Numerous horse-drawn tramroads were constructed in South Wales during the Industrial Revolution, chiefly between the years 1790 and 1830 and connected with the iron and coal-mining industries.
The earliest tramroads were "edge-railways", where the wagons were guided by having flanged wheels running on plain rails, but from around 1800 most tramroads in the area were being made according to the principles of Benjamin Outram, with unflanged wheels running on L-section tracks fixed to stone-block sleepers; and many earlier lines were also rebuilt to these specifications. An unlikely achievement: the development of the edge railway for general freight and passengers; Carolyn Dougherty, 2005 Track gauges were not standardised, but most were between .
Overall, the early railways in South Wales covered about , but between the 1840s and the 1860s most of the main lines were replaced by standard-gauge steam railways.
The list of tramroads in South Wales can be split into a number of regions:
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal network The canals converging on Newport Docks originally comprised two independent canals: the Monmouthshire Canal between Newport and Pontymoile Basin (as well as the Crumlin Arm, and the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal between Pontymoile and Brecon.
Numerous tramroads, some built by the canal companies themselves, converged on these canals, as well as forming cross-country routes not directly linked to the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal network:
Name of LineOpenedRouteNotes Aberbeeg Tramroad 1828 Nantyglo and Coalbrookvale Ironworks to Aberbeeg (junction with Beaufort Tramroad) Rebuilt as a GWR standard-gauge line Abersychan Limestone Railway 1827 Cwm Lasgarn quarry to the British Ironworks, Abersychan via the Blaenavon Railroad Bailey's Tramroad 1821 Nantyglo Ironworks to Govilon canal wharf; later extended to Beaufort Ironworks Beaufort Tramroad 1795 Beaufort Ironworks through Brynmawr to Gilwern canal basin, and through Ebbw Vale to Aberbeeg and Crumlin Became part of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway and the Ebbw Valley Railway Benjamin Hall's Tramroad 1814 Hafod Trislog, Waterloo and Cefn Coch collieries to Abercarn and North Risca (junction with Sirhowy Tramroad) Blaenavon Railroad 1796 Blaenavon Ironworks to Pontnewynydd canal terminus Converted to a railway by the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company Brinore Tramroad 1815 Rhymney Ironworks, Bryn-oer colliery, Trefil quarries to Talybont-on-Usk canal wharf Caerleon Tramroad c.1794 Cwmbran forges to Ponthir tinplate works and Caerleon quayThe Caerleon Tramroad Line reused by the GWR Clydach Railroad 1794 Waun-dew colliery, Beaufort to Clydach Ironworks, Gilwern canal wharf and Glangrwney Forge Crumlin Tramroad 1826 Crumlin canal basin (connection with Beaufort Tramroad) to Risca (junction with Sirhowy Tramroad) Cwm Cuffin Tramroad c.1810 Blaencuffin Colliery to Crumlin (junction with Beaufort Tramroad) Cwm Ffrwd Rail Road c.1819 Varteg Hill collieries and furnaces to Blaenavon Tramroad at Abersychan Darren Disgwylfa tram road 1818 Darren Disgwylfa limestone quarries to Nantyglo Ironworks Grosmont Railway 1819 Llanvihangel Crucorney via Grosmont to Monmouth Cap (continued as Hereford Railway to Hereford) Became part of the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Harford's Tramroad 1835 Sirhowy Iron Works through tunnel to Ebbw Vale furnaces and rolling mills Hay Railway 1816 Watton wharf, Brecon to Hay-on-Wye & Eardisley (connection with Kington Tramway) Line later used by the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway Hill's Tramroad 1818 Blaenavon Ironworks to Garnddyrys forge and Llanfoist