Tag Archives: narrow gauge

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway – Part 2 – An Addendum

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Since posting about the Town Section of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway I have received some pictures from people who visited the railway in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and I have identified a few other items worth including in this addendum.

The featured image above is one taken by K.H. Cribb and used by kind permission of his son Russ.

The original article about the W&LLR Town Section can be found here:

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway – Part 1 – The Abandoned Town Section

Most of the images included in this article are shared with the kind permission of the photographers. My thanks to all who have been willing to let me share their photographs. The author of an image is credited in the text under that image and, as appropriate, the source is provided in the ‘References’ at the end of the article. There are a number of images for which it has not been possible to determine or to contact the original photographer to seek permission to share the image. Any help in identifying a copyright holder, if one exists, would be appreciated.

1. A set of three photographs sent to me by Tony Jervis are included in the photographs below. All were taken in 1977. One shows the remaining dual-gauge track as it existed in 1977. Another shows the location of the Seven Stars Halt, the third shows the Bron-y-Buckley length of the line after the lifting of the track.

2. Three pictures were sent to me by Malcolm Peakman.

The first to mention was from the abandoned section of the narrow-gauge line in the town and particularly the dual-gauge track alongside the Smithfield livestock market and mirrors Tony Jervis’ photograph of the same location. This photo is included in the series of pictures following the route of the town section of the line below.

The other two are from further along the line and show some of the stock purchased by the preservation society when it took over the line. I have included these here for their historical interest, even though they do not relate directly to the Town Section of the line.

This image shows purchased stock in storage Malcolm comments: “I honestly don’t remember where these were, perhaps Heniarth?  I do remember derailing there in the sidings due to the track spreading.”  ©Malcolm Peakman, dated between 1962 and 1964.
This photo was probably taken in 1963 at Sylfaen when it was the terminus of the passenger service.Malcolm comments: “No. 3 ‘Raven’ is standing in front of one of the original Brake Vans used as the “station office”. My mother is looking at the loco and I am on the other side explaining how it was driven,” © Malcolm Peakman, 1963.

Malcolm Peakman also shared some memories of the early preservation period:

“As a volunteer on the W&L between 1962 to 1964 I travelled the town section many times, despite the failure to obtain long term permission we were allowed to use the line to recover spent ballast from BR to spread further up the line, so a typical weekend would see 2 or 3 trips with empty wagons down and loaded back up and then off loaded.  As I was a teenage apprentice in a Locomotive Works I was a lot fitter than I am now and this part of the job certainly helped keep me in shape!

The worst part of the run was at Raven Square where we perforce ran wrong direction in the road due to the island.  This caused several near misses where motorists ignored the red flags and tried to proceed in the face a steam loco.  I only saw one collision, that was outside the Seven Stars where an irate local who had parked on the tracks despite knowing it would be used at the week end, chose to deliberately drive into the locomotive, he burst his radiator and scratched the paint on the loco.  The police were not very sympathetic towards him.

I was there when the pannier tank and The Earl stood side by side.”

3. An image of the W&LLR is used by the Lightmoor Press on their website to advertise one of their publications, Michael Whitehouse’s, ‘Narrow Gauge Album 1950-1965 In Colour’. [1] The photograph was taken by Patrick Whitehouse and is covered by copyright so cannot be reproduced in this article. It can be seen by clicking here. [2]

The picture shows the view from the main W&LLR yard adjacent to Welshpool Railway Station towards the town centre. It shows No. 822 idling gently in the yard whilst the day’s goods train awaits its journey to Llanfair Caereinion having already been assembled. The passenger platform was behind the photographer to the left, behind the waiting goods train. Although no regular passenger services were offered at the time that Patrick Whitehouse took the photograph, having been withdrawn by the GER in the early 1930s. Beyond the engine to the right a second goods brake van can be seen. Behind that is the dual-gauge Smithfield Siding and the Smithfield livestock market. [2]

(On its webpage, Lightmoor Press writes: “Patrick Whitehouse (PBW)… travelled far and wide to photograph many … narrow gauge lines and systems before they were lost. In 1957, he compiled his seminal Narrow Gauge Album, which brought many of these wonderful but obscure railways to the attention of thousands of other enthusiasts, some of whom followed in his footsteps with their cameras. Now, PBW’s son Michael has delved in to the family and other archives to compile a similar album for the 21st century, accompanied by essays from a variety of well known names and sources.”) [2]

4. Then and Now Images. Tim Abbot has posted two images on Flickr with permission to use under a Creative Commons Licence. These are included in the series of photographs following the route of the line. Both appear early in that series of pictures as they show the length close to the mainline railway station.

5. Ken Cribb (K.H. Cribb) took around 1000 photographs of a series of different railways. All his photos come from the 1950s and 1960s. These photographs are very recently uncovered and mostly unseen by others. His son Russ is at present cataloguing those photographs and hopes one day that publication may be possible. Russ has very kindly allowed me to include a number of his dad’s photographs in this article.

