Llanelly Railway

The Llanelly Railway & Dock ( also Llanelly Railway) was a British railway company in Glamorganshire, Wales.

History

The company financed by local businessmen received on 19 June 1828, the concession for the construction of a port and on August 21, 1835 to build a railway line between the port and the coal mines of Llangennech Coal Company in Dafen. The local entrepreneur John Biddulph junior became the first manager. Already in 1833, the Company opened the railway line to the coal mines, for the time being as a horse track. On June 1, 1839 was followed by opening of the standard gauge railway line to Pontardulais. By 1840, the route network was extended until after Garnant and 1841 and according to Cross Hands. 1841/1842 the route of Garnant were extended until after Gwaun - Cae - Gurwen and a branch line to Brynamman.

1842 became the company in financial difficulties because of John Biddulph junior frittered away in his many different business ventures. In 1845 he resigned from his role with the railway company, but retained his shares. On January 24, 1857 Llandilo and on June 1, 1865 Carmarthen was connected to the grid. On January 1, 1858, the Llanelly Railway & Dock leased the just finished Vale of Towy Railway ( Railway Llandeilo - Llandovery ).

On December 14, 1867 range from Pontardulais to Swansea was taken with a branch line Penclawydd after operation. The routes to Carmarthen and Swansea were performed as independent economic units. This led to higher operating costs, since the entire route network of the Llanelly Railway & Dock was not operated as such. So had a short time later file for bankruptcy, the two routes.

As the Company the option to extend the lease of the Vale of Towy Railway not exercised in time, she was forced from the June 26, 1868 railway companies (Central Wales Railway, Central Wales Extension Railway and Knighton Railway) admitted as Mitpächter. Thus, the London and North Western Railway was trying to get access to the dominated by the Great Western Railway South Wales.

From 1 July 1871, the London and North Western Railway route rights received on the routes to Carmarthen and Swansea. After a swept up in front of the Parliament dispute, the Company was in 1873 obliged the bankrupt routes Llandilo - Abergwili and Pontardulais - Swansea (including the branch line to Penclawydd ) to the subsidiary Swansea and Carmarthen Railway of the London and North Western Railway cede. The L & NWR also tried to get even track usage rights on the entire route network of the Llanelly Railway & Dock. This project was rejected. On January 1, 1873, the Great Western Railway took over the operation on the remaining stretches of the Llanelly Railway & Dock. Approval for the merger took place on 24 June 1889.

Locomotives

The first steam locomotives VICTORIA and ALBERT were taken in May 1840 in operation.