The Swansea Vale Railway, situated in the Lower Swansea
Valley, is a relic
of the industrial revolution. Its origins lie in 1816 when Scott's Tramroad
was constructed to transport coal from Scott's Pit, near Birchgrove, to wharves
on the River Tawe nearly four miles to the South. The engine house of Scott's
Pit (pictured left), can still be seen next to the M4 between junctions 44 and
45.
The Tramroad was essentially a road of cast iron plates
on stone sleeper blocks. Motive power was provided by Horses and Oxen,
although from 1819 there is evidence that a George Stephenson Locomotive was
employed from time to time.
The Tramroad eventually passed into the hands of Charles Henry Smith, a local
Colliery owner, who used his own steam locomotives on the line, which would
normally be used at his Loco Works in Llansamlet.
In 1845 the Swansea
Vale Railway Company
(whose original seal pictured left), of which Smith became a Director, was formed
to rebuild the line as a 'modern railway', and extend it north into the Swansea
Valley, to serve new collieries and metal works, and south to the developing
port of Swansea, which by this time was experiencing an increase in trade.
By agreement with the Broad Gauge South Wales Railway,
which was
also being constructed at the time (now the Swansea to Paddington main line),
a junction to the main line was provided in 1852, where the two lines crossed
at Six Pit (named after a local colliery that had six pits), and the standard
gauge SVR which was dual gauged from Six Pit to Swansea Harbour.
The Company had by now acquired it's own locomotives
and carriages, built from new in Birmingham. The
line was steadily extended North to Ystalyfera and Ystradgynlais and eventually
to Brynamman by 1868.
In 1874,The Midland Railway Company arrived on the scene, leased
the railway, and eventually purchased the line outright in 1876.
They were keen to get access to Swansea Docks, and linked up with the
Neath and Brecon Railway to make that possible.
Engine sheds were built at Upper
Bank and Gurnos, Upper Bank had by now become a junction, with the construction
of the Morriston Branch loop,
joining the SVR main line again at Glais. Passenger services
henceforth traveled along this route, running via Morriston
and the Upper Bank to Glais section of the SVR This section was finally closed
to passengers by 1876 (part of which is now the pre-Morriston
branch).
The SVR line was 'Midlandised', and through passenger services were introduced to Brecon, Hereford and Birmingham.
The heyday of the railway had now started , carrying large amounts of goods, raw materials and passengers. However by the time the Midland Railway became part of the LMS in 1922, the decline had begun, passengers services to Brecon being withdrawn in 1931.
By 1950, two years after nationalisation, the last passenger services were withdrawn (Swansea to Brynamman), and a gradual complete closure ensued during the 1960's, so that by 1985 all that remained of the Swansea Vale Railway was the section preserved by the SVR Society.
Today, more than 180 years after Scott's Tramroad was constructed, another mile
of track is being re-laid into the former Upper Bank station, once again the
sight and sound of Steam is part of the Swansea Valley, and is a nostalgic reminder
of this once busy and Historic railway.
Street address
356 Pentregethin Road,
Gendros,
Swansea, SA5 8AJ
Office phone 44 + 01792 461000
Electronic mail address
Web address
