The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

[rogerfarnworth]

The abandoned length through the town ...

 

Those involved with the creation of the preservation line always intended to include the part of the line which ran through the centre of Welshpool. Sadly that was not to be. The local authorities were concerned about the effect of the railway traffic on road traffic in and around the town. Pretty much all that remains of that length of the line are photographs, short bits of film and memories. Road improvements and building clearance have changed parts of the old town.

 

Elements of the original route are difficult to identify. This is compounded by OS Mapping. The 1949 6" Ordnance Survey, which should have provided a definitive map of the town centre, seems to have used the route of an old tramroad to define the route of the line rather than undertake a local survey of the line. It also seems to have left the Seven Stars pub in place when it was actually demolished to make room for the railway. The result of these things being a rather unrealistic mapped route of the line through parts of the town.

 

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/07/24/the-welshpool-llanfair-light-railway/

 

For some time I'd thought about looking at the lost length of the line. I was reminded of this when my wife decided that it would be good for us to visit the preservation line. After that journey, my interest was rekindled. The linked article above is the result. ....

 

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long and runs eastwards from the village of Llanfair Caereinion via Castle Caereinion to the town of Welshpool. The headquarters of the line are at Llanfair Caereinion.

 

 

[SZ]

On 28/07/2022 at 19:14, rogerfarnworth said:

Those involved with the creation of the preservation line always intended to include the part of the line which ran through the centre of Welshpool. Sadly that was not to be. The local authorities were concerned about the effect of the railway traffic on road traffic in and around the town. Pretty much all that remains of that length of the line are photographs, short bits of film and memories. Road improvements and building clearance have changed parts of the old town.

 

Somewhere else the council caused more damage than the Luftwaffe! Thanks for this, always wondered how the photos in my Welshpool and Llanfair book (70s, red softcover) joined up.

[mozzer models]

there is a petrol station on the line & the corner of the library also the old line between theres is now a back lane 

[rogerfarnworth]

After my first article about the Town Section of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway a number of folks got in touch with their photos of the line and I have, since deciding to write an addendum, found other photographs which people have kindly allowed me to include in this additional article. There are a few embedded links to Flickr images as well.

 

It has been a joy pulling all these together. ...

 

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/09/23/the-welshpool-llanfair-light-railway-an-addendum/

[rogerfarnworth]

The OS map in the link below has the correct route across Church Street. This link was kindly pointed out to me by an acquaintance on another forum.

 

Ref SJ20NW - A

Surveyed / Revised: Pre 1930 to 1962, Published: 1964

 

https://maps.nls.uk/view/189186867

[ikcdab]

2 minutes ago, rogerfarnworth said:

The OS map in the link below has the correct route across Church Street. This link was kindly pointed out to me by an acquaintance on another forum.

 

Ref SJ20NW - A

Surveyed / Revised: Pre 1930 to 1962, Published: 1964

 

https://maps.nls.uk/view/189186867

So bearing in mind what you say, is the waymarked trail through the town correct?

Ian

[Wickham Green too]

47 minutes ago, ikcdab said:

... is the waymarked trail through the town correct? ...

For any ghost who can walk through the corner of the library ..... probably !

[ikcdab]

I thought that the waymarked trail was actually quite well done. We only go lost through the supermarket carpark, but soon stumbled on the cattle pens. I assume these are reconstructions?

[rogerfarnworth]

As far as I know the cattle pens are originals as is the short length of dual gauge railway. I think there was a condition placed on the Tesco Supermarket development that they should be refurbished.