The Gwili Railway thread

No apologies for another picture, this time in the sun…
A few finishing off jobs today ready for the first day tomorrow. There are still some finishing touches such as lamp tops which will hopefully follow later this year.

6430 was also our and about and will be in service for Easter and April.

Regards

Matt

 

Typical Welsh weather but the first train arrives at Platform One.

 

6430’departs Abergwili

 

Looks great, All of this was unimaginable just 5 years ago!

Ex br engines, 5 coach trains, the facility at abergwili - it just seems to have all happened so quick. Incredible achievement.

 

Is the Derail on the loop instead of a trap point?

 

Looks more like a rail stop than a derailer to me.

 

yes it is a rail stop although a de-railer is on order and should arrive shortly.

 

We are almost up to 100 pages on this thread and it’s interesting to read back to chart the last 12 years or so. I must admit I wrote a lot more in the earlier pages of the thread, now I just let the pictures do the talking!

If someone had said in 2012 how the railway was going to develop I would have struggled to believe it! It is great though to see 5 car trains leaving Abergwili Junction with a GWR pannier on the front. Still plenty more to do and achieve but we certainly have a springboard now.

Regards

Matt

 

Reassembly of “Haulwen” continues, with the rear wheelset fitted with refurbished parts including new springs. One down two to go….

 

Next stop Conwil ? A marketing campaign to rebuild the bridges, perhaps ? Or would a limited target of Dogwil make a start ?

 

Conwil has always been a long held ambition although financially it will require three bridges to be rebuilt so costs of not less than £1m by the time all that is completed. It will add 3/4 of a mile so that’s probably optimum on our present operation eg six coupled loco on 5 car sets on an hour and a bit servic time.

lots of other projects planned or required including permanent station buildings at Abergwili, further covered accommodation for locos and carriages and carriage refurbishment (both vintage set and MK1). The first of these, the CK is due back from Cranmore in the next month or so having had both ends rebuilt with a host of other work.

Regards

Matt

 

I would love the railway extend to conwil but in reality the station although offering a car park is not very close to the village itself.

If the railway extended to conwil that would mean another station needing staffing, you could probably avoid llwyfan cerrig but then there is much of interest at llwyfan and I am unsure of where else to exhibit all the items, except for the planned extensions to the sheds at abergwili. So while conwil will add a bit more of a run and a northern car park and access point - I am not sure what it adds to the 'visitor experience' and that's what many of the visitors in west wales are looking for. The tourist market from holidaymakers want a structured product.

 

I am guessing here but I would say that if you go to the cost of extending to Conwil you may as well carry on to Llanpumsaint. The additional cost would be comparatively low in comparison to the Conwil section.

Not only that but once you turn right up the valley you are on to some of the most scenic part of the railway with little or no signs of modernity until you come out the valley at Llanpumsaint .

 

To be honest, there isn’t really a natural destination anywhere on the line. There is very little at Llanpumsaint for the visitor, same as Conwil. Maybe the railway should just concentrate on making Abergwili jct somewhere you can spend a few hours with a short train ride (current line) included in the offering?

 

I'd also say there are just ad many bridges between conwil and llanpumsaint! I think it would be equally as expensive if not more!

Tom

 

From memory Tom and it was a few year ago I walked it. There are two bridges on this section, one small bridge and the stone arch bridge just as you come in to Llanpumsaaint.

 

I thought if you count the river bridge just north of the platform at conwil there were 4 River bridges + the road bridge at llanpumsaint North of conwil. Also I am unsure on who owns the site of the station in llanpumsaint?

 

There’s three bridges between DYC and Conwil, ideally you have to restore the fourth one just north of Conwil to get allow a suitable length run round.

I’m sure Matt will correct me if I’m wrong on the number north of Conwil.

 

Can I suggest that you make these as historically accurate and believable as possible, as you will be looking at them for a very long time, and will regret hasty decisions, shortcuts taken, or 'people won't notice' thoughts.

We had a big fight over this at the Broadway new build, but now we hear nothing but admiration. It's a destination station now. It's worth it, believe me. Make it the jewel in your crown. I'm happy to help with ideas for sourcing kit.

 

I have always thought rescuing the original carmarthen station building which I believe now is in a very sorry state of repair marooned on old station road and rebuilding it at abergwili would be amazing!

Tom