Devil's Bridge

Welsh: Pontarfynach
Station on heritage railway
Devil's Bridge station, showing the two platforms in use.
General information
LocationDevil's Bridge, Ceredigion
Wales
Coordinates52°22′34″N 3°51′15″W / 52.376051°N 3.854077°W / 52.376051; -3.854077
Grid referenceSN738769
Managed byVale of Rheidol Railway
Platforms2
Key dates
1902Station opens
31 August 1939Station closes due to World War 2
23 July 1945Station reopens
1989VoR privatised

Devil's Bridge railway station is a railway station serving Devil's Bridge in Ceredigion in Mid-Wales. It is the eastern terminus of the preserved Vale of Rheidol Railway.

Facilities

Devils Bridge terminus, 1952.

The station has two platforms although one has been disused for many years. Following developments during 2012 and 2013, funded by the European Union, there is now a raised platform, improving access on and off carriages. The two platform lines both terminate in buffer stops, and each has a headshunt forward of bi-directional cross-over points for locomotive release.

There used to be a siding, but this has now been re-laid as a demonstration line, running around the perimeter of the site and physically separate from the main running line.

Under British Rail ownership, the passing loops at Capel Bangor and Aberffrwd were removed and so passenger trains used to cross at Devil's Bridge and it was not uncommon to see three trains at Devil's Bridge at once. These loops have now been re-instated. The current method of working only permits one train at a time to be at Devil's Bridge.

The station is equipped with a water tower, and a station building containing gift shop and booking office. A separate temporary structure in the car park currently serves as the Two Hoots refreshment room on railway operating days.

The small engine shed at Devil's Bridge railway station.

Engine shed

There is a small engine shed at Devil's Bridge. The shed is considerably too small to accommodate any of the line's principal locomotives. It typically houses one of the locomotives from the railway's museum fleet, either Wren 3114 or Quarry Hunslet Margaret. The locomotive is steamed on some high season operating days to provide footplate rides along a short demonstration line as an additional station attraction.[1]

References

  1. ↑ See report, with photograph of the locomotive, here.
Preceding station Heritage Railways  Heritage railways Following station
Rhiwfron   Vale of Rheidol Railway   Terminus
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