The Tanat Valley Light Railway

[rogerfarnworth]

In August 2019 my wife and I belated celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary by having a few days away. We chose to stay West of Llanymynech in the Welsh Borders.

While we were there we travelled the length of the Tanat Valley, following as closely as we could the route of the old Light Railway.

Much of the time on the journey we were looking across a couple of fields and noting a slight rise in the land along the line of the old railway!

We started the journey down the valley from Pennant Melangell and it's picturesque church. Intriguingly, there was a small museum in the church tower which included a number of things relating to the old Light Railway.

Sadly, we timed this excursion badly and were unable to visit the visitor centre at Nantmwr. It was closed in the days that we were in the area.

This post gives a great deal of background information about the line and the Tanat Valley. I hope, in the next post to follow the route of the line as best as possible.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/09/18/the-tanat-valley-light-railway-and-the-nantmawr-branch-part-1

You will note that one of the reference documents used is a GCE project report about Llangynog and the railway which I came across in St. Melangell's Church.

[Alex TM]

Hi Roger,

 

Great post on here and your site.

 

I remember reading (in the late 70s?) an article in the RM regarding an 0 gauge model based on Porthywaen; ever since then I've been fascinated by the whole Tanat Valley line.  I didn't notice it in your initial bibliography, but there's a very helpful book on the line published by Wild Swan.  For modellers it's especially useful to have due to the number of scale building drawings.

 

Looking forward to the next installment.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[corneliuslundie]

The book - and the drawings - were by Mike Morton Lloyd.

Jonathan

[rogerfarnworth]

This second post about the Tanat Valley Light Railway covers the length of the whole line and the Nantmawr Branch.

 

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/17/the-tanat-valley-light-railway-and-the-nantmawr-branch-part-2/

[Arun Sharma]

As a volunteer on the Welsh Pony project at Boston Lodge, the [scenic] route from home to Boston Lodge includes being within sight of the Tanat Valley route from the dreadful crossroads at Llynclys to Llangynog [and thence over the tops and down to Bala]. It is a fascinating drive - very similar to the drive along the Dee valley that the Corwen to Bala railway took. 

However, the Welsh Pony working parties have been temporarily suspended in the light of Covid-19 so it'll be a while before I'm back in Llangynog.

[Covkid]

4 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:

As a volunteer on the Welsh Pony project at Boston Lodge, the [scenic] route from home to Boston Lodge includes being within sight of the Tanat Valley route from the dreadful crossroads at Llynclys to Llangynog [and thence over the tops and down to Bala]. It is a fascinating drive - very similar to the drive along the Dee valley that the Corwen to Bala railway took. 

However, the Welsh Pony working parties have been temporarily suspended in the light of Covid-19 so it'll be a while before I'm back in Llangynog.

 

Driven along there a few times on trips to Tanygrisiau to see my father. Really enjoyable if there is good weather.

 

Always thought it would make an interesting "what if" model railway, particular if politics had led to retention of some socially necessary rural routes. Apart from steam the timeline could be extended several times, initially with green DMUs and D numbered Sulzer type twos. Gradually introduce a blue Sulzer with no prefix for the goods / parcels which would still serve the stone quarries on the route as well as a little domestic coal in 16 tonners and farming materials in 12T vans, as well as an odd new farm implement on a lowfit.

 

The next timeline would see the Sulzers replaced by a 31 or 37  for freight or ballast quarry trips (shades of Nantmawr or Blodwell. Possibly also run an ex works 150/1 in original Provincial livery as the twice daily service to Shrewsbury.  

[Steamport Southport]

I've always thought that some of the place names are very Ivor The Engine-esque. 

 

 

 

 

Jason

[Alex TM]

On 17/03/2020 at 23:56, Steamport Southport said:

I've always thought that some of the place names are very Ivor The Engine-esque. 

 

 

 

 

Jason

Hi folks,

 

Funny, but my wife and I had that very same subject of conversation this morning.  We agree.

 

I know other folk have done working models, in 0 gauge, based closely on 'Ivor', but a 4mm scale micro could be truly interesting ….

 

Regards,

 

Alex.