Abergynolwyn railway station
Abergynolwyn | |
|---|---|
| Station onheritage railway | |
 Abergynolwyn station | |
| General information | |
| Location | Abergynolwyn,Gwynedd Wales |
| Coordinates | 52°38′19″N3°57′58″W/ 52.638611°N 3.966111°W |
| Grid reference | SH670063 |
| Operated by | Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society |
| Platforms | 1 |
| History | |
| Original company | Talyllyn Railway Company |
| Key dates | |
| 1866 | Opened |
| 1951 | Operation taken over byTalyllyn Railway Preservation Society |
| 1976 | Platform extended for two trains |
Abergynolwyn railway stationis astationon theTalyllyn RailwaynearAbergynolwyn,Gwynedd,inMid-Wales.It is 6.55 miles (10.54 km) fromTywyn Wharf.The name 'Abergynolwyn' means 'Mouth-of-the-River-with-a-Whirlpool'.
History
[edit]Pre-preservation
[edit]Operation
[edit]Abergynolwyn was the original passenger terminus. A mineral line extended south-west to theinclineup to theslate quarryatBryn Eglwys.The railway's first locomotive shed was atTy Dwr,0.25 miles (0.40 km) west of the station. This location was chosen as it had a plentiful water supply from the local stream, and was close to the quarry, which supplied some of the building materials.[1]
From February 1867, passenger trains started fromPendreinstead, where the railway's permanent locomotive shed had been built. The siding leading to the locomotive shed at Ty Dwr was removed,[2]but the water column was retained, and was still used until the early 1950s.[3]
Buildings and Station layout
[edit]The original station building was built for the opening of the railway to passenger services in 1867. It was of timber construction – like the station building atPendre(which was the only other passenger station on the railway when the railway was opened). The station was not built out of slate, like all the other stations on the railway, because it was built before the railway's construction finished, when there was no slate from the Bryn Eglwys quarry to build it out of.[4]A platform was provided for passengers, on the north side of the line.[5]
A siding was provided at the west end of the station, just before the start of the run-round loop. The date at which this was first laid is unknown, but it was between 1889[6]and 1901;[7]it was taken out of use shortly before theFirst World War.The siding was reinstated during theSecond World Warto load pit props from nearby forests to be taken down to Tywyn. The siding was removed again in the early 1950s.[8]
In the 1930s, the station building was replaced, because the original building was in need of extensive repairs which would have been uneconomical to do. The new building was built out ofslateblocks, like most of the other buildings on the railway.[4]The west end of the building was used as a lookout post for theHome Guardduring theSecond World War,andgunportswere cut in the west wall of the station.[8]
Post-preservation
[edit]Operation
[edit]The watering point at Ty Dwr fell out of use in the early 1950s, shortly after preservation. In 1955,[9]the tower was removed as the slate was needed to build a retaining wall at the site of a major landslip approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south ofDolgoch.[1]In December 2018, a project was launched to re-build the water tower.[3]
In 1976, the 0.75 miles (1.21 km)-long mineral extension to the foot of theAlltwyllt inclinewas re-opened for passenger services.Nant Gwernolwas built at the new terminus. Abergynolwyn remains the principal station at the eastern end of the line as it has better passenger facilities than Nant Gwernol.
Buildings
[edit]The station building was replaced again in 1969, with a larger building, also constructed out of slate, as the 1930s structure was both in need of much repair and too small to serve the increasing tourist traffic being carried.[4]This newest building has since been extended to the west, the extension looking externally similar to the original wooden station building.
When the railway was extended to Nant Gwernol, it became necessary to accommodate two trains simultaneously, so the platform was extended to 620 feet (190 m) long, believed to have been the longestplatformon anarrow gauge railwayin Britain at the time. Asignal boxwith a 14-leverlever framewas also constructed at the same time. The base of the signal box was constructed out of slate blocks salvaged from derelict buildings in theBryn Eglwys quarry.[4]
On 6 May 1991, a toilet block was opened just to the north-east of the station building.[10]
In fiction
[edit]InThe Railway SeriesbyRev. Wilbert Awdry,Skarloey stationon theSkarloey Railwaywas based on this station.
Gallery
[edit]-
A train in Abergynolwyn station, with the original station building, looking east circa 1885. -
A train in Abergynolwyn station, with the station's second, slate, station building, looking west. 3 August 1951. -
A train in Abergynolwyn station, looking east, 26 September 1953. -
A train in Abergynolwyn station, looking east, 29 December 2009 The newest station, with its western extension, is visible on the left. -
The new signal box at Abergynolwyn.
References
[edit]- ^abTalyllyn handbook.TheTalyllyn Railway Preservation Society.1983. p. 20.
- ^Talyllyn News– the quarterly newsletter of the TRPS – various issues.
- ^abTalyllyn News– the quarterly magazine of the TRPS – issue number 260.
- ^abcdTalyllyn handbook.The Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society. 1983. p. 18.
- ^Rolt, L.T.C. (1953).Railway Adventure.
- ^Ordnance Survey (1889).Merionethshire XLI.15(Map). 1:2,500.
- ^Ordnance Survey (1901).Merionethshire XLI.15(Map). 1:2,500.
- ^abBoyd, James I. C.(1988).The Tal-y-llyn Railway.Wild Swan Publications Ltd. p. 136.ISBN0-906867-46-0.
- ^Fuller, Martin (2017).Talyllyn & Corris Steam Locomotives.Vol. 2. Newtown: Imprint. p. 84.ISBN978-1-789261-943.
- ^Drummond, Ian (June 2016). "Flushed with success! – 25th anniversary of Abergynolwyn loos".Talyllyn News(The quarterly newsletter of theTalyllyn Railway Preservation Society). No. 250. p. 55.
- Talyllyn Railway Guide Book
- "Talyllyn Railway route information".Retrieved10 October2010.
- Butt, R. V. J.(October 1995).The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present(1st ed.).Sparkford:Patrick Stephens Ltd.ISBN978-1-85260-508-7.OCLC60251199.OL11956311M.
- Jowett, Alan (2000).Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas(1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers.ISBN978-0-906899-99-1.OCLC228266687.
External links
[edit]
| Preceding station |  Heritage railways
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarry Siding | Talyllyn Railway | Nant Gwernol | ||
