Solved What, where, when No. 182 – Negative Number 27891-1 (Answer updated 2 August 2016)

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Further to the Answer published at page 125 of the May/June 2016 Journal, additional information in respect of the photograph - Negative No. 27891 - published on page 75, March/April Journal has been received as given below.

The photograph is Llanybyther station on the Carmarthen – Aberystwyth line, looking towards Aberystwyth.  The name was spelt thus by the railway, but is nowadays usually spelt Llanybydder. The line was part of the excessively optimistic Manchester & Milford Railway Company which was eventually leased by the Great Western from 1906.  The station closed to passengers on 22 February 1965 and to freight on 6 September 1965 but the line through Llanybyther remained open for milk traffic until 1973.  The dates quoted are taken from C.R. Clinker’s Register of Closed Stations.  The original closure date was postponed because of delays in arranging replacement bus services (see SLS Journals December 1964, January and February 1965).

The presence of a platform bench and porters’ trolleys suggests the photograph was taken before closure to passengers. The substantial buildings at the left of the photograph were still in existence a year or two ago (and may still be there).  Much of the rest of the area became a car park.

There is currently significant pressure in Wales for the restoration of this 56 mile long line as part of a plan to provide through services from North and Mid-Wales to Cardiff (specifically linking the Welsh university towns of Bangor, Aberystwyth, Lampeter, Swansea and Cardiff). Restoring the line has been costed at £650m which is compared with £800m+ spent on improvements to the Heads of the Valleys Road in South Wales. Further details about the campaign to reinstate the Carmarthen-Aberystwyth line are to be found at http://trawslinkcymru.org.uk.  On this website under the section, ‘History’, is a vimeo video clip of 22+ minutes of a journey on the line which might be of interest to readers.

Information supplied by Robert Darlaston and Tony Elliot is acknowledged with thanks.