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A 2-EPB is passing a power station. Where is it? And what is the power station now used for?
Please send your answers to raildate.co.uk@gmail.com
A coastal railway. Where is it?
Answer: Mumbles Electric Railway, near Swansea. In Welsh/Yn Gymraeg: Rheilffordd Drydan y Mwmbwls, ger Abertawe. Congratulations are due to the following for their correct answers: Tony Parsons, Simon Wass, Colin Penfold, Paul Hopper, Richard Hart, Michael Willsher, Chris Neale, Richard Maund, Philip Cartwright. Tony Fox, Andrew Treves, Dave Goodyear, Andy Foster, Peter Tisdale, Neil Spencer, Jim Allwood, Paul Tambini, Jeremy Harrison, Tony Hall, Martin King, Ian Bromlet, John Lacy, Chris Gibbard, Leslie Braithwaite, Mike Rapp.
This long-lasting railway/tramway/tramroad (take your pick) finally closed in 1960. It began in 1806 to connect quarries at Oystermouth with Swansea, and had a branch midway to various coal mines. A world's-first public passenger service briefly operated from 1807 but shut down when a parallel road was constructed. The alignment was changed slightly and passenger service resumed in 1855.
The section in our map came later. The extension from Oystermouth to Mumbles Pier opened in 1898. Southend station was midway, opened 1893, but isn't marked.
Horsepower survived until a comparatively-late 1877. Steam went on to be replaced from 1928 by electric traction, using pairs of 106-seater Brush-built cars.
The alignment now forms a very pleasant cycleway bordering the beach. Students at Swansea University make good use of it. Catherine Zeta-Jones is from Mumbles; she got away with building a "look-at-my-success" house on the headland.
Image credit: Geoff Dunster RCTS Collection.
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© Matthew Shaw 2024