The story
History
Early days
The railways arrived on Anglesey with the construction of the Chester and Holyhead Railway, of which the section from Llanfairpwll to Holyhead opened in 1848, two years before the Britannia Bridge was finished. The Chester and Holyhead railway surveyed a branch to Llangefni in 1852, but chose not to proceed. George Stephenson notably reported that the line was not worth building.
The idea of a local railway was still of interest to the people of Anglesey. A public meeting was held in Llangefni on 5 July 1858, to popularise the idea of building a railway leaving the main line at Gaerwen, running north to Amlwch, west to Cemaes Bay, then south through Llanrhyddlad to rejoin the main line at Valley. This ambitious scheme did not gain enough support to proceed, although some landowners offered to exchange land for shares.
Proposals changed into a railway from Gaerwen to Amlwch, with another meeting in Llangefni, on 1 August 1861. David Davies and his partner Ezra Roberts offered to build the line at a cost of £6,000 per mile, complete except for rolling stock, or for £5,000 per mile, with the company to purchase the land and meet "preliminary and parliamentary expenses". This proposal won favour with the fledgling company, but it was not taken up. The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) (who had taken over the Chester and Holyhead Railway) were approached in 1862. The LNWR were not interested, so the railway was financed independently.
1863–1876: Independent operation
The Anglesey Central Railway Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c.cxxviii) founded the company, with capital of £120,000. The chairman was William Bulkeley Hughes, MP for Caernarfon and local railway prospector. The ceremonial first sod was cut on 11 September 1863, with construction starting the following year by the contractors Dickson and Russell. With the line approaching Llangefni later in October 1864, LNWR engineers were authorised to build the main line junction at Gaerwen, at the Anglesey Central Railway's expense.
The line opened for freight as far as Llangefni on 16 December 1864. A special train carried the directors and friends from Bangor to a temporary station in Llangefni in 37 minutes. A banquet was held at the Bull Hotel for 100 guests, with celebrations continuing that evening in Bangor. The line was surveyed by Captain Rich on behalf of the Board of Trade in February, and they approved the line for passenger traffic on 8 March 1865. Passenger services started four days later, with an engine and carriages loaned by the LNWR. In the six months to December 1865, the railway carried 18,839 passengers and 3,866 tons of freight (3,928 t), excluding livestock.
Further construction of the line was limited by a lack of funds. Russell asked the LNWR to adopt the line in August 1865, to no avail. The Anglesey Central Railway Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict. c. cccxx) gave permission to raise a further £20,000, with loans of £6,600. After raising this capital, the line was opened to Llanerchymedd in 1866, with the temporary station at Llangefni replaced by a permanent structure one-half mile (0.8 km) further on. Captain Rich, when surveying the line, noted that the curves and gradients were severe, and recommended that the line be worked at moderate speed. He also noted the lack of turntables, and the company's intention to use Fairlie engines on the line.
The Anglesey Central Railway Act 1866 also gave the Anglesey Central Railway (ACR) the right to authorise Dickson to lease or work the line, or to lease or sell the line to the LNWR. Dickson did indeed undertake to operate services. He requested permission from the LNWR to run services through to Bangor, but they refused, and passengers had to continue to change at Gaerwen. The act authorised a branch from Rhosgoch to Cemaes, but this was not built. The Fairlie engine Mountaineer was in use on the line in April 1866, but by October 1867 it was in use on the Neath and Brecon Railway, of which Dickson was also the contractor and whose traffic he was working. The Neath and Brecon's 0-6-0 Miers also operated on the ACR, under the name Anglesea. Neither of those engines was considered successful.
The railway reaches Amlwch
The final section to Amlwch was surveyed by the now Major Rich in January 1867. After remedial work, it opened to passengers throughout on 3 June 1867, although the first freight train to Amlwch was on 10 September 1866, according to Amlwch's first stationmaster, Mr O. Dew.
