locoholic Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 A while ago I thought I saw that the Gwili Railway was hoping to open their southwards extension to Abergwili Junction in time for the 50th Anniversary of the closure of the line to passengers, which falls on 20th Feb 2015. However, their website currently makes no mention of this in the description of the celebration event. Does anyone know the current state of affairs, please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Track is down, basic platform wall in but no run round yet - I get the impression they are hoping to do something this year, but perhaps later on in the summer. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I met a volunteer from the Gwili who was visiting the Teifi Valley Railway today. He was saying that the people who run the railway are also the ones building the extension, so extension building stops when the railway is running. I got the impression they don't know when it will be ready, but if it's not by the summer holidays it won't be this year. We need more fit and active volunteers in West Wales. It's a great area to visit, so bring the family for a holiday while you have fun on a railway, either the Gwili, or the TVR. Or both! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Any news on this? I am going to be in the neck of the woods next week but I am guessing the new extension is still not running yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovex Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Update available on their website Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I met a volunteer from the Gwili who was visiting the Teifi Valley Railway today. He was saying that the people who run the railway are also the ones building the extension, so extension building stops when the railway is running. I got the impression they don't know when it will be ready, but if it's not by the summer holidays it won't be this year. We need more fit and active volunteers in West Wales. It's a great area to visit, so bring the family for a holiday while you have fun on a railway, either the Gwili, or the TVR. Or both! The Gwilii is one railway I really must visit. That and the Pontypool & Blaenavon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 19, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 19, 2016 I was wondering whether a part of the extension featured in the most recent episode of 'Full Steam Ahead?' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
locoholic Posted August 26, 2017 Author Share Posted August 26, 2017 I think I read somewhere that the extension to Abergwili Junc is now open. Can anyone confirm this, please? I tried looking on their website, but it was rather confusing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
two tone green Posted August 26, 2017 Share Posted August 26, 2017 Yes it is open. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted August 27, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 27, 2017 Note there is no access at Abergwili Junction except by arriving/departing on the train - and no facilties on the station. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Yes, I went for a ride on the new extension last week and it was good fun. The views over the Gwili on the new bit are better and more open than those on the northern section IMHO so well worth a visit. Groupon currently have a discount for the Gwili railway which is always handy. https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/the-gwili-railway-1 It would be nice if they could get a GWR tank engine for motive power but possibly beyond their budget. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted August 29, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2017 Back in the good old days. I would imagine it has changed a little! 10.9.78. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tug002 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Back in the good old days. I would imagine it has changed a little! 10.9.78. 1-MSP - 686.jpg 2-MSP - 687.jpg Mike. Yes it has - that DMU coach has been scrapped! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
locoholic Posted August 31, 2017 Author Share Posted August 31, 2017 Here is photographic evidence that Gwili Railway trains now run to Abergwili Junction, and indeed there is no access other than by train from Bronwydd Arms, and there isn't anything at Abergwili except a platform and run-round loop. The ride was very scenic, but we were there at lunchtime, and there were only crisps and cakes in the refreshment room - not a sausage roll or sandwich to be had! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avonside1563 Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 The Gwilii is one railway I really must visit. That and the Pontypool & Blaenavon. Come visit the P&BR over the 8th-10th this month for the gala, the two home engines in action plus GWR 2-8-0T 4270 and Ivatt 2-6-2T 41312 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovex Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 in an idle moment at work I've been looking at Google earth/maps and looks like the A40 prevents any further extension to Carmarthen. Presumably they can still extend the other way towards Llanpumpsaint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 in an idle moment at work I've been looking at Google earth/maps and looks like the A40 prevents any further extension to Carmarthen. Presumably they can still extend the other way towards Llanpumpsaint. There might just be enough room for a single track to reach into Camarthen but I would imagine cost and local objections would be the main blockers, but going the other way they could go for miles, Pencader anyone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 They own the trackbed to Llanpumpsaint, and there were photos and comments on Facebook a while ago, that suggest now the southern extension is done they are starting to plan heading north. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 I was chatting to a couple of volunteers when I visited a fortnight ago and I think that extending to Llanpumpsaint is definitely a long-term aspiration. In the shorter term I think they are looking to develop Abergwili junction with carpark and facilities that will make it easier to access the line from Carmarthen rather than having to traipse out to Bronwydd Arms to catch the trains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 There might just be enough room for a single track to reach into Camarthen but I would imagine cost and local objections would be the main blockers, but going the other way they could go for miles, Pencader anyone? An extension of the Gwili Railway to Pencader might prove to be problematic woodenhead. A section of the trackbed on the Carmarthen side of Pencader tunnel runs through land recently aquired by the Hindu and Multi-Faith ashram at Skanda Vale, near Llanpumpsaint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hughes Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 There's certainly room for locatiing track to rejoin the main line at Carmarthen; but it's sort of reserved for the rebuilding of the Aber - Carmarthen line. With well over 90% of that route currently available for restoration and the Welsh Government's £300,000 study taking place this month - run by the same folk who studied the restoration of the Scottish Borders line - this is really the elephant in the room that the Gwili folks are aware of but don't seem to want to talk about much! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 There's certainly room for locatiing track to rejoin the main line at Carmarthen; but it's sort of reserved for the rebuilding of the Aber - Carmarthen line. I don't see that happening. There are only a handful of towns of any size between those 2 destinations and I am not sure how much through traffic there would be based on the usual state of the A487. Most of the holdups on this route (which parallels the northern stretch of the route) are caused by farmers driving tractors along it rather than weight of traffic. Also I simply don't think the funding will exist by the time the study is complete. Wales receives a lot of money from the EU Regional Development Fund which will dry up after Brexit. Westminster won't be stepping in to replace the lost funding so I suspect public service projects outside the home counties will take a severe pruning. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 I suspect the preservationists are putting the "potential reopening" into the "worry about that when it happens" box. I doubt they've got much to worry about anyway, but if it does come to pass they already own a chunk of the trackbed, so they'll get some money from that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Maybe they could use the money to restore Pencader Junction to Newcastle Emlyn and run steam there instead? I think that most of the trackbed there is still intact. The Teifi Valley railway owns part of it but they are having problems of their own at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt78 Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 There's certainly room for locatiing track to rejoin the main line at Carmarthen; but it's sort of reserved for the rebuilding of the Aber - Carmarthen line. With well over 90% of that route currently available for restoration and the Welsh Government's £300,000 study taking place this month - run by the same folk who studied the restoration of the Scottish Borders line - this is really the elephant in the room that the Gwili folks are aware of but don't seem to want to talk about much! Hardly the "elephant in the room". The railway imputted into the initial study, and part of the brief of Mott McDonald is to evaluate alternatives along the Gwili section, including track sharing (unlikely) dualing the section (improbable) but more realistically constructing a new alignment between Carmarthen and Pencader which bypasses the old line. Traws Link Cymru have always included the concept of "bypassing" the Gwili in their plans. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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