Harlech Military Railway
The Harlech Military Railway was built solely for military traffic during World War II. Contemporary published sources are reticent about the railway due to its military purpose.
| Harlech Military Railway | |
|---|---|
| Operation | |
| Locale | Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales |
| Open | 1941 |
| Close | 1944[1] or 1946.[2] |
| Status | Demolished 1948 |
| Owner(s) | Great Western Railway |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Propulsion system(s) | Conventional steam |
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 1,320 yards (1,210 m) |
The line was a standard gauge branch which veered seawards (westwards) off the ex-Cambrian Railways Cambrian Coast line approximately 430 yards (390 m) north of Harlech railway station. This junction and a substantial section of the line can be see in two aerial photographs of the period.[3][4] The line appears on a 1948 OS map of the area.
The line's location north of the village is corroborated by Rail Map Online; however, the producers acknowledge that they are not confident that their map adequately represents the line's seaward end.[5]
The line's primary purpose was to serve a gunnery range which was under the control of a camp at Bronaber, near Trawsfynydd. The line is not to be confused with the Harlech Tramway which was south of Harlech.
References
- Turner 2003, p. 49.
- "Notes about the railway, via Visit Harlech". Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- The site of the landward end of the line, via Britain from Above (free login needed to zoom)
- The site of the landward end of the line, via Britain from Above (free login needed to zoom)
- The line and neighbouring lines via Rail Map Online
Sources
- Turner, Alun (2003). Gwynedd's Lost Railways. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84033-259-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)