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The line had been built single-track throughout, with the only run-around loop provided at Amlwch, meaning that trains could not pass each other. To ensure safe working, the Staff and Ticket system was used in three sections: Gaerwen-Llangefni, Llangefni-Llanerchymedd, and Llanerchymedd-Amlwch, using A and B configured staffs alternately. No turntable was built, as the intended Fairlie engines would not require one. When the LNWR provided engines, they used tank engines where possible, rather than an engine with a tender.
Mona Mine, operating the copper works at Parys Mountain, switched from exporting ore by sea to by railway in 1865, two years before it reached Amlwch. Delivery prices per ton of ore were 25 shillings to London, 20 shillings to Birmingham, and 14 shillings and 2 pence to Liverpool, when carried from Gaerwen (by the LNWR). Carriage from Llangefni (then the terminus of the ACR) cost 2 shillings and sixpence more.
The mines soon became uneconomic to operate and closed in 1871. Livestock, artificial fertiliser, and farm produce made up the majority of the remaining freight traffic.
Financial troubles
Dickson, who was operating all services on the railway, failed financially in September 1867. William Dew, secretary of the company, writing in April of that year stated that "the affairs of the railway are in such a critical and pressing state". The ACR turned once again to the LNWR, asking them to work the line. These negotiations failed, but the LNWR did agree to lend an engine and carriages once again. T. L. Kettle suggested to the chairperson in 1870 that sale to the LNWR would be desirable, on account of the company's debts. The financial situation restricted the company's ambitions:
As regards the line to Port of Amlwch, nothing ought to be done till there is certainty by guarantee or otherwise of sufficient traffic to pay a proper interest on the capital to be expended in making it.
On 16 December 1875, as a result of legal action by independent locomotive manufacturers, an injunction was issued restricting the LNWR "from manufacturing locomotive engines or other rolling stock for sale or hire on other than their own railway". In January 1876 the LNWR informed the ACR that they could no longer lend the engine in use, as a result of the recent court case. Three choices were suggested by the LNWR: that the line be bought outright, that a proper working arrangement be made, or that the ACR "might buy the engine and carriages now on the line". The ACR were not in a position to buy the stock, and made arrangements for the sale of the railway.
1876–1923: London and North Western Railway
After a decade of operating as an independent company, the line was transferred to the London and North Western Railway in 1876, for £80,000. This was enacted by the (39 & 40 Vict. c. clxxii), and the LNWR assumed control of the line on 1 July 1876.
A survey conducted by the LNWR found that the bridges and culverts were in a fair condition, but the stations were dirty. Fences were decayed, rails needed replacing, some sleepers were rotten, and the ballast was soft and shaley. The LNWR addressed these problems over the coming years.
A short passing loop was built at Llangefni station in 1877 for engines to run round, but at only 40 yards (37 m) long it was not of much use for allowing passenger trains to pass each other. A refuge siding was built for freight trains at Llanerchymedd in 1878, along with an engine shed in Amlwch. In 1882, new station buildings replaced the basic wooden sheds at Holland Arms, Llangwyllog and Rhosgoch, as well as development of the junction at Gaerwen into a full double junction, and a second signal cabin was built there. An extended Amlwch station received a canopy by 1884. The staff and ticket system was supplemented with block working in 1886, and was replaced with the electric staff system in 1894.
The timetable for January 1883 shows a variety of passenger, goods and mixed trains, giving five passenger services down to Amlwch, and six up. The first train of the morning, departing Bangor at 04:20, and the 19:35 from Amlwch also carried mail to and from the island. The majority of trains still terminated at Gaerwen. As Llangefni held a livestock market on a Thursday, an extra service from Bangor to Llangefni on Thursdays was introduced by the 1896 timetable.
1877 accident
In the early morning of 29 November 1877, heavy rain caused the dam of the Rhodgeidio mill near Llanerchymedd to breach, and the surge of water washed away the wooden Caemawr bridge over the Afon Alaw. The first train of the day was driven by William Taylor, with fireman John Saunders and railway inspector John Davies also on the footplate. The train also included two coal trucks, a passenger coach, and a guard's van, with Edward Hughes serving as the guard. The whole train went over the side of the bridge into the river. Edward Hughes dragged himself out and was taken to the nearest farm. John Davies was scalded to death, and Taylor and Saunders were found injured and could not be freed until midday. John Saunders later died from his injuries.
