Neath and Brecon Railway (and related lines)
Introduction
Incorporated as the Dulais valley railway in 1862, the Neath & Brecon was established to build a standard gauge railway between collieries in the Dulais valley and a junction with the broad gauge Vale of Neath Railway at Cadoxton (Neath), from where a third rail would be laid to gain access to Neath and Swansea Docks. The Neath & Brecon Railway was expensive to operate, and aspirations to expand and develop were effectively ended by the collapse of the bankers Overend and Gurney in 1866, and by the early 1870's the finacial situation was serious. On 1 September 1874, the Midland Railway leased the Swansea Valley Railway, having already reached Brecon from Hereford via the Hereford, Hay & Brecon Railway, and intimated that they intended to run trains over the N&B using the running powers of the Swansea Valley Railway. The N&B was in no position to contest the issue and reluctantly agreed to the Midland working all mainline services between Brecon, Colbren and Ynysgeinon and to pay the N&B one third of the net receipts.
The Midland
agreement remained in force until 1889, when an attempt to renegotiate
resulted in the Midland Railway withdrawing all its services on 20 June
1889. Following arbitration, through trains resumed a month later but
the N&B gained an annual payment and compensation for the
inconvenience caused. The situation improved in the 1890's as traffic
improved and the passenger service consisted over five trains a day
(six on Saturday) between Neath riverside and Colbren Junction. By
1913, the N&B was conveying over 1.2 million tons of coal.In 1878, the renowned opera singer and celebrity Madame Adelina Patti purchased the Craig-y-nos estate in the valley below Penwyllt. The N&B rebuilt Penwyllt station in stone with a private waiting room for Madame Patti, and both the GWR and Midland provided saloons for her use, and special trains were laid on to allow her to attend singing engagements. In addition private stations existed at Penpont and Abercamlais in the Usk valley
The Neath & Brecon Railway was absorbed by the GWR as part of the Grouping on 24 July 1922, but it was not until the LMS withdrew its through Hereford-Swansea trains on 31 December 1930 that the GWR introduced Brecon to Neath trains. The northern section of the line was closed, along with all other lines to Brecon, in December 1962, although the section from Neath to Onllwyn remains open to serve the washery.
Important Dates
29th July 1862 |
Incorporated by Act of Parliament as the Dulais Valley Railway |
13th July 1863 |
Obtained Act to change name to Neath & Brecon Railway |
29th July 1864 |
Obtained Act to construct branch line from Devynock to Llangammarch Wells |
2nd Sept 1864 |
Opened to traffic to Drim Colliery Onllwyn |
1865 |
The first Fairlie's Patent double-ended locomotive runs on N&B |
1866 |
Work on Llangammarch branch abandoned |
8th June 1867 |
Opened to traffic Onllwyn to Brecon Mount Street |
26th July 1869 |
Absorbed Swansea Vale & Neath & Brecon Railway (Colbren Jct to Ynysgeinon Jct) |
1st March 1871 |
Brecon Free Street (Joint) Station opened |
1874 |
N&B agree terms to use Brecon Free Street station |
1st July 1877 |
Midland Railway operate all traffic north of Colbren Junction |
20th June 1889 |
Midland railway withdraw through trains |
22nd July 1889 |
Midland Railway trains resume following arbitration |
1st July 1903 |
N&B take over coal traffic between Colbren and Ynysgeinion - purchases two 0-6-2Ts from Port Talbot Railway |
1906 - 1908 |
Three 0-6-2Ts purchased - the last new locomotives the N&B acquired |
24th July 1922 |
Absorbed by GWR |
Dec 1930 |
GWR introduce Brecon to Neath trains after LMS withdraw Hereford - Swansea trains |
Dec 1962 |
Craig-y-nos to Brecon closed |
1970 |
Colbren to Craig-y-nos section used for filming "Young Winston" with GWR 1466 disguised as an armoured locomotive |
1981 |
Onllwyn to Craig-y-nos closed |
WRRC Information Resource files
- For the Neath and Brecon Railway.
Locomotive And Rolling Stock totals for selected dates between 1904 and 1921.
- For the Neath & Brecon Railway.
Selected Reading
- A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain Vol 12 South Wales. D.S.M. Barrie, David & Charles, 2nd edition 1994. ISBN 0946537-69-0
- The Neath and Brecon Railway: a History. Briwnant-Jones, G., Dunstone, D. and Watkins, T., Gomer, 2005. ISBN 1 84323 4521
- Swansea Vale and Branches. John Miles, and Tudor Watkins, Welsh Railways Research Circle, 2004.
- The Swansea Vale Railway. John Miles, Keri Thomas & Tudor Watkins, Lightmoor Press, 2017, ISBN 9781 911038 191.
- South Wales Branch Lines. Harold Morgan, Ian Allan Ltd, 1984.
- Locomotives of the GWR, Volume 10 Absorbed Companies 1922-1947. RCTS.
- A Register of G. W. R. Absorbed Coaching Stock, 1922-1923. Eric Mountford, Oakwood Press, Dorset, 1978.
- Railway Archive, 38(2013) 38-46. The Hopwood Collections: The B & M and N & B Railways.
- Railway Archive, 29(2013) 89-91. The Hopwood Collections: The B & M and N & B Railways.
- Railway Magazine, September 1939, 185-190. The Neath & Brecon Railway by A.F.N. Barnsdale.
- Railway Magazine, February 1940, 114. The Neath & Brecon Railway by A.F.N. Barnsdale.
- Railway World, March 1956 page 73-79. More Welsh Lines: The Neath and Brecon and Midland Railways.
- SLS Journal: Jan/Feb 1986 page 9-14. Part 1, Geology and the Neath & Brecon Railway by D.T.H. Price.
- SLS Journal: Mar/Apr 1986 page 49-55. Part 2, Geology and the Neath & Brecon Railway by D.T.H. Price.