Report - Abergwili Junction Train Graveyard, Carmarthen April 2021

[mookster]

Had to pop into south Wales for a work trip and I had caught sight of these on maps nearby, and thought it looked like it could be interesting. Turns out I was half right, in that only around half of the rolling stock remains currently - unfortunately gone are the two locomotives I spotted, one seemingly cut up and now parts of it sit on some of the rolling stock. I wasn't going to bother putting a post up about these but I don't think they've been covered before on here. I only had my phone with me as I was out for work, this was just a nice little break whilst waiting for a collection.

The Gwili Steam Railway operates a standard gauge preserved railway from Bronwydd (near Carmarthen) in South Wales along a short section of the former Carmarthen to Aberystwyth railway that closed for passenger traffic in 1965, the track being lifted in 1975. The Gwili Railway was formed in 1975 and, by 1978, had purchased and rescued about eight miles of trackbed and was running an initial steam-hauled service on a one-mile section of it.

Other stations were opened in the ensuing years and Abergwili Junction, at the south end of the line, was opened in 2017.

Thanks for looking
​

 

[dave]

Glad you reported on this i always love old rolling stock sat on rusty sidings well worth the effort in my opinion thanks for posting.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Was worth the punt. The phone pics turned out quite good. Liking this image with the signage. Its all great, but original signage is so appealing to me. Yes to trains

 

[MarkusCP87]

This is very nice mate.

 

[westernsultan]

No.3879 Haulwen
Haulwen is a Hunslet Austerity locomotive, built in 1942 as No.5272.

Constructed at the Vulcan Foundry in 1945, she initially worked as the Longmoor Military Railway (named Insein), before being transferred to the Woolmer Institutional Railway. Sold by the Army to Hunslet in 1959, she was sent to Hunslet Ltd. in 1961 to be rebuilt and renumbered as No.3879. It was then sold to the National Coal Board to work initially at Cambrian Colliery and then at Mountain Ash. The engine was placed on loan at the Caerphilly Railway Society in 1981 and was later bought by them.

The name Haulwen means "White Sunlight", "Bright Sunlight" or "Bright Star" depending on the translation from Welsh and was the name of the Mountain Ash Colliery Manager's Granddaughter.

079030 is GW milk tank and rare to still find it has its wagon plate number - moved here in 2015 from Morgan Marine, Brightlingsea.

More about this location at https://gwili-railway.co.uk/abergwili-groundworks-completed/

 

[HughieD]

Nice bit of rusting railbex there @mookster

 

[Webbs0710]

Pretty much all of this has been moved now unfortunately

 

[westernsultan]

Pretty much all of this has been moved now unfortunately

Yes my link above no longer works but their most recent update from July 2022 can be seen at Gwili Railway Abergwili Junction Development

 

[russhowe]

Having volunteered at Gwili in years gone by i can remember Haulwen being operational.
I was a little shocked to see her remnants pictured here