Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway

The Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway was a broad gauge railway from Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, to Newcastle Emlyn, Wales. Part of the route is now used by the Teifi Valley Railway.

Despite the name, the line never reached Cardigan. It became the Whitland and Cardigan branch of the Great Western Railway, which took a more westerly route which actually reached there.

Chronology

* 1854 Railway authorised from Carmarthen to Newcastle Emlyn by Act of Parliament
* 1860 Open temporarily from Carmarthen to Conwil, operated by the South Wales Railway
* 1861 Line reopened, now operated by Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
* 1864 Railway extended from Conwil to Pencader then Llandyssil
* 1872 Line converted to standard gauge (although parts were already mixed gauge)
* 1881 Company sold to the Great Western Railway
* 1895 Line extended to terminus at Newcastle Emlyn

tations

In order, North to South:

*Newcastle Emlyn
*Henllan
*Pentrecourt platform
*Llandyssil
*Pencader - junction with Manchester and Milford Railway
**Pencader Tunnel
*Llanpumsaint
*Conwil
*Llanfan Cerig
*Bronwydd
*Carmarthen - junction with South Wales Railway, still open

Broad gauge locomotives

harp, Stewart 4-4-0Ts

* "Heron" (1861 - 1872)
* "Magpie" (1861 - 1872)

The first two locomotives for the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway were 4-4-0 locomotives with straight side tanks, built by Sharp Stewart and Company in 1861.

After the line was converted to standard gauge in 1872, they were sold to the South Devon Railway and Cornwall Railway respectively, although the locomotives for both these railways were worked as a common pool. They were both rebuilt with saddle tanks.

In 1876 they became the property of the Great Western Railway and carried the numbers 2134 and 2135. "Magpie" was withdrawn in 1889 but "Heron" lasted until the gauge conversion. It worked the last broad gauge train from Tavistock to Plymouth Millbay railway station on 20 May 1892 before pulling the empty carriages to Swindon railway works for dismantling.

The locomotives were named after birds. "See Heron and Magpie."

Rothwell 4-4-0STs

* "Etna" (1864 - 1868)
* "Hecla" (1864 - 1872)

Two more locomotives were built by Rothwell and Company in 1864, this time with saddle tanks rather than side tanks.

"Etna" was sold to the South Devon Railway in 1868, and "Hecla" followed when the gauge was converted in 1872. They received the numbers 2132 and 2133; at some time "Etna" received a new saddle tank and its name was lost. They both survived until the end of the broad gauge in 1892.

The locomotives were named after volcanoes. "See Mount Etna and Hekla."

tandard gauge locomotives

Four standard gauge locomotives were operated by the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway, three of them secondhand from the Great Western Railway.

References

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External links

* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Carmarthen_and_Cardigan_Railway/frame.htm Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway at railscot.co.uk]