Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
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| Type and origin | |
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| Power type | Steam |
| Builder | Sharp Stewart & Co. |
| Specifications | |
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| Configuration | 4-4-0T |
| Gauge | 7 ft (2,134 mm) |
| Leading dia. | 3 ft 3 in (991 mm) |
| Driver dia. | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) |
| Wheelbase | 18 ft 0 in (5,486 mm) |
| Cylinder size | dia × stroke, 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) |
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder | Rothwell and Company |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration | 4-4-0ST |
| Gauge | 7 ft (2,134 mm) |
| Leading dia. | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Driver dia. | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), later 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) |
| Wheelbase | 18 ft 4 1⁄2 in (5,601 mm) |
| Cylinder size | dia × stroke, 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) |
The Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway was a broad gauge railway company that was intended to connect Carmarthen (on the South Wales Railway main line) and Cardigan, in south-west Wales. In fact it was unable to raise the necessary capital and was loss-making from the time of opening the first short section of its line in 1860, and it was in receivership for much of its life. It eventually reached Llandyssil in 1864, and never extended further during its independent existence.
Its station at Carmarthen became the focus of several independent cross-country railways which made junctions with it, and for a time the toll charges for the short distances used by their trains was useful income, but the line never became solvent and it sold its concern to the Great Western Railway in 1882. The GWR eventually extended from Llandyssil to Newcastle Emlyn, which improved use of the line somewhat. Meanwhile another railway was built to Cardigan from Whitland, and the C&CR line was never extended beyond Newcastle Emlyn.
Passenger trains ceased operating in 1965 (they finished on the Newcastle Emlyn branch in 1952) but access to a creamery north of Pencader kept milk traffic going on the line until total closure in 1973.
The exception is the short stub at Carmarthen itself that diverges from the through Swansea to Milford Haven line: it remains in use by nearly all through passenger trains at the present day.
The Great Western Railway opened its line between London and Bristol in 1841; with a branch to Gloucester and Cheltenham being built by the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway, the GWR encouraged the formation of what became the South Wales Railway to build a line from near Gloucester through Cardiff and Swansea to Fishguard. The South Wales Railway obtained the Royal Assent on 4 August 1845.
It opened its line progressively: from Swansea (Landore) to Carmarthen on 11 October 1852, and on 2 January 1854 onwards to Haverfordwest and Neyland. Because of the radically changed economic conditions the idea of reaching Fishguard was in abeyance for the time being.
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Wikipedia