Russ has been sharing a few of the photos on a number of Facebook Groups “to gain a bit more knowledge from people or railway groups that could help. This has been a bit of an eye opener as to some of the photos, not realising what historical importance some of them are.” [22]

He writes: “Dad was great friends with Richard Blenkinsop and many photographic locations were done together, Dick taking loads of notes and then publishing so many fantastic books over the years, with Dad showing up in a few. Sadly we lost dad in 1995 after Alzheimer’s set in very early at the age of 56, passing away at 64. There was never enough time to go through all the photos with him at the time as I had just started my own family and time was centred around the children. Then it was sadly too late and the recollection were very mixed and distorted so now left with the enormous task of trying to make as good a job as I can with the information available.” [22]

Russ would be delighted if there are people who might want to assist in understanding the pictures he has. He has kindly watermarked the photographs included here and would love to hear from anyone who can add to his knowledge. For the purposes of this blog, I have to remember to keep photograph file sizes relatively small, so please don’t judge the quality of the photographs on the basis of what appears here. In my view Ken Cribb’s photos are a great asset and they need to be shared more widely, If you have something significant to offer, please get in touch with me and I will pass your details on to Russ.

Ken Cribb took 26 photographs of the W&LLR, many on the last SLS special. Russ again: “His friend Pat Webber was with him that day, (who he cycled with for two weeks around Ireland and at Letterkenny) also sent one of his photos as a Christmas card.
The photos are along the route, so he didn’t travel on the train on this occasion.” [22]

Russ continues: “Any publication is miles away yet, have to get the spreadsheet finished first and proper inventory of what photos there are before proper scanning. … [Dad] spent most of his spare weekends and holidays helping out on the Ffestiniog Railway and photographing Welsh narrow gauge along with the 1950’s steam on standard gauge across the UK and Ireland.” [22]

9 of Ken’s photographs are included below.

Photographs taken along the Town Section of the W&LLR

The photos which follow illustrate the Town Section of the line throughout its history. They begin close to the mainline station in Welshpool and end at Raven Square.

Welshpool now has a town trail which follows the line of the Town Section of the W&LLR. This is one of the information boards along the route. Each has a map which fills the centre of the board with illustrations and photographs surrounding the map. Text is in both Welsh and English. This is Board No. 2 which can be found the wall at the southwestern edge of the Tesco car park. The board explains: “Having crossed Smithfield Road the line entered the narrow gauge yard with the running line passing between a loop and warehouse siding. The warehouse, again a timber framed building, had a double pitch roof clad in corrugated iron sheets. Supported on pillars a canopy protected the rail-side entrance of the warehouse, whilst the yard-side entrance was protected by a canopy cantilevered out from the roof. … This area was an extremely busy one as not only did the standard and narrow gauge lines run side by side but also a busy cattle market was held adjacent. After the railway had closed the town section and the track removed the area was taken over and incorporated into the Smithfield until it moved to its present location on the outskirts of town in 2009.” [My photograph, 2nd September 2022]
A plan of the yard at Welshpool which was shared by Rob Bishop on the Narrow Gauge Railway Enthusiast’s Facebook Group on 20th January 2017. It shows: the triangle formed by the dual-gauge length of line on the East side of the triangle, adjacent to the Smithfield market; the transshipment line extended across the bottom of the triangle; and the curving sidings of the goods yard. This image was shared by Rob Bishop on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 20th January 2017. [21]

The following photographs are, as far as possible, shown in sequence along the line through Welshpool starting at the mainline station and the W&LLR yard.

The first is a ‘then and now’ photograph created by Tim Abbot.

Opening day
Tim Abbott comments: “The first train on the newly opened Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway stands in the Smithfield Road outside the Cambrian Railway station in Welshpool on 4th April 1903.
Where once stood the proud directors of the company, road improvements and a mini roundabout now lead intending passengers through Welshpool to the preserved railway’s new station on the western edge of the town.”  (c) Tim Abbott, licenced for use under a Creative Commons Licence, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). [3]

The second shows the view from Smithfield Road in front of the mainline station car park in the year s after the W&LLR rails had been lifted.

