The Cambrian Railways (Cambrian) owned a total of 230 miles of track, over a large area of mid-Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways which were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904. The Cambrian connected with two of the larger railways to give connections to the North West of England, via the London and North Western Railway; and with the Great Western Railway for connections between London and North Wales.

The Cambrian Railway System

Constituent railways

The earliest section of the Cambrian was the section from Three Cocks to Talyllyn . This had been opened in 1816 as part of the Hay Railway, a tramroad worked by horses connecting the town of Hay with the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal at Brecon. The western section was sold to the Brecon and Merthyr Railway; the eastern section became part of the Mid-Wales Railway (see below).

In the following list the dates are: date of incorporation; opening date

• Oswestry and Newtown Railway 30 miles: June 6 1855; 1860-61
• Llanidloes and Newtown Railway 12.25 miles: August 4 1853; 1859. Until 1861 this section of the line was completely isolated
• Newtown and Machynlleth Railway 23 miles: July 27 1857; 1863
• Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway 18 miles: August 1 1861; 1863-64
• Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway 86 miles: July 26 1861; 1863-69
• Mid-Wales Railway 45.5 miles: August 1 1859; September 1 1864. This Railway maintained complete independence from the Cambrian until 1 January 1888, when the latter took over working the line; and on 1 July 1904 when the two Railways amalgamated.

The Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway opened in 1895. Wrexham was the largest town served by the Cambrian.

Other railways within the Cambrian system

• The Van Railway (serving lead mines) 6.5 miles: built 1871
• The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway (WLLR) 9 miles gauge 2ft 6in opened April 4 1903. The WLLR closed for all traffic on November 5 1956; it is now a heritage railway.
• Tanat Valley Light Railway (Llynclys - Llangynog) 15 miles: opened January 5 1904; closed (passenger traffic) 1951
• Mawddwy Light Railway 6.75 miles: incorporated Jul 5 1865; closed (passenger traffic) 1951

Branch lines

• Abermule - Kerry
• Barmouth Junction - Dolgelley

The information in this section taken largely from The Railway Year Book 1912

Other information

The headquarters of the Railways was at Oswestry. The building still stands (2004), although detached from the railway lines and in use for commercial purposes. The largest station premises on the line were at Aberystwyth; in 1911 there were 91 locomotives and one rail motor car amongst Cambrian's rolling stock.

External links

• Notes on Cambrian
• The Cambrian in 2004