Robert Williams, one of the Anglesey Central Railway's first drivers, noted that he had been instructed to drive the morning train, but that he slept late, and William Taylor replaced him at short notice. The bridge was later rebuilt in stone, and is known to this day as Pont Damwain (Accident Bridge).
Red Wharf Bay branch
The LNWR obtained powers to build a branch from Holland Arms to Red Wharf Bay in 1899 and 1900.
The line was opened to Pentraeth in 1908, and reached Red Wharf Bay in 1909. The Gaerwen-Llangefni staff section was replaced with Gaerwen-Holland Arms and Holland Arms-Llangefni sections, but the single line to Red Wharf Bay was operated as one section.
The autotrain introduced to serve this branch also operated on the Amlwch line: when not running to Red Wharf Bay the motor train would operate between Llangefni and Gaerwen while the main branch train was on the round trip from Llangefni to Amlwch and back.
Passing loop at Llangwyllog
The lack of a passing loop suitable for passenger trains on the Amlwch line meant that trains could only operate every two hours. Coordinating this limited timetable with the main line services through Gaerwen was difficult, and passengers could face a long wait on occasions. To make the branch line workings more flexible, a passing loop was proposed for Llangwyllog in March 1914. The work was completed for the summer timetables. This required introducing a new working section, and Llangwyllog became a staff station. As the new section was in the middle of a line, a third type of staff was required (a C configuration); one of only a few sections on the LNWR that did not use a type A or B staff.
In 1916, the passing loop was used by one pair of passenger trains in the evening, with an extra down train (toward Amlwch) making seven down and six up trains per day. The railmotor train's services had grown to 24 single trips between Gaerwen/Holland Arms and Llangefni/Red Wharf Bay. The continuing shortages of World War I meant that in January 1917 many passenger services were to be cut to give more resources to the war effort. The railways were slow to recover from the wartime hardships, and in 1921 there were six passenger trains to and from Amlwch, and only 18 single trips by the motor train.
1923–1946: London, Midland and Scottish Railway
In 1923 Britain's numerous railway companies were grouped into the "Big Four", and the LNWR's assets became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS).
Holland Arms' functionality as a staff station was only useful for the Red Wharf Bay branch, but a signalman was still required for all Amlwch services. In about 1925, LMS introduced a switching-out system that could turn the Gaerwen-Holland Arms and Holland Arms-Llangefni sections into one long section. This was of particular advantage in the early mornings and evenings, when the only services were on the Amlwch line.
The July 1924 timetable showed eight passenger trains each way between Amlwch and Gaerwen, with the Red Wharf Bay railmotor operating to Llangefni three times a day. The extra Thursday service to Llangefni for the market was still included. By the summer of 1929, there were eight trains from Gaerwen to Amlwch, and seven in the other direction. One train to and from Amlwch no longer ran Thursdays, replaced by a second two return trip to Llangefni, operated by the railmotor. The loop at Llangwyllog now saw three pairs of passenger trains passing on weekdays, while the daily freight train would be shunted into sidings at Llangefni and Llanerchymedd to make way. Motor train services were back up to 24 single trips a day, including the Red Wharf Bay services.
The Great Depression brought a number of cutbacks to Anglesey's railways. The withdrawal of passenger services on the Red Wharf Bay branch in September 1930 affected the Amlwch line, as the motor train that operated the extra Gaerwen–Llangefni services was withdrawn. Amlwch's engine shed was closed on 14 September 1931, with all trains being worked from Bangor. As the economy recovered, the number of Gaerwen–Amlwch services was increased. The summer of 1938 saw ten down and eight up trains for passengers, with eleven each way on Saturdays.
1946–1993: British Railways/British Rail
A dam was built across the Cefni river north of Llangefni in the late 1940s to increase the water supply available to the island. The new reservoir, Llyn Cefni, crossed the railway's trackbed, and a bridge was built to support it. A second reservoir, Llyn Alaw, was formed adjacent to the railway north of Llanerchymedd in the 1960s, but did not interfere with the line's alignment.