canal wharf; branch to Tyla Quarries Kington Tramway 1820 Burlingjobb limestone quarries to Kington and Eardisley (connection with Hay Railway) Line later used by the Kington and Eardisley Railway Llam-march Tramroad 1795 Llam-march Coal & Mine Works to Clydach Ironworks and Gilwern canal wharf Llanarth Tramroad 1824 Rock Colliery, Blackwood to Ynysddu (connection with Penllwyn Tramroad) Llanvihangel Railway 1814 Govilon wharf through Abergavenny to Llanvihangel Crucorney (connection with Grosmont Railway) Became part of the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Llangattock Tramroad c.1816 Darren Quarries to Llangattock Wharf; later extension to Nantyglo Penllwyn Tramroad 1824 Ynysddu (connection with Llanarth Tramroad) to Nine Mile Point (junction with Sirhowy Tramroad) Pontypool Tramroad 1829 Pontnewynydd (connection with Blaenavon Railroad) to Pontypool (junction with Trosnant Tramroad) Porthmawr Tramroad by 1800 Porthmawr Colliery to the canal and connection with the Caerleon Tramroad at CwmbranPorthmawr Colliery Rassa Railroad 1794 Sirhowy Ironworks to Beaufort Ironworks Rumney Railway 1826 Rhymney Ironworks to Bassaleg (junction with Monmouthshire Canal Co. Tramroad) Conversion to railway completed by the Brecon and Merthyr Railway Sirhowy Tramroad 1806 Sirhowy Ironworks and Tredegar Ironworks to Nine Mile Point (junction with Monmouthshire Canal Co. Tramroad) Became part of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway Trevil Rail Road 1797 Trefil limestone quarries to Ebbw Vale via junctions with Rassa Railroad Trosnant Tramroad 1796 Trosnant Furnace and Blaendare ironworks to Pontymoile canal wharf Watton Plateway 1816 Watton Wharf to Bold's Wharf, Brecon
Taff Vale The Taff Vale area encompasses the tramroads associated with the Glamorganshire and Aberdare Canals, which ultimately led to Cardiff Docks:
Name of LineOpenedRouteNotes Doctor's Tramroad 1809 Dinas colliery to Treforest and the head of the Doctor's Canal at Glyntaff Dowlais Railroad 1791 Dowlais Ironworks to Merthyr canal basin, plus several branches Gurnos Tramroad 1792 Gurnos Quarry to Cyfarthfa Ironworks and Merthyr canal wharf Hirwaun-Abernant Tramroad (a.k.a. Tappenden's Tramroad) 1805 Hirwaun ponds (Cefn Rhigos tramroad connection) to Abernant Ironworks Closed in 1900 Llanfabon Tramroad 1810 Gelligaer & Llancaiach Collieries to Abercynon canal basin Llwydcoed Tramroad 1811 Aberdare Canal terminus to Llwydcoed (junction with Hirwaun-Abernant Tramoad) Closed in 1900 Maes-Mawr tramroad Maes-Mawr collieries to Glamorganshire Canal wharf, Upper Boat Merthyr Tramroad (Penydarren Tramroad) 1802 Morlais quarries to Merthyr ironworks & Abercynon canal basin Superseded by the Taff Vale Railway Penderyn Tramroad (a.k.a. Mr Glover's Tramroad) 1794 Penderyn limestone quarries to Hirwaun ironworks and Bryngwyn collieries Pentyrch tramroad 1815 Pentyrch Iron Works to Melingriffith Tin Plate Works Converted to a light steam railway in 1871 Sir William Smith's Tramroad (Llanfabon Tramroad) 1810 Nelson to Abercynon canal basin
Vale of Neath
Served by the Neath and Tennant Canal, which led to Neath and Port Tennant for the Swansea docks: Name of LineOpenedRouteNotes Cefn Rhigos tramroad 1805 Hirwaun Ponds (connection with Hirwaun-Abernant Tramroad) to the Neath Canal, Glynneath Crown Copper Works tramway 1809 Dyffryn Clydach Colliery to Crown Copper Works, Skewen Dr Bevan's Railway (Dinas Tramroad) 1807 Dinas Limestone Quarry to Pont Walby (junction with Cefn Rhigos tramroad); branch to Glyn Neath Gunpowder Works Glyncorrwg Mineral Railway 1840 Blaen Cregan collieries to the Neath Canal basin at Aberdulais Melyn Works tramroad c.1698 Gnoll Colliery to Melyncrythan Pill and copper works Resolven tramroads 1837 Cwm-Clydach Colliery & Tyrau Colliery to canal at Resolven