The site of the terminus of the W&LLR on in front of Welshpool Railway Station on 14th July 1978. Smithfield Road is in the foreground and extends down the left side of this photograph. The passenger terminus was to the right of this image, the goods yard was off to the left. The transshipment facilities were through the gateway at the centre of the photograph. The image was taken by Keith Spencer and shared by him on the Disused Railway Lines of Britain Facebook Group on 30th December 2019. [17]
Smithfield Road, then and now
Tim Abbott comments: “Smithfield Road, then and now: The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway started from a siding beside the road outside the main line station. Trains, passenger up to 1931 and freight until closure in 1956, were made up here before departure for Llanfair. Road improvements have since wiped out all memory of the original line and the main line goods yard adjacent to it. (c) Tim Abbott, licenced for use under a Creative Commons Licence, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). [4]
This is the first of 9 photographs taken by Ken Cribb which are included in this article. Chronologically, it is not the first, but it is correctly placed geographically for the purposes of this article. This is a SLS Special being readied for a trip on the W&LLR in November 1956. The headboard has yet to be put in place. The locomotive is No. 822, The Earl. The train is made up of brake vans and open wagons for what will inevitably be a steady run along the line to Llanfair, (c) Ken Cribb. [23]
No. *22 The Earl again, just a little later in the morning. The Locomotive’s headboard has now been fixed and the crowd of enthusiats have arrived of the train in Welshpool Railway Station. It looks as though it will be quite a tight fit to get everyone on board, (c) Ken Cribb. [23]
This is a photograph from an earlier visit to the W&LLR. Ken Cribbs visited the W&LLR twice in the 1950s. This is from the first visit in 1955 and shows No 823 Countess leaving the W&LLR platform on the forecourt of Welshpool Mainline Railway Station and taking the curve through the W&LLR goods yard in July 1955. The route appears on the picture below curving round to the left, (c) Copyright Ken Cribb. All of Ken’s photographs are used by kind permission of his son, Russ Cribb. [23]
An extract from an aerial image showing a train of horseboxes sitting in the Smithfield siding in 1939. The cattle market is beyond and the W&LLR good yard is in front of the horseboxes, (c) Historic England and sources from the Britain from Above website, Image No. WPW061716, authorised for non-commercial use. [8]
The third side of the triangle looking Northeast the narrow-gauge would have crossed the standard-gauge approximately where the cattle wagons stand in the distance beyond the shed. There was apparently a length of narrow gauge track which was placed across the standard-gauge when it was needed. The length of track concerned is shown dotted on the plan above. Again, the photographer is not known. The image was shared by Rob Bishop on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 20th January 2017. [21]
This photograph shows the point close to the Cambrian Mainline where the narrow-gauge separated from the standard-gauge. The timber yard which it served was off to the left of the picture. The photographer’s identity is not known. The image was shared on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 20th January 2017 by Rob Bishop. [21]

The Smithfield Siding ran alongside the Smithfield livestock market and over part of its length was dual-gauge.

It is worth noting that the provision of the narrow gauge as part of this dual-gauge track was not to allow loading and unloading at the cattle dock but to provide access for W&LLR wagons to a sawmill farther down next to the standard gauge lines. The goods and cattle were unloaded from the narrow gauge in a different part of the yard. [11]

Oswestry allocated 2251 class 0-6-0 No 2214 at Welshpool, photographed in the Smithfield market area. The diagram this engine was working probably formed part of the 9.30 am Oswestry to Moat Lane Junction freight which up until the late 1950s incorporated the thrice-weekly trip up the Kerry branch, half an hour was given to knock in and take out at Welshpool. Although the railway lines were approximately 80 yards apart, trains both standard and narrow gauge trains accessed the Smithfield by crossing Smithfield Road, each crossing was protected by gates which did not close across the public road and for this purpose the gates were kept closed across the railway except when the required to be opened for shunting operations. Normal rules applied when any movements were made over the crossings. Loose shunting over the crossings was prohibited. (Original colour transparency unknown photographer) © Andrew Dyke. [6]

In 2003, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust recorded the site of the dual-gauge siding on its website [5] in 2003 as follows: “PRN 85212 – Welshpool, Smithfield Road, railway transfer dock (multiple site) Scheduled Ancient Monument MG254(POW): NGR:- SJ22980734 (SJ20NW); Unitary authority:- Powys; Community:- Welshpool; Preferred site type:- 20th Century – Cattle docks (Multiple – Intact) … A rare surviving interchange facility between narrow and broad gauge railways. Built 1903 to provide a connection between the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway (narrow gauge) and the Cambrian Railways (later Great Western) (standard gauge), it remained in use until 1956. Three parallel rails in the transfer dock allowed access for both standard and narrow gauge rolling stock to the same platforms. The site is well documented in the papers of the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway in the National Library of Wales. A triangular island platform of stone, brick and concrete survives with mixed gauge track on both sides, laid into concrete without sleepers. The island platform has two rows of cattle pens with concrete and iron fencing and timber gates, and a single-storey brick office. Of national importance as a rare surviving railway transfer dock, believed to be the last surviving example in Wales, and possibly Britain (Cadw, 2003).” [5]

A 1950s view of the siding and cattle dock at Smithfield, discovered on RMWeb. It was posted there by user ‘corneliuslundie’ on 1st March 2018. [9]
This view shows the same siding alongside Smithfield Cattle Market. This time the photograph is taken facing away from the mainline. These two pictures give a very clear indication of the difference in gauge between the two railways © Malcolm Peakman, dated between 1962 and 1964.
This photograph shows the siding alongside the Smithfield Cattle Market with mixed-gauge track still in evidence in the 1970s. The photograph looks along the siding towards the mainline © Tony Jervis, 25th June 1977.
A similar view to Malcolm Peakman’s 1960s photo for the loading dock and dual gauge track at Smithfield Cattle Market in 2018, (c) Andy York and posted by him on RMWeb. [10]
This image shows cattle wagons in the Smithfield Siding and the narrow gauge line which made up the dual-gauge disappearing under the wagons. The Cambrian Mainline is ahead beyond the immediate buildings. The photographer is not known. The image was shared by Rob Bishop on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 20th January 2017. [21]
The consensus regarding this image is that it shows Smithfield Siding after the W&LLR no longer required the dual-gauge section and the relevant rails had been removed. The remaining dual-gauge section must therefore be beyond the car on the extreme left of the picture. The picture provides an excellent view of the W&LLR goods yard. The identity of the photographer is not known. The image was shared by Rob Bishop on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 20th January 2017. [21]
A view of Countess looking across the W&LLR yard towards the cattle market with the W&LLR loco shed behind the engine. Alfred Fisher who took this photograph comments: “One of my earliest photos on a Box Brownie in August 1948.  Have removed an obnoxious telegraph pole which appeared from the top of the chimney uninvited.  The locos were well kept even in B.R. days.  Note the ‘W’ under the number, before the line was transferred to Euston.  Wouldn’t have believed that ‘Countess’ would still be running more than seventy years later.” Alfred Fisher shared this image on the Narrow Gauge Railways Facebook group on 12th April 2021. [12]