Passenger numbers at Holland Arms station had fallen since the end of passenger services on the Red Wharf Bay branch. The branch was closed to all traffic in 1950, and Holland Arms closed on 4 August 1952.
Under British Rail, many passenger services on the Amlwch branch operated through to Bangor, removing the need to change trains at Gaerwen. An early three-coach British United Traction (A.E.C.) diesel multiple unit train was trialled on the line in May 1953. The train was economical in fuel use, and did not require a fireman, but train passengers and crew complained at the very rough ride – rattling windows a particular complaint. As part of British Rail's Modernisation Plan, Derby Lightweight DMUs were introduced three years later. A 1956 brochure advertised day return tickets from Bangor to Amlwch for 4s.4d, or Llangefni for 11d. Steam engines continued to be used for freight trains, and for extra workings such as Saturday trains. Steam returned for all passenger trains in the summers of 1963 and 1964 due to a shortage of DMUs.
A bromine extraction plant was opened in Amlwch in 1953 by Associated Ethyl (soon renamed Associated Octel, and later part of the Great Lakes Chemical Corporation). Chlorine produced at a plant in Ellesmere Port was brought by rail to Amlwch, which was used to extract bromine from sea water. The resulting ethylene dibromide was taken from Amlwch by rail as well. The company built a light railway through the town to Amlwch station, and a marshalling yard for exchanging freight wagons.
Run down and closure
The line stopped carrying passengers on 5 December 1964, as part of the rationalisation known as the Beeching Axe. All stations were closed, and all goods yards, passing loops and sidings removed, except the marshalling yard for the Octel freight. Octel's freight traffic totaled 70,000 tons annually, and the railway was kept in order to serve this traffic. Local freight services ceased, and the electric staff system was withdrawn, so that only one train could be on the branch at a time, although that was sufficient for Octel's requirements. The double junction at Gaerwen was also remodelled. Once the freight trains were being worked by diesel locomotives, arrangements were made for the British Rail engines to operate all the way to the plant.
Amlwch station was demolished when the adjacent road was rebuilt. A nearby warehouse now houses a visitor centre with a model railway and exhibitions. Llanerchymedd station became the property of the local council, and reopened as a heritage centre, museum and community café in 2010. Other stations passed into private ownership.
A spur was built near Rhosgoch to facilitate the building of an oil tank farm in the 1970s. This was built to receive oil from tankers moored offshore in the deep waters off Amlwch, before it was pumped to the Stanlow Refinery in Cheshire. The site was decommissioned after a short life, but the short spur remains.
A Class 31 locomotive, number 31296, was named 'Amlwch Freighter'/'Trên Nwyddau Amlwch' in September 1986 at the Associated Octel plant. At this point, 33 years after the opening of the Octel plant at Amlwch, 2 million tonnes of traffic had been conveyed from their freight terminal. A scale model was produced by Lima with this nameplate affixed. The name was removed in March 1990 and transferred to the Class 47 locomotive 47330, which was renumbered 47390 for a period, retaining the name. This locomotive was later rebuilt as a Class 57, and renamed 'The Hood' by its new operator, Virgin Trains.
A few special passenger services were subsequently operated, notably in 1969, 1983 and 1992/93. In 1993, Octel's daily freight traffic was transferred to road haulage, for safety reasons, and traffic thus ceased on the line. The Octel plant closed in 2003, and has since been demolished.
2009 status
The line remains property of Network Rail, with Anglesey County Council a statutory consultee on the future use of the route. The track is now in a poor state of repair, with gorse bushes and small saplings growing between the tracks in some locations. Network Rail officially designated the branch "out of use" for operational purposes in January 2009, after consultation with English Welsh & Scottish, who favoured its restoration to a working railway with the opportunity for freight traffic.
Sustrans announced renewed plans for a cycle route along 16 miles (26 km) of the line (the majority of its length) on 5 March 2009, along with a belief that the route can be used for both a cycle path and heritage railway. Planning applications are to be developed in cooperation with ACR Ltd, Anglesey County Council and Network Rail.
From Wikipedia’s article on Anglesey Central Railway, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3