Stewardship
Cambrian Railways
Alan Rhodes

 

Railways, Not Railway

Railway history is full of mergers and takeovers but it was unusual to see this reflected in a company name.

The Cambrian Railways was formed in 1864 by the amalgamation of the Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway, the Oswestry and Newtown Railway, the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway, the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway and the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway.

 

Modelling

The Cambrian is an ideal subject for the modeller offering short trains, single track mainline, through coaches from other companies and all sorts of scenery. The company has been well researched and there are many publications, drawings and photos in existence.

 

Several Gauges

Wales is well known for its narrow gauge railways and the Cambrian operated on more than one narrow gauge.

 

Resources

Our library contains many books on the Cambrian and its constituents, we hold at least 157 drawings, 90 photos and interesting archive items such a goods invoices from one station. The company liveries are extensively detailed in our publication Great Western Way.

 

Q&A

Locomotive Headlamp Codes

Looking through a new book(Hodge, John; Six Railways to Merthyr; WRRC 2014; ISBN 9780952726777) I noticed that passenger train headlamp codes around the time of the Grouping were not apparently uniform. I wondered if the Cambrian codes have appeared in any publication. Andrew Nummelin, 2014-11-04

I do not have source for this information. The one copy of the Working Timebook and the one copy of the Appendix to the Working Timebook I have do not contain any headcode information unlike the Service Timetables for the GWR. The lamp shown in the photograph is also to be seen in other photographs of passenger trains on the Cambrian Railways. Alan

The Cambrian Railways Rule Books are equally silent. Rule 125 states '... each engine.' must carry the prescribed Head Lamps or Discs, and Destination Boards where provided.'. Rule 133 states 'The Engine driver must have with him on his engine or tender a complete set of Lamps...'. No number is specified.

Photographic evidence reveals there is only one Lamp regardless of the type of train hauled up to 1922 and it is positioned on the right hand end of the footplate above the buffer beam as viewed from the footplate. Alan

Mid Wales Railway

Are there any known photos showing the lettering of MWR wagons? I fancy making a model of the one shown (HMRS drawing 22878). Andrew Nummelin, 2014-11-04

I do not know of any that show what you require. Alan

See David, Jonathan; HMRS volume 22 No. 11 p 377.Editor

 

Contact

You may send a query to the steward using the form below.

---