampeter and Aberaeron until the line was closed in the 1950s.