Swansea Canal tramroads The Swansea Canal led up the Tawe valley north-east from Swansea:
Name of lineOpenedRouteNotes Alltwen tramroad Alltwen collieries to Pontardawe canal arm Brecon Forest Tramroad c.1821 Sennybridge to Penwyllt quarries; extended to Onllwyn Ironworks and Ynysgedwyn Ironworks Clyne tramroads Cwm Blaen Pelenna, Upper Twrch Brook & Lower Twrch Brook to Neath Canal near Clyne Cribarth Tramroad 1794 Cribarth quarries to Swansea Canal at Hen Neuadd Llansamlet Old Waggonway 1743 Along east bank of River Tawe, Llansamlet Superseded by Llansamlet Canal Palleg Railway or Tramroad 1797 Cwm Twrch to Swansea Canal at Ynysgedwyn Scott's Railway 1819 Scott's Colliery, Llansamlet to Foxhole wharf on the River Tawe
West of Swansea West of Swansea are a number of largely unconnected tramroads, some linked to the Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal:
Name of LineOpenedRouteNotes Carmarthenshire Railway 1803 Gorslas to Llanelli basin Rebuilt as the Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Carway tramroad c.1770 Carway coal pits to Kymer's Canal at Pwll y Llygod for connection to Kidwelly QuayOur Transport Heritage: Kymer's Canal Llanelly Railway 1833 St David's Colliery and Gelli Gille Farm to Machynis Pool Converted to GWR Dafen Branch Nant Mwrwg tramway 1833 St David's Colliery to Llangennech tin plate works New Lodge tramroad New Lodge Colliery to Burry Port; branch to Cwm Capel Oystermouth Railway (Swansea and Mumbles Railway) 1806 Mumbles limestone quarries & Clyne Valley collieries to Swansea Penclawdd Canal tramroads c.1814 Waunarlwydd coal mines and Llewitha Bridge to Penclawdd Canal basin at Ystrad Isaf Pencoed tramway Pencoed Colliery and Genwen Quarry to Machynis Pwll tramroad 1826 New Lodge Colliery (connection with New Lodge tramroad) to Pwll Colliery and Llanelly Dock Stanley Pit Tramway 1819 New Pit, Pembrey to Pembrey Harbour and Pembrey Canal Trimsaran tramroad c.1815 Trimsaran Colliery to Kidwelly and Llanelli Canal arm at Moat Farm
Outlying areas A number of unconnected tramroads in other parts of South Wales: Name of LineOpenedRouteNotes Blorenge Quarries Tramroad c.1795 Blorenge quarries to Blaenavon Ironworks Fell out of use in 1804 and plateway track removed by 1813.http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/85814/details Coflein NPRN 85814 Bridgend Railway 1830 Bridgend to Aberkenfig (junction with Duffryn Llynvi and Porthcawl Railway) Taken over by Llynvi Valley Railway Bryn Tramway c.1819 Morfa Newydd to Cwmavon Tinplate Works and Bryn-gyrnos Colliery Cwmavon Tramway c.1824 Pontrhydyfen blast furnace to Cwmavon Works and Aberavon docksAfan Valley then & now: Pontrhydyfen background Line later used by the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Duffryn Llynvi and Porthcawl Railway 1828 Dyffryn to PorthcawlThe Industrial Railway Society: The Penydarren Tramroad, M J T Lewis Converted to the Llynvi Valley Railway Monmouth Railway 1812 May Hill, Monmouth to Coleford, Gloucestershire. Rebuilt as the Coleford Railway Saundersfoot Railway 1829 Thomas Chapel collieries & Stepaside Ironworks to Saundersfoot Harbour Taibach waggonway c.1758 Mynydd Bychan coal mines to Taibach ironworksJohn Vigurs Wharf at Aberavon Tondu Brickworks tramroad Llantwit Colliery to Tondu Brickworks
References
Bibliography Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals, Joseph Priestley 1831 Coflein: National Monuments Record of Wales database old-maps.co.uk Bertram Baxter: Stone Blocks and Iron Rails, David & Charles, 1966 James Gilbert: Railways of England and Wales, E Grattan, 1838 Charles Hadfield: The Canals of South Wales and the Border, University of Wales Press & Phoenix House, 1960