An interesting aside to the photograph above is the content of a short discussion on the Narrow Gauge Railways Facebook group. This discussion started with a comment from the photographer about the fact that the locomotive was facing towards Llanfair and a recollection that on another visit it was seen in the loco shed with its bunker facing towards Llanfair.

In response to Alfred Fisher, Tim Abbott commented that “Countess worked bunker first towards Llanfair in the 1920s. But your experience suggests this might not have been the only time. Until 1937 it was theoretically possible to turn locos on a triangle at Welshpool, but the connecting sidings were removed after this date.” [12]

The triangle Tim Abbot refers to was probably formed from the narrow gauge line which was part of the dual-gauge Smithfield Siding and a line which connected to the transshipment siding in the mainline goods yard at Welshpool.

A 21st century view along the route of the old railway looking towards the canal bridge and Welshpool town centre from the old W&LLR goods yard. This image was taken and then shared on the Narrow Gauge Railways Facebook group by David Knott on 28th May 2018. [13]
The climb to the Canal bridge, also taken and shared by David Knott on 28th May 2018. [13]
Loco 823 on Welshpool and Llanfair Railway before preservation June 1951 by Derek Chaplin - Peter Brabham collection
Loco No. 823 on the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway before preservation, dated June 1951. The canal bridge is one of a very small number of surviving elements of the town section of the W&LLR to the East of Raven Square. It now forms part of a footpath from Smithfield Road car park to Church Street. (c) Derek Chaplin – Peter Brabham collection. [7] (NB when a link to a Flickr image is pasted into an article, the link automatically produces an image which when clicked on leads directly to the image on Flickr. This process is called ’embedding’.)
A canal towpath view of the W&LLR bridge. The photograph is taken from the towpath on the Southwest side of the bridge. The railway gradient required, either side of the bridge, to raise track levels sufficiently to cross the canal was around 1 in 30. The photograph was taken by and then shared by John Firth on the Narrow Gauge Railway Facebook Group on 24th February 2018. [14]
The view back across the Canal bridge towards Welshpool Railway Station, also taken and shared by David Knott on 28th May 2018. [13]
Looking ahead along the route of the old line towards Church Street, also taken and shared by David Knott on 28th May 2018. [13]
The view across the line of Church Street towards what was ‘The Narrows’, also taken and shared by David Knott on 28th May 2018. [13]
No 822 The Earl running thorough the Narrows on 3rd November 1956. The next few photos show the Narrows without a train and hopefully give a really good impression of just how tightly the buildings crowded the line. Most of the buildings in these few pictures have long-gone, (c) Ken Cribb. [23]
This photograph is taken facing Northwest along The Narrows from a point to the West of Church Street, © Frank Stamford and shared by him on the
This is the first of a few photographs that Dave Willis has agreed that I can share here. They were all taken in September 1964 by Dave’s father. He shared them on the Narrow Gauge Railway Society Facebook Group on 6th July 2015. This picture shows ‘The Narrows’ and looks back towards Church Street, © Dave Willis [20]
Taken from the same location in ‘The Narrows’ but this time looking towards Seven Stars. Both of these photographs show clearly the way in which the rails were laid on longitudinal girders. Check rails were provided as along this section the rails followed the Lledan Brook. The girder carrying the track were supported by transverse beams hidden underneath timber decking. Image shared on the Narrow Gauge Railway Society Facebook Group on 6th July 2015, © Dave Willis [20]
No. 822 The Earl leaving the Narrows in November 1956. The SLS Special will then cross in front of H. Ballard & Son’s Garage as shown in the earlier image immediately below, (c) Ken Cribb. [23]
No 823 Countess again, passing in front of H. Ballard & Son’s Garage in 1955, approaching the location Seven Stars Halt, (c) K.H. Cribb. [23]
A sequence of three photographs taken in the early 1960s which show one of the infrequent works trains run by the W&LLR. These pictures were shared by Matt Palmer on the Disused Railway Lines of Britain Facebook Group on 3rd December 2020. [18]
The location of Seven Stars Halt at the bottom of Brook Street opposite Seven Stars Road – Union Street is straight ahead © Tony Jervis, 25th June 1977.
This photograph was taken by Chris Tigwell and is at a very similar location to the picture sent to me by Tony Jervis and which appears close above. Of very particular interest is the series of girders shown in this image which supported the W&LLR as it ran along the line of the Lledan Brook at Steven Stars. The Hillman Imp in the distance is at approximately the location of the old Seven Stars Halt. Quite a bit of the old line through the town centre ran along the line of the Brook was was supported by transverse girders in this way. Chris took the photo himself in the early 1980s and shared it in the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 14th April 2020. [15]
At Seven Stars and the location of the halt. A similar position as the last of the three photographs above shared by Matt Palmer. This image was shared by Steve Sharman on the Disused Railway Lines of Britain Facebook Group on 29th December 2020. [19]
Beyond Seven Stars Halt heading West out of Welshpool the W&LLR left the verge of Brook Street and ran between houses on the   housing estate. This 1960s image was shared by Ian Huselbee on the Disused Railway Lines of Britain Facebook Group on 4th December 2016,  © Ian Huselbee. [16]
This photograph was taken from a point close to where the woman is walking in the image mediately above. It shows the line heading towards the Bron-y- Buckley housing estate. The picture was taken in September 1964 by Dave Willis’ father and was shared by Dave Willis on the Narrow Gauge Society Facebook Group on on 6th July 2015, © Dave Willis [20]
The picture shows the old track-bed and the remains of the 0½ mile-post near the start of the track through the Bron-y-Buckley housing estate looking approximately south-east towards Seven Stars © Tony Jervis, 25th June 1977.
Also from 1955, this photograph of Ken Cribb’s shows No. 823 Countess running along the straight section through the Bron-y-Buckley housing estate and heading towards Raven Square, (c) K.H. Cribb. [23]
No. 823 Countess again running alongside Brook Street and approaching Raven Square in July 1955, (c) K.H. Cribb. [23]
Just a little closer to Raven Square, in 1956, No. 822 the Earl prepares to leave Welshpool behind and head along the line to Llanfair. Just the small matter of crossing the roundabout at Raven Square before heading into open country! (c) Ken Cribb. [23]
The view across Raven Square towards the centre of Welshpool. The road directly ahead of the photographer is Brook Street. In September 1964 the railway seems to delve into the tall grass on the North side of Brook Street. The picture was taken in September 1964 by Dave Willis’ father and was shared by Dave Willis on the Narrow Gauge Society Facebook Group on on 6th July 2015, © Dave Willis [20]
No. 823 Countess again, crossing the roundabout at Raven Square. The photograph was taken from a very similar position to the one immediately above, just a little to the left, (c) K.H. Cribb. [23]

