Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (heritage)
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is an 8-mile, 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge light railway in mid-Wales, running between Welshpool (Raven Square) and Llanfair Caereinion. Authorised under the Light Railways Act 1896, it was opened in 1903 to provide a much-needed link between the agricultural Banwy Valley and the LNWR / GWR joint Welshpool station.
The line was operated by the GWR from 1923, then by British Railways from 1948, before final closure in 1956, the first passenger closure on what would become the British Railways system. The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1956 immediately after closure, and a portion of the line reopened from Llanfair to Castle Caereinion in 1963, making it one of the very earliest standard or narrow-gauge preservation reopenings in Britain. The eastern section to Welshpool (Raven Square) reopened in 1981.
The line is unusual in operating a fleet of locomotives drawn from across the British Empire and beyond, including engines from Sierra Leone, Antigua, Austria, and Finland, alongside the surviving original Beyer Peacock saddle tanks of 1903.
History
Closure in 1956 led directly to the formation of the W&LLR Preservation Society. After fundraising and negotiation with British Railways, the line reopened from Llanfair to Castle Caereinion in 1963, a remarkable achievement for an early preservation society. The extension to Sylfaen followed in 1972 and to Welshpool (Raven Square) in 1981. The Raven Square terminus is around a mile from the Network Rail Welshpool station, in the western suburbs of Welshpool.
Original line history
The line was authorised by the Light Railways Order of 1898 (one of the very first granted under the Light Railways Act 1896) and constructed by Cambrian Railways. The line opened to passengers in 1903 and was always financially marginal but significant for the Banwy Valley's agricultural traffic. After GWR (1923) and BR (1948) operation, the line closed completely in 1956.
Stations and infrastructure
Llanfair Caereinion is the headquarters, with locomotive shed and works. Welshpool (Raven Square) is the eastern terminus, about a mile from the Network Rail Welshpool station. The line follows the Banwy valley with several attractive intermediate halts.
Route and stations
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Special events and operations
Regular events include the Steam Gala (often featuring visiting overseas locomotives from other British narrow-gauge lines), Pints & Pistons, Driver Experience days, and Santa Specials.
Visitor information
Welshpool is on the Cambrian Line from Birmingham to Aberystwyth (Transport for Wales). The Raven Square terminus is a mile west of the station.