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Teifi Valley Railway |
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Location: 4 25W
52 03N; UK National Grid SN358407 The Teifi Valley Railway, Henllan Station Yard, Henllan, Llandysul, Ceredigion, SA44 5TD United Kingdom Telephone/Fax: +44 (0)1559 371077 Email:
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History of the TVR.........The TVR today .......Locomotives and rolling stock.......Days, times and fares
The Teifi Valley Railway (TVR) was formed to preserve three miles of the former Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Railway Company's line which, in the eventuality, never got any closer to Cardigan than Newcastle Emlyn. The section which it has bought is from Newcastle Emlyn to Henllan which is at the other end of the same branch as that preserved by the Gwili Railway. There is a link to the TVR's official web site at the end of this page.
The broad-gauge railway was opened in 1860 from Carmarthen to Conwil by the ill-fated
Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway Company - which fell in and out of insolvency until it was
eventually absorbed by the Great Western Railway - though even under the auspices of the
GWR it took until 1895 for the line to reach Newcastle Emlyn, and there it terminated.
In its early days, the line thrived on serving the farming and wool industries, though in
the years following the First World War, this traffic declined. The routes always had a
reputation as lazy rural branches; where trains ambled along, being flagged down by
market-bound farmers' wives making their way across the fields to board the carriages, and
while World War two brought another lease of life to the main line between Carmarthen and
Aberystwyth as a relief route carrying heavy ammunition trains between south and North
Wales, traffic on the Newcastle Emlyn spur steadily declined. Though the main line was to
hold on as a passenger railway until severe flooding severed the route in the mid-19960s,
Newcastle Emlyn closed in 1952.
The TVR
operates over 2 miles of 1ft 11½in gauge track from its main station at Henllan,
and an extension to Riverside was opened in 2006.
Other stations are Forest Halt, Pontprenshitw - with a short walk to the waterfall - and Llandyfriog.
Facilities include nature trails and country walks, picnic and barbecue areas, woodland
trail and theatre, children's playgrounds and a GWR museum and library.
The TVR has introduced Dragon miniature trains Emlyn and Epod
which take visitors on a 20 minute journey through the legends of Wales.
There are also short-stay facilities for camping and caravanning.
(The photograph shows Sgt Murphy in charge of its train at Henllan, with Alan George alongside. Between the locos, in the background, one of the children's playground and picnic areas can be seen.)
To provide motive power to haul its trains, the TVR can call on the services of one of a number of locomotives, including one over a century old.
Steam
Hunslet 0-4-0ST No 606 Alan George, built 1894
Kerr Stuart Haig 0-6-2T No 3117 Sgt Murphy, built 1918
Diesel
Motor Rail 4WDM 60S No 11111 Sammy, built 1959
Hudson Hunslet 4WDM Sholto
There are also two new locomotives: a Kerr Stuart 0-6-0T Joffre, which has yet to
be assembled; and a Hudson Hunslet 4WDM which is awaiting a new engine.
A GWR 'Toad' brake van No 35029, once based at Severn Tunnel, is on site, and is
about to undergo intensive restoration.
The Railway Club of Wales
The Railway Club of Wales was formed in 1968 with the aim of 'encouraging an
interest in the principality's railways, past, present and future.'
Originally, the Club's activities were centred on Swansea Industrial and Maritime Museum,
where it undertook some restoration work on the Andrew Barclay fireless locomotive Sir
Charles and the cab section of Mumbles Railway electric tram No 7.
In subsequent years, the RCoW acquired locomotives and stock of its own, and by 1985 had
restored its Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Rosyth No 1. Frustrated at having a
working locomotive, but nowhere to run it, the Club decided to move to the Gwili
Railway in 1987. Now, the RCoW has severed its link with the Gwili, and made its
permanent base at the TVR, bringing with it three of their locomotives:
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No 1385 Rosyth No 1, built 1914
Ruston and Hornsby 4WDM No 393302 Swansea Jack, built 1955
Sentinel 4WVBTG No 9622 Swansea Vale No1, built 1958
March 29th,
30th and 31st
April Sunday to Thursday
May Sunday to Thursday
June
Sunday to Thursday
July Daily
August Daily
September Sunday to Thursday
October Sunday to Thursday during half-term school holiday (Dates to be
confirmed)
December Santa Specials (see below)
Times
Trains leave Henllan at 12 noon; 1.40pm; 2.50pm and 4.00pm. In July and August there is an additional train at 5.10pm
The journey lasts approximately 40 minutes, with a
ten-minute request stop to visit Pontprenshitw Gorge.
Subject to availability, all services are steam operated.
April to September Car Boot Sales first Sunday of the
month, and Easter Sunday
June 4th and 5th Jubilee Fun Days Out beginning at 11.00am
(Fares and full details to be announced)
October 27th
Halloween Trains (6.00pm, 6.30pm, 7.00pm, 8.00pm and 8.30pm) Adults £6.00;
Children £5.00
December 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd and 24th Santa Specials at 12 noon; 1.00pm, 2.00pm
and 3.00pm (Fares to be announced)
Adults £7.50; Children (3-16 years) £5.00; Disabled and carers
get 10% off these prices; Family Ticket (up to 2 adults
and 2 children) £23.00
There is a discount for Group bookings, and Children under 3 travel free.
Contact the TVR on +44 (0)1559 371077 for details of Special events, including Halloween and Santa Specials.
For details of bus services, including travel planner and timetables, visit the Traveline Cymru website.
Select this link to visit the Teifi Valley Railway's official web site
Copyright © 1996/7/8/9/2000/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13 by Deryck Lewis. All
rights reserved.
Page created July 24 1996; Redesigned March 29 1999; Updated February 22 2012
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at
WalesRails