References

  1. Michael Whitehouse; ‘Narrow Gauge Album 1950-1965 In Colour’; Lightmoor Press, Lydney, Gloucutestershire, 2018.
  2. https://lightmoor.co.uk/books/narrow-gauge-album-1950-1965-in-colour/L8498, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  3. https://flic.kr/p/2hAimRL, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  4. https://flic.kr/p/2ivkyHW, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  5. https://www.cpat.org.uk/ycom/wpool/85212.htm, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  6. https://flic.kr/p/2irGxrP, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  7. https://flic.kr/p/2n2Pnv3, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  8. https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/WPW061716, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  9. https://content-eu.invisioncic.com/y320084/monthly_03_2018/post-13650-0-85080100-1519920057.png, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  10. https://content-eu.invisioncic.com/y320084/monthly_02_2018/post-1-0-79717700-1519664607.jpg, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  11. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/131684-uks-last-mixed-standard-and-narrow-gauge-welshpool-cattle-docks, accessed on 26th August 2022.
  12. https://m.facebook.com/groups/336825973067151/permalink/3947295658686813, accessed on 29th August 2022.
  13. https://www.facebook.com/groups/336825973067151/permalink/1725761384173596, accessed on 29th August 2022.
  14. https://m.facebook.com/groups/336825973067151/permalink/1616763448406724, accessed on 29th August 2022.
  15. https://m.facebook.com/groups/narrowgauge/permalink/3952789851399680, accessed on 29th August 2022.
  16. https://m.facebook.com/groups/DisusedRailwayLines/permalink/1235506563205289, accessed on 39th August 2022.
  17. https://m.facebook.com/groups/DisusedRailwayLines/permalink/2693724534050144, accessed on 30th August 2022.
  18. https://m.facebook.com/groups/DisusedRailwayLines/permalink/3544735658949023, accessed on 30th August 2022.
  19. https://m.facebook.com/groups/DisusedRailwayLines/permalink/3608952409194014, accessed on 30th August 2022.
  20. https://m.facebook.com/groups/NGRSoc/permalink/488603584642177, accessed on 2nd September 2022.
  21. https://m.facebook.com/groups/narrowgauge/permalink/1532137573464932, accessed on 4th September 2022.
  22. These quotes come from private messages which Russ has sent me. He has kindly given permission for these to be shared here along with some of his father’s photographs.
  23. All Ken Cribb’s photographs are included with permission from his son Russ. Rus would be interested in hearing from anyone with information to share about his father’s photographs. Please get in touch with me, if this is the case, and I will pass your details on to Russ.

Japanese Narrow Gauge -762mm Lines – Part 3 – The Kiso Railway – Part B – The Otaki Forest Railway

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[NB: I have sought, where-ever possible to attribute all sources and have no intention of contravening copyright. Should there be an issue with any of the images below, if you are the copyright holder, please contact me. Please accept my apologies in advance if this has occurred.]

