£35.00
Peter Dickinson
Publication Date: 2025
Format & Edition: Hardback, First Edition
Pagination: 312 Pages, 283 Illustrations
Genre: Railways of Wales
Status: Available
The Ruabon to Barmouth Line A New History by Peter Dickinson.
For nearly 100 years, passengers could enjoy arguably one of the finest journeys in the British Isles from the comfort of their railway carriage. The Great Western Railway described the journey from Ruabon to Barmouth as ‘a paradise for artists and fishermen and a country rich in mountain streams, wild woods and wide far views, unbeaten in any part of Wales’.
The 54-mile route carried generations of holidaymakers to the beaches of the Cambrian Coast, as well as providing a vital lifeline to the rural communities it served.
Branching away from the Chester to Shrewsbury route just south of Ruabon, the railway served Llangollen, Corwen, Bala and Dolgellau, before reaching Barmouth. It was a line of contrasts, from the industrial environs of Ruabon to the rugged coastline in the west.
The story begins in the mid-19th Century when the Vale of Llangollen Railway Company opened a 5 mile branch to passenger traffic, promoted by the Great Western Railway. Over the next decade, the railway extended westwards until it reached Dolgellau meeting their rival, Cambrian Railway. The uneasy relationship between the two companies continued into the 20th Century and was only ended through the Cambrian’s amalgamation in the 1920s.
The book is illustrated with a wealth of photographs, many of which have not previously been published.