OTD - 18th January 1965 - closure, Ruabon to Morfa Mawddach

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Of all the lines closed in the 1960s that I most regret never really knowing is the old Cambrian line from Ruabon to Morfa Mawddach, which closed from 18th January 1965.

The old railway now is ... a road in parts, a path in parts, a standard gauge heritage line in a part, and narrow gauge in another.   Fond memories of spots all along it over the years.























https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2055147
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2921691
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5222424
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1973689
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5997735
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6830717
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6066164
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrefair_railway_station#/media/File:Acrefair_station_site_geograph-3226261-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

[Worcester_Passenger]

What date is that timetable?

Some bits of it are most confusing. It took me quite some time to twig that the times for "Bala" are NOT the times for Bala Junction, but the times at what I think of as Bala Town on the Blaenau branch.

Then there's a couple of odd connections where it looks as if trains ran non-stop through Shrewsbury (one on the 08:35am up from Dolgellau and another on the 6:10pm down from Ruabon) - was that really true?

And there's the unbalanced 6:55pm up from Dolgellau on Sundays - was that the mail train perhaps? The weekday equivalent, the 7:35pm up from Dolgellau, looks like the return working of the 4:10pm down from Ruabon.  So did Sunday's train run empty out from Ruabon in the late afternoon - but not in service so as to avoid offending chapel-goers?

[grahame]

What date is that timetable?

Some bits of it are most confusing. It took me quite some time to twig that the times for "Bala" are NOT the times for Bala Junction, but the times at what I think of as Bala Town on the Blaenau branch.

The timetable is a reprint of a 1902 original.  "Bala Junction" was, I think, purely an interchange and didn't show in timetables.   Here's a later example - 1960

Then there's a couple of odd connections where it looks as if trains ran non-stop through Shrewsbury (one on the 08:35am up from Dolgellau and another on the 6:10pm down from Ruabon) - was that really true?

And there's the unbalanced 6:55pm up from Dolgellau on Sundays - was that the mail train perhaps? The weekday equivalent, the 7:35pm up from Dolgellau, looks like the return working of the 4:10pm down from Ruabon.  So did Sunday's train run empty out from Ruabon in the late afternoon - but not in service so as to avoid offending chapel-goers?

I am suspecting that the timetable I have (GW^▸ (Great Western)) does not show Cambrian services except where they connect (even if there is a long wait), so is incomplete from Barmouth to Dolgellau - figures as there's no times for Arthog or Penmaenpool

[stuving]

Bala has note D by it "Passengers to and from Bala change at Bala Junc. by most of the trains". Hence the arrival times shown for Bala are later than the departure times.

[Worcester_Passenger]

And the 1902 one has an asterisk doing the same thing. But I still mis-read it! Doh!

[Mark A]

A close relative used that line at least once to and from a holiday on the coast there, which sort of emphasises that the through route is still something that's within living memory for many. Somewhere, lurking on Usenet, is one Eddie Bellass's unforgettable account of a footplate ride on the Bala-Blaenau Festiniog line.

Also, was it BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) that sold circular tour tickets via that line and back along the North Wales Coast, or was it a train that actually ran right round, and marketed as such?

In the late seventies, BR sold an evening ticket covering all stations between Aberystwyth and Pwllheli at a cost (then) of 75 pence, which was good for a trip up the coast from Aberystwyth as far as Morfa Mawddach and a walk across the bridge. The Cambrian Coast line was about half an hour quicker at that time, which helped. But by then, even if Dovey Junction still had a singularly unattractive waiting-room-shed, Morfa Mawddach station was a single platform, and the line to Ruabon was history.

[Reginald25]

If interested in this line, there is a long article in the February 2022 issue of Backtrack covering the Ruabon to Barmouth route.

[grahame]

Of all the lines closed in the 1960s that I most regret never really knowing is the old Cambrian line from Ruabon to Morfa Mawddach, which closed from 18th January 1965.

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) this morning

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-68003542

Re-opening railway lines that were shut in the 1960s and have left large towns without a direct rail link would cost £2bn, Transport for Wales has said.

TfW looked at the line between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth, Ceredigion and Afon Wen and Bangor in Gwynedd.

Chief executive James Price said it would be "very costly" to develop and "difficult" to implement.

Campaigners have said it was unclear how the rail operator got that figure as all studies had not yet been done.

Different lines - but yet the Welsh Rail Network has become tentacles from England into the north, centre and south of the country and there is logic depending on the political future for rejoining into a proper network.  Mind you, I think that Wexit (Welsh exit from the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)) is some years off yet.

[Oxonhutch]

Also, was it BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) that sold circular tour tickets via that line and back along the North Wales Coast, or was it a train that actually ran right round, and marketed as such?

I think you are referring to the 'Radio Tours' that ran in summer from the North Wales resorts. The 'Radio' was a running commentary. I think they ran Rhyl, Corwen, Barmouth, Afon Wen, Bangor, Rhyl.  Would loved to have taken one.

[grahame]

Also, was it BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) that sold circular tour tickets via that line and back along the North Wales Coast, or was it a train that actually ran right round, and marketed as such?

I think you are referring to the 'Radio Tours' that ran in summer from the North Wales resorts. The 'Radio' was a running commentary. I think they ran Rhyl, Corwen, Barmouth, Afon Wen, Bangor, Rhyl.  Would loved to have taken one.

https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/50s/540729br.html

29th July 1954

B.R.
Pwllheli Land Cruise

Loco Used   2251 class 0-6-0 no. 3202
Stock Used   4 coaches
Route :

Loco   Route
3202   Pwllheli - Afonwen - Porthmadoc - Minffordd - Harlech - Barmouth - Barnmouth Junction - Penmaenpool - Bala Junction - Corwen - Ruthin - Denbigh - Mold & Denbigh Jn - Foryd - Foryd Jn - Rhyl
3202   Rhyl - Llandudno Junction - Bangor - Caernarvon - Dinas - Penygroes - Ynys - Afonwen (1)
3202   Afonwen - Pwllheli

Notes :
(1) Passengers for stations to Barmouth changed to 5.38pm from Afon Wen (9004 on 4 coaches).

(2) Brian Basterfield comments: The Pwllheli Land Cruise in 1954 operated Tuesdays and Thursdays 29th June to 26th August. There were 4 Land Cruises operating around the North Wales circuit in the summer of 1954, The other 3 Land Cruises started from the North Wales resorts and were usually 6 coach trains (including one which used "Coronation" stock). They were operated by "Mickey Mouse" Ivatt 464xx 2-6-0's. Not sure how long Collett 0-6-0's continued to visit the North Wales Coast. They may also have gone over to Ivatt 2-6-0 operation later.

Details of the other land cruises is required - over to you dear visitor!