Acknowledgement: I have been helped to correct Japanese translation/transliteration in this post by Ichiro Junpu who also provided the images relating to the Uguigawa Line below. His own work focusses more recently on Chinese Narrow Gauge Railways. His website: “Narrow Gauge Railways in China” can be found on the following link: http://www.kii762mm.com/modules/pico/index.php?cat_id=250 (for Japanese: http://www.kii762mm.com/index.html)

The Ohtaki Forest Railway

The red-dotted route on the featured map above represents the Ohtaki Forest Railway which came to be representative of the whole Kiso Forest Railway. It had the greatest route mileage and made the most significant contribution in timber carrying revenues. [13]

The Kiso Valley’s first forest railway to use mechanical power was the Ogawa Forest Railway. It was completed in 1916. Other lines quickly followed: the Ohtaki Line, the Atera Line, the Ogiso Line, the Nishinogawa Line, and so on. …. There were 57 routes in all, the length of the lines totaled over 428 kilometres. This can be increased, if all the work areas and sidings are included, to over 500 kilometres. [13]

Construction of the Ohtaki Line was started in 1917 by the Imperial Forestry Bureau. At that time the first 25 km to Kohrigase along the Ohtaki River were completed. Extensions to the system followed relatively quickly – the extension of the main-line to Miure (about 17 kilometres) and branches including the Setogawa, the Uguigawa, branch-lines at Takigoshi and small branches around Ohtaki, Mitake, and Kaida.

By 1975, Japan had entered a period of rapid economic growth, and the transportation environment shifted once again. Railways became electrified and refinements of the internal combustion engine produced trucks that conveniently allowed lumber to be transported without the need for railway tracks. And so the Kiso Forest Railway was deemed to no longer serve an essential function. The Ohtaki line eventually closed in May 1975. [13]
As the forest railways disappeared, one after another, Kiso became a focus for public attention. A special program was aired on TV, and as the final operating date approached, bustling tent villages developed at each station. [10]

The last logging trains ran commercially in the Forest in 1976. [1]

It wasn’t until much later, in the summer of 1987, the Akasawa Forest Railway finally resumed operation as a tourist attraction. [10] The line at Akasawa bills itself as The Ohtaki Forest Railway. It Is a remaining remnant of the old Kiso Forest Railway system. It still runs for tourists through Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest, a 300-year-old natural forest. [7] However, it is not on the line of what was originally the Ohtaki Forest Railway. That railway followed the valley of the River Ohtaki a little further North in the Kiso River Valley catchment area. Details of the original line follow here:

The name “Ohtaki Forest Railway” has become synonymous with the Kiso Forest Railway. So perhaps it is important to follow the actual line of that railway alongside the Ohtaki River (its route is shown by the red line on the map above). We will leave the Akasawa line alone for now!

The Ohtaki line was lengthy. It ran for 48 kilometres from Agematsu Station in the East to Hontani, but even at that length it only made up around a tenth of the whole network in its prime. The map is part of 1/200,000 “Iida” from the Geographical Survey Institute, issued on 30th March 1968. [18]
The sketch plan above shows, schematically, the network of 762mm lines in and around Agematsu. [21]

An overview of the station and lumber yards at Agematsu. [21]

As we have noted the main Ohtaki Forest Railway closed in the mid-1970s. Pictures can therefore be found from the later period of the line’s operation. Among the photos below are a number selected from the on-line Tsushima Keibendo Photo Gallery. [18] Each item is referenced directly to the page in that gallery and following the link provided in the references at the bottom of this blog is very rewarding. Most of the monochrome images were taken in 1974. I am writing in 2019, so these pictures take us back 45 years. [18]

Agematsu Station in 1973. [18]

Agematsu Station in 1973, this picture is taken looking back towards the location of the first. [18]

Agematsu Forestry Office in 1973, a small 5 tonne diesel locomotive and passenger carriage sit in front of the storehouse. [18]

There were two goods yards at Agematsu and moving between the two required accessed to the larger gauge mainline. Over a short length that railway was dual-gauge as can be seen on the adjacent picture taken in 1974. [11]

There was a substantial operation transferring timber from the narrow gauge line of the Forest to the JNR Chuo Line.

The logging operation at Agematsu. [18]

After leaving Agematsu the line travelled alongside the JNR Chuo line and alongside the Kiso River until it reached the Onibuchi Railway bridge. Here it crossed the Kiso River to its West bank and then followed the river for about 4 kilometres. [18]

The Ogawa Line left the Ohtaki Line at this point. Its route heads off to the right of the monochrome image above. The next two images show this location in the early 21st century.

The modern road bridge sits alongside the old railway bridge. This view from Google Street view is taken in the direction of travel from Agematsu to the Ohtaki Valley.

The old railway bridge can be seen more easily from the West side of the Kiso River. This bridge has already featured in the previous post about the Kiso Forest Railways.

From Onibuchi, the railway formation follows what is now Highway 508 alongside the Kiso River.

A few kilometres further along the line was a timber storage point near Kakehashi Cliff. The English translation of the name appears to be ‘Bar’. The Kiso River flows behind the locomotive in this picture and the JNR line is on the far bank. Above the engine hood of the loco a tunnel/gallery can be seen. [18]

The Ohtaki Forest Railway continued from here either under or alongside what is now the modern Highway 508 and then an unnamed/unnumbered road. The railway then turned to the West on the southside of the Ohtaki Valley, passed what is now the Kiso Dam.

