Elan Valley Railway
The Elan Valley Railway (EVR) was a Welsh industrial railway built to assist in the construction of the Elan Valley Reservoirs in mid Wales. It was in operation from 1896 to about 1912/1916.
History
The four dams in the Elan Valley were built to supply water to Birmingham, and were authorized by an Act of Parliament in June 1891.[1] By 1893 dam construction was underway and the railway was completed in 1896. At its maximum extent, the railway had 33 miles (53 km) of track supporting the construction work, running from a junction with the Cambrian Railways Mid Wales line near Rhayader to, at the furthest point, the Craig Goch dam site.
The railway, built in standard gauge[2] which consisted of four lines, known as Railway No. 1, Railway No. 2, Railway No. 3 and Railway No. 4,[3] was owned and operated by the Birmingham Corporation Water Department (now Birmingham City Council) which also owned the dams and associated works. The railway was mainly operated using a fleet of steam locomotives owned by the Corporation, with occasional assistance from locomotives borrowed from neighbouring railways.
The dams were officially opened by King Edward VII on 21 July 1904, although construction continued until 1906. The railway connection with the Cambrian Railways line was reduced from a loop and double junction to a single junction in June 1908, as traffic reduced. The majority of the EVR was lifted by 1912, with the final main line track being removed in 1916.
As of 1997, most of the line was walkable; and three such walks have been described.[4]
References
- Notes
- ^ Judge 1997, p. 14
- ^ http://www.elanvalley.org.uk/heritage/the-railway/ Archived 3 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Elan Railway
- ^ Judge 1997, p. pull out Plan
- ^ Judge 1997, pp. 219–222
- Sources
- Baughan, Peter E. (1980). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 11 North and Mid Wales (1st ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7850-3. OCLC 6823219.
- Baughan, Peter E. (1991). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 11 North and Mid Wales (2nd ed.). Nairn: David St John Thomas. ISBN 0-9465-3759-3. OCLC 26361284.
- Judge, Colin W. (1997). The Elan Valley Railway: The Railway of the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks. Headington: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-517-9. Oakwood Classics OL71.
External links
- The Railway on elanvalley.org.uk
- v
- t
- e
Railway
- Aberdare Railway
- Aberdare Valley Railway
- Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
- Alexandra Docks and Railway
- Bala and Dolgelly Railway
- Bala and Festiniog Railway
- Barry Dock and Railway
- Barry Railway
- Blaenavon Tramroad
- Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway
- Brecon and Merthyr Railway
- Bridgend Railway
- Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
- Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway
- Cambrian Railways
- Cardiff Railway
- Cardiff and Ogmore Railway
- Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
- Carmarthenshire Railway or Tramroad
- Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway
- Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway
- Corris Railway
- Corwen and Bala Railway
- Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway
- Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway
- Ely Valley Railway
- Ely Valley Extension Railway
- Gwendraeth Valleys Railway
- Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway
- Kington Tramway
- Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway
- Llancaiach Branch
- Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway
- Llanidloes and Newtown Railway
- Llangollen and Corwen Railway
- Llangurig branch
- Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
- Llynvi and Ogmore Railway
- Maerdy Branch
- Manchester and Milford Railway
- Mawddwy Railway
- Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
- Mid-Wales Railway
- Monmouth and Hereford Railway
- Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company
- Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway
- Neath and Brecon Railway
- Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
- Newtown and Machynlleth Railway
- North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway
- North Wales Mineral Railway
- Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway
- Oswestry and Newtown Railway
- Pembroke and Tenby Railway
- Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway
- Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway
- Port Talbot Railway
- Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
- Rhymney Railway
- Rumney Railway
- Ross and Monmouth Railway
- Shrewsbury and Chester Railway
- Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway
- South Wales Railway
- Taff Vale Railway
- Tanat Valley Light Railway
- Vale of Glamorgan Railway
- Vale of Llangollen Railway
- Vale of Neath Railway
- Vale of Rheidol Railway
- Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
- West Midland Railway
- Whitland and Cardigan Railway
- Wye Valley Railway
- Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway
Western Railway
- Anglesey Central Railway
- Bangor and Carnarvon Railway
- Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway
- Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway
- Carnarvonshire Railway
- Central Wales Railway
- Central Wales Extension Railway
- Chester and Holyhead Railway
- Chester and Connah's Quay Railway
- Conway and Llanrwst Railway
- Knighton Railway
- Llanelly Railway
- Red Wharf Bay branch line
- Sirhowy Railway
- Swansea and Carmarthen Railway
- Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction Railway
- Vale of Clwyd Railway
- Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway
- Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway
- Quakers Yard and Merthyr Railway
- Taff Bargoed Railway
- Buckley Railway
- North Wales and Liverpool Railway
- Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
- Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway
- Vale of Towy Railway
- Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway
- Wrexham and Minera Railway
- Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad
- Fairbourne Railway
- Ffestiniog Railway
- Festiniog and Blaenau Railway
- Glyn Valley Tramway
- Hay Railway
- Kinmel Camp Railway
- Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway
- North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways
- Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway
- Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway
- Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway
- Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway
- Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway
- Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway
- Snowdon Mountain Railway
- Swansea and Mumbles Railway
- Talyllyn Railway
- Van Railway
- Welsh Highland Railway
- Bailey's Tramroad
- Beaufort Ironworks Tramway
- Bryn Oer Tramway
- Buckley Tramroad
- Cedryn Quarry Tramway
- Cowlyd Tramway
- Crawshay's Private Railway
- Crickheath Tramway
- Croesor Tramway
- Deeside Tramway
- Dinorwic Railway
- Dowlais Railway
- Eigiau Tramway
- Elan Valley Railway
- Gorseddau Junction and Portmadoc Railway
- Gorseddau Tramway
- Hendre-Ddu Tramway
- Kerry Tramway
- Little Ormes Head Quarry tramway
- Merionethshire Railway
- Morda Tramway
- Nantlle Tramway
- Padarn Railway
- Penrhyn Quarry Railway
- Penydarren Tramway
- Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways
- Rhiwbach Tramway
- Saundersfoot Railway
- Trefor Quarry railway
- Tremadoc Tramway
This United Kingdom rail transport related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e