Bronwydd Arms railway station
Encyclopedia
Bronwydd Arms railway station is currently the southern terminus of the Gwili Railway
and formerly a stop on the now closed Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Line
.
The station opened on 3 September 1860 as part of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
and closed to passengers on 22 February 1965. Following closure, the station building and signal box were demolished, leaving behind only a bare platform.
In 1978, the Gwili Railway re-opened the station and gradually rebuilt the station building and signal box using redundant buildings recovered from the Heart of Wales Line
. The Station Building is constructed from Llandovery
signal box, while the signal box from Llandybie
was also recovered and is now used as the 'new' Bronwydd Arms signal box. A third box from central Wales, Ffairfach
is also in use as a museum.
Other smaller items have been incorporated to the rebuilt station, such as GWR
lamp posts and benches, a parcels shed and a water tower, recovered from Barry Docks in 1979.
The station features a level crossing
with wooden gates at the south end where the railway crosses the B4301 road. Passenger trains do not currently use the crossing but it will be brought into use when the railway's extension to Carmarthen
is completed.
In 2010 the level crossing was being renewed to enable the original two-gate system to be re-instated in GWR
style thus re-creating another feature of the original station. However the crossign and gates have now been completed, as af August 2011.
Gwili Railway
The Gwili Steam Railway operates a standard gauge preserved railway from Abergwili Junction in South Wales along a short section of the former Carmarthen to Aberystwyth railway that closed for passenger traffic in 1965, the track being lifted in 1975.The Gwili Railway was formed in 1974 and, by...
and formerly a stop on the now closed Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Line
Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Line
The Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Line was a 4 ft 8½-in standard-gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway in Wales, connecting Carmarthen and Aberystwyth....
.
The station opened on 3 September 1860 as part of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway
The Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway was a broad gauge railway from Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, to Newcastle Emlyn, Wales. Part of the route is now used by the Teifi Valley Railway and the Gwili Railway.Despite the name, the line never reached Cardigan...
and closed to passengers on 22 February 1965. Following closure, the station building and signal box were demolished, leaving behind only a bare platform.
In 1978, the Gwili Railway re-opened the station and gradually rebuilt the station building and signal box using redundant buildings recovered from the Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
. The Station Building is constructed from Llandovery
Llandovery
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...
signal box, while the signal box from Llandybie
Llandybie
Llandybie is a community, and a large village two miles north of Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, Wales.The latest Ordnance Survey map the Grid reference at the centre of the village is SN 617 154...
was also recovered and is now used as the 'new' Bronwydd Arms signal box. A third box from central Wales, Ffairfach
Ffairfach
Ffairfach is a village half a mile south of the market town of Llandeilo in the eastern part of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located close to the confluence of the Afon Cennen and the River Towy.-Etymology:...
is also in use as a museum.
Other smaller items have been incorporated to the rebuilt station, such as GWR
GWR
GWR is an acronym that can stand for:* Great Western Railway , the name of several different railway operators* The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway — a heritage railway that has taken the initials of the former Great Western Railway Company* Great Whipsnade Railway* GWR Group, former...
lamp posts and benches, a parcels shed and a water tower, recovered from Barry Docks in 1979.
The station features a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
with wooden gates at the south end where the railway crosses the B4301 road. Passenger trains do not currently use the crossing but it will be brought into use when the railway's extension to Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
is completed.
In 2010 the level crossing was being renewed to enable the original two-gate system to be re-instated in GWR
GWR
GWR is an acronym that can stand for:* Great Western Railway , the name of several different railway operators* The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway — a heritage railway that has taken the initials of the former Great Western Railway Company* Great Whipsnade Railway* GWR Group, former...
style thus re-creating another feature of the original station. However the crossign and gates have now been completed, as af August 2011.