Taken from the opposite bank of the River Kiso, this picture shows a Kiso Forest Railway timber train close to the point where the Ohtaki River meets the Kiso River. [18]

As the line turned into the valley of the River Ohtaki, it followed the Southbank of the river through Numa Station which had a grounded passenger vehicle as a waiting room and Ohshima Station were once a branch-line left the main route to serve Nishinogawa. The modern Route 20 and then Route 473 appear to sit between the Ohtaki River and what was the route of the railway. It appears that the railway sat above Route 473 on the valley side and then crossed it to follow the river.

The Ohtaki Forest Railway crossed the route of the modern road No. 473 on a viaduct. Only the abutment and pier remain.

The Railway then followed the river closely as its course turned to the North in a relatively large loop. For a time the railway formation travelled North and we pick it up once again close to the Ohtaki River on the relatively recently constructed road below.

The line then ran passed the modern Tokiwa Dam and ran along under or alongside what is now Highway 256 and gradually, with the river valley, turned to a southerly course.

At Futagomochi Route 256 crosses the Ohtaki River. The Ohtaki Forest Railway remained on the South side of the river and then travelled alongside Lake Ontake which was formed by the construction of the Makio Dam. An unnamed/unumbered road now follows the Railway’s route beside the lake.

A timber train alongside Lake Ontake, travelling towards Agematsu. [18]

The present road runs into Tajima alongside the Lake. The old railway followed a course slightly to the South and ran behind the buildings that made up the village.

This image shows Tajima Station in 1974. The view is taken from the West looking back along the line to Agematsu. The modern road is off to the left of the picture. Tajima was the closest station to Ohtaki village. [18]

Tajima Station is nearly 21 kilometres from Agematsu. Just beyond it the modern road crosses the narrowing lake. The old railway route continues along the southern side of the valley. It is shown in the image below.

The next location along the route is Matsubara 23 kilometres from Uematsu, where there is now a Sports Park. The station at this location closed well before the line itself was shut down.

Matsubara station was at his location. Nothing of the station is visible in this March 1974 image. [18]

Matsubara is significant in more modern times as the location of a triannual ‘Forest Railway Festival’ which takes place at Matsubara Sports Park. The first of these events took place in 2004, the second in 2007, the third in 2010 and the fourth in 2013, etc. The “Ritsutetsu Club” is based here. It undertakes preservation work. The club was based at Tajima Station but moved to this new location in 2006. [12]

It may be of interest to note that Matsubara Sports Park is a park reconstructed by regrading earth and sand which flowed into Ontake Lake as a result of the Nagano Ken Western earthquake and the Makio Dam Sedimentation Project above the Matsubara station of that time. [18]

The landfill places the route of the old forest line under some 20 metres of fill and the new track runs on top of that landfill. The line is known as the “Seseragi Line.” It was built by volunteers over 5 years to reach a length of about 400 metres in 2007 and over 800 metres in 2010. [18]

The Seseragi Line in 2007. [18]

This locomotive is No. 132 which has been preserved and restored to working order. [18]

The route of the line surrounds the sports park. [15]

Beyond the Sports Park, the railway formation closely followed the river bank.

The next station along the line was at Ohshika, where a line branched off the line that we have been following and followed the valley of the Uguigawa River. It seems that although the Ohtaki line closed in 1975, it was still possible to follow the branch-line in 1977. [2] The adjacent map shows the line.

This map was
published in 1974 by the Geographical Survey Institute and is at 1/50,000 scale. Main stations of the Uguigawa Line are marked with a blue circle and letters. Important locations are marked in red with red lettering. Red ‘x’ symbols mark the extent of accessible lines.

The Railcar No.4 used for the trip in 1977 is shown in the image below, taken at Bohzuiwa Station, which is about halfway along the Uguigawa Line at the point where the line negotiates two tight hairpin bends. [2]

Motor railcar at Bohzuiwa Station in 1977. [2]

Bohzuiwa Station track diagram, the picture above is picture (1) on the plan, the picture below is picture (15). [2]

Another picture of a motor railcar at Bohzuiwa Station in 1977. [2]

The next few pictures give an impression of the state of the Uguigawa Line in 1977. For a much better appreciation of the line please use the link at reference [2] below.

The Tarugasawa bridge. [2]

The Nakanosawa Bridge with the tunnel portal just beyond. [2]

Sukeroku, the end point of Uguigawa line in 1977, this curve radii is very tight. [2]

Level differences can be dramatic! This is the view down on Sukeroku Station from an abandoned line. [2]

Back at the mainline alongside the Ohtaki River we get to Ohshika Station. It is shown immediately below a couple of years after closure. The enlarged extract from the Geographical Survey Institute, 1/50,000 map shows Ohshika Station highlighted by the larger red oval.

Ohshika in 1977, 2 years after the closure of the line. [2]

Ohshika Station in October 1974. [3]

Looking back at Ohshika from the Hoya side. The track behind the slogan is the Uguigawa Line, © unclefuku . [16]

Beyond the station at Ohshika, both of the two lines entered tunnels which were immediately adjacent to each other.

