The Elan Valley Railway

[rogerfarnworth]

In order to construct the network of reservoirs in the Elan Valley in mid-Wales a contractor's railway was essential. This thread focusses on that railway. The first article provides a general introduction and then follows the first length of the line.

The Elan Valley Railway – Part 1

The Elan Valley Railway was built to make the construction of the Birmingham Water Corporation Dams in the Elan Valley possible. It transported equipment, materials and men to the different dam sit…

rogerfarnworth.com

The Elan Valley Railway was built to make the construction of the Birmingham Water Corporation Dams in the Elan Valley possible. It transported equipment, materials and men to the different dam sites. It was also used by visitors from Birmingham and it carried King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra for the official opening of the dams on 21st July 1904.

 

[Ashley Hill]

There was a piece on this recently on the TV show Abandoned Engineering.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Interesting.

Which channel is Abandoned Engineering on?

 

[S&CLER]

In order to construct the network of reservoirs in the Elan Valley in mid-Wales a contractor's railway was essential. This thread focusses on that railway. The first article provides a general introduction and then follows the first length of the line.

The Elan Valley Railway – Part 1

The Elan Valley Railway was built to make the construction of the Birmingham Water Corporation Dams in the Elan Valley possible. It transported equipment, materials and men to the different dam sit…

rogerfarnworth.com

Thank you for this. I will be staying in Llandrindod Wells on my own next week, and taking a party there in September; I will be making a half-day excursion to the Elan valley, so this gives me an idea of what to look for.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Interesting.

Which channel is Abandoned Engineering on?

It was on the Yesterday channel. It’s available on UKTV play. Series 9 episode 8.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Thank you for this. I will be staying in Llandrindod Wells on my own next week, and taking a party there in September; I will be making a half-day excursion to the Elan valley, so this gives me an idea of what to look for.

The Visit Centre is worth the visit, as would be a walk up the first part of Railway No.2 which gives a view over the valley downstream of the Caban Coch Dam and also access to the first reservoir at the top of the slope.

The drive around the area above the first dam is excellent in reasonable weather.

 

[P Binnersley]

The railway was cantilevered off the dam wall at one point. The protruding stones to support the line are still visible on the Caban Coch dam.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Indeed it was. One of the pictures in the linked post shows a train just about to run onto the staging!

 

[S&CLER]

The Visit Centre is worth the visit, as would be a walk up the first part of Railway No.2 which gives a view over the valley downstream of the Caban Coch Dam and also access to the first reservoir at the top of the slope.

The drive around the area above the first dam is excellent in reasonable weather.

Excellent advice. Our coach did the circuit of the dams, and then back from Pont Elan to the Visitor centre via the wild moorland road (488 metres a.s.l.) and the outskirts of Rhayader (near the old Cambrian station). Much of the old railway can be walked, but it is largely in trees alongside the road from near Rhayader to Elan village and the visitor centre. Not much of the old mid-Wales line is visible from a bus or coach, but a walker would discover more of its remnants. I believe that when the mid-Wales line closed, the original landowners benefited from a clause in the Act of Parliament which stipulated that the land should revert to them without payment if it was no longer needed for railway purposes.