From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Neath and Brecon Railway
Neath and Brecon Railway
The Neath and Brecon Railway linked the Vale of Neath use of the SVR’s running powers over the N&B. This en-
Railway at Neath with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at abled them start running trains from Brecon to Swansea.
Brecon and also via a connection from Colbren Junction, At around the same time the N&B abandoned its Brecon -
it linked to the Swansea Vale Railway at Ynysygeinon Swansea service and decided to lease its main line north
Junction (sometimes spelt Ynisygeinon). of Colbren to the Midland in return for an annual fee.
The southern section from Onllwyn to Neath is still This situation remained in force until around 1930 when
open to goods traffic, although passenger services ceased the LMS (the 1923 successor to the Midland) decided to
from October 1962 and the northern section lifted under abandon its through Swansea Brecon services when the
the Beeching Axe as the coal industry wound down. N&B line (then part of the Great Western Railway) was
taken back by its owners and rather than being a through
Route route, reverted to being something of a backwater.
The three companies providing services to Brecon
The railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament on 29 consolidated their stations at a newly rebuilt Free Street
July 1862[1] as the Dulais Valley Mineral Railway to trans- Joint Station from 1871.[4]
port coal from the Dulais Valley to Neath. It was pro-
moted and constructed by the contractor John Dickson. Gradual winding down
After being authorised to extend the railway to Brecon, In October 1962, all passenger services were withdrawn
it changed its name to the Neath and Brecon Railway. from Neath to Brecon, leaving only freight services. The
The railway linked itself to the Swansea Vale Railway by line north of Craig y Nos/Penwyllt station closed to Bre-
promoting the Swansea Vale and Neath and Brecon Junc- con on closure of Brecon station, and remained open
Railway.
tion Railway This line had a long gestation period due to south until 1977 to serve the adjacent quarry.[5] The line
Dickson’s bankruptcy but eventually when it was opened remains open to Onllwyn, with Celtic Energy using the
it gave the Neath and Brecon access to Swansea via run- coal washing plant there through partnership with Eng-
ning rights. In return, the Neath and Brecon gave full lish, Welsh and Scottish Railway.[6][7] Some of the old
running rights over its system to the Swansea Vale Rail- Celtic Energy wagons are now housed at the Foxfield
way. The Neath and Brecon started operating a passenger Light Railway.[8]
service between Brecon and Swansea using these run-
ning rights.
An early and unsuccessful purchaser of the new Fair- Chronology
lie locomotive, when in 1863 the railway reached Cry- • 29 July 1862 - authorised as the
nant, coal mining quickly expanded.[2] At Crynant sev- • July 1863 - Company changes name from Dulas
eral new mines were opened including the Crynant col- Valley Mineral Railway to Powers to extend to
liery, Brynteg colliery in 1904, Llwynon colliery in 1905, Brecon granted
Dillwyn colliery, and Cefn Coed colliery 1930. These • July 1864 - incorporated to link Swansea Vale
mines led to the expansion of the village.[3] Railway Ynisygeinon Junction to the Colbren
Junction, on the Neath and Brecon Railway. Swansea
Brecon Vale Railway has access over all lines to Brecon
When the railway reached Brecon in 1867, it provided ac- under access agreement
cess to the Brecon and Merthyr, the Mid Wales, and the • 2 October 1864 - opened from Neath to Onllwyn
Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railways which were all com- • January 1867 - leased by the Neath and Brecon
pleted about this time. The initial B&M station at Brecon Railway for 999 years
was at the Watton and the N&B had a station at Mount • June 1867 - Aberbran and Abercamlais opened.
Street. The Hereford, Hay and Brecon, after belonging to Extension from Onllwyn to Brecon opened
the empire of Savin (originally a draper from Oswestry • 26 July 1869 - merger of: Swansea Vale Railway;
who became a railway contractor, promoter and opera- Swansea Vale and Neath and Brecon Junction
tor), was leased and then taken over by the Midland Rail- Railway; Neath and Brecon Railway[9]
way who, by using running powers over the Mid Wales • 1874 - merged railways leased to the Midland
from Three Cocks Junction, gained access to Brecon. Railway[10]
The Midland then leased the Swansea Vale Compa-
ny’s line from around 1874 and in so doing obtained the
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Neath and Brecon Railway
• 2 July 1877 - absorbed by and operations taken over
by the Midland Railway. The Midland wanted access
References
directly to Swansea docks[11] • Gwyn Briwnant-Jones, Denis Dunstone and Tudor
• 1889 - Sir Edward Watkin becomes chairman Watkins, The Neath and Brecon Railway: a history
• December 1892 - commencement of services from (Llandysul : Gomer, 2005). ISBN 1 84323 452 1
Neath Low Level station [1] http://www.swansea.gov.uk/
• 1 July 1922 - as a result of the Railways Act 1921, the westglamorganarchives/
line becomes part of the Great Western Railway index.cfm?articleid=13523&articleaction=print
(GWR) [2] Neath Port Talbot Museum Service - All For Coal
• 1930 - London Midland and Scottish Railway cease [3] http://www.swansea.gov.uk/
passenger services from Swansea/Neath/Brecon to westglamorganarchives/
the Midlands index.cfm?articleid=13542&articleaction=print
• 1 January 1948, Nationalization of railways, the line [4] Victorian Brecon - railway stations
becomes part of British Railways [5] cyn.JPG :: Craig y Nos/Penwyllt Station looking
• October 1962 - local services from Neath to Brecon north on 14th April 2006. The Neath & Brecon line
withdrawn[12] to this point lingered on to serve the adjacent
• Present - the line remains open to Onllwyn for goods quarry until 1977 (officially closed 1981)
services only [6] onll1.JPG :: More ’Neath & Breconry’. This is the
scene at Onllwyn on 25th July 2006. Looking North,
the washery is to the right and formation of the
Stations former line towards Colbren Junction can be seen
• Neath beneath the footbridge to the left
• Cilfrew [7] onll2.JPG :: Onllwyn looking south on 25th July
• Crynant 2006. The line is still in use for coal trains to and
• Seven Sisters from Onllwyn Washery. The position of the
• Onllwyn platform is clear in the centre of the picture
• Colbren Junction [8] BR 21ton hoppers
• Craig-y-nos/Penwyllt - the substantial station [9] railways
building was funded by opera singer Adelina Patti [10] Swansea Vale Railway
who lived at Craig-y-Nos Castle[13] [11] Archives Network Wales - British Railways Board
• Cray- Powys Records
• Devynock & Sennybridge [12] http://www.eclipsehistory.org.uk/steam12.htm
• Aberbran [13] cyn2.JPG :: Another view of Craig y Nos/Penwyllt
• Cradoc looking south on 14th April 2006. It has been
• Brecon documented that the substantial station building
was funded by opera singer Adelina Patti who lived
Locomotives at Craig Y Nos Castle
Main article: Locomotives of the Great Western Railway
External links
See also • Neath and Brecon Railway at railscot.co.uk
• Article on last train from Neath to Brecon
• Cefn Coed Colliery • Article on modern exploration of the Brecon Forest
• Neath and Brecon Stephensons Tramroads
• The Neath and Brecon Railway
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neath_and_Brecon_Railway"
Categories: Pre-grouping British railway companies, Great Western Railway constituents, Railway lines in Wales,
Neath Port Talbot, Brecon, Railway companies established in 1862, Railway lines opened in 1867, Railway companies
disestablished in 1877
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