Beyond Ohshika, the line enters a short tunnel before crossing the River Ohtaki on an arch-shaped iron bridge (Ohshiabuchi).

The two pictures above were taken in 1974 of trains crossing the Ohshikabuhi Bridge. [6]
The very short tunnel shown in the second of the two pictures above is seen from its western end in the adjacent image from 2017. Immediately beyond this tunnel, Kohrigase storehouse was at hand which was also the limit of road transport when the line was in operation.

The railway is now travelling on the North side of the Ohtaki River.

A further couple of kilometres along the line Shimokurosawa was reached. The Shimokurosawa Railway Bridge was an excellent location for railway photography.

A forest train crossing the Shimokurosawa Railway Bridge in 1974. The reference provides a link to series of photographs at this location. [4]

Since the days of the railway, the valley has been flooded to create a lake. The same bridge is shown from the later road in the next image. The camera is beyond the bridge in the monochrome image above looking back towards Agematsu.

As the monochrome photograph above and the map below (at the right-hand edge of the map extract) show, just after the line crossed the Shimokurosawa Railway Bridge it entered a tunnel which took it through a significant rock outcrop. That tunnel is just off the modern photograph to the right. The portal is shown below.


The line then followed the river until it reached the scattered village of Takigoshi. Its route to the village forms the foundation of the single track road to Takigoshi.


Although roads are shown on the map below, the only access to this village and beyond was by railway or on foot. It was the abandonment of the railway which, in the main, provided a suitable access route for road vehicles. The railway crosses from East to West and the village and station are at the centre of the map.

Takigoshi Village. The map shows the Shirakawa Branch-line head south from the main line.

A misty day in October 1974 at Takigoshi. [5]

Takigoshi in the snow in March 1974. [4]

The same location in around 2015.

Lattice Girder bridge close to the start of the Shirakawa Line. [4]


The line continues on alongside the River and passes through Ichinose before reaching Tsuchiura Station (marked a Sato on the satellite image).

Ichinose in the 1950s. [17]

Ichinose in the 21st century. [17]

This sketch plan shows the railway close to Miure Dam. Three different routes are shown. At the 40 kilometre point a line to the base of the dam diverges to the south of the main line and then close to the Dam a line diverges close to the mouth of Tunnel No. 25, heading south and then round the southern shores of the lake. [19]

Tunnel No. 25. [20]

The next image is taken on the line running alongside Miure Lake which is the lake behind Miure Dam.

The train in this image is travelling from Hontani back towards Tsuchiura. The picture was taken in October 1974. [8]

Beyond Sato the railway followed the northern bank of Lake Miura to is terminus at Hontani. The red line on the satellite image above is approximate. The route is, in the 21st Century, increasingly overgrown.

Hontani Station was the end of the line. This picture was taken in October 1974. Only light logging lines extended West beyond the station at Hontani. [9]

References

  1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiso_Forest_Railway#cite_note-Small-1, accessed on 7th February 2019.
  2. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/uguigawa.html, accessed on 12th February 2019.
  3. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/ooshika1.html, accessed on 12th February 2019.
  4. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/shimokurosawa.html, accessed on 12th February 2019.
  5. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/takigoshi5.html, accessed on 12th February 2019.
  6. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/ooshika3.html, accessed on 12th February 2019.
  7. http://www.kisoji-isan.com/s/en/heritage/2326.html, accessed on 8th February 2019.
  8. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/tsuchiura.html, accessed on 12th February 2019.
  9. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/hontani.html, accessed on 12th February 2019.
  10. https://kiso-hinoki.jp/en/01akasawa2.html, accessed on 9th February 2019.
  11. http://www.dagashi.org/tro/kiso01.html, accessed on 14th February 2019.
  12. http://rintetsuclub.client.jp, accessed on 13th February 2019.
  13. http://www.ontake.jp/%E3%81%84%E3%81%AE%E3%81%A1%E5%91%BC%E3%81%B3%E8%A6%9A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%81%A8%E3%81%93%E3%82%8D/%E7%8E%8B%E6%BB%9D%E6%9D%91%E3%81%AE%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E9%81%BA%E7%94%A3%E3%80%8C%E6%A3%AE%E6%9E%97%E9%89%84%E9%81%93%E3%80%8D, accessed on 10th February 2019.
  14. http://blog.livedoor.jp/otaki_maki/archives/cat_10012707.html, accessed on 13th February 2019.
  15. https://ameblo.jp/rintetsu-club/entry-12206226664.html, accessed on 13th February 2019.
  16. http://rintetsu.net/nagano_02/outaki13/outaki_ot14.html, accessed on 16th February 2019.
  17. http://rintetsu.net/nagano_02/outaki25/outaki_it01.html, accessed on 16th February 2019.
  18. http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kiso/kiso-map.html, accessed on 10th February 2019.
  19. http://rintetsu.net/nagano_02/outaki27/oo_ie.html, accessed on 16th February 2019.
  20. http://rintetsu.net/nagano_02/outaki28/outaki_25t01.html, accessed on 16th February 2019.
  21. http://tmu-11e.cocolog-nifty.com/ryokou/2014/08/post-4af1.html, accessed on 4th March 2019.