THE RAILWAY
A railway from Chester to the Wrexham & Ruabon coalfields was first projected in 1839, George Stephenson being engaged as engineer, but after the line was laid out and plans deposited with the Clerks of the Peace the scheme was abandoned due to a commercial depression. It was revived in 1842 only to be stifled again, this time by the opposition of local landowners. The promoters, the most active of which were Robert Roy and J.B. Ross again tried in the Parliamentary session of 1844, and in spite of a great amount of opposition the North Wales Mineral Railway Act was passed on the 6th August of that year. The engineer was Henry Robertson of Pale Llandderfel, and the line he laid out was from Saltney to a point close to the old mansion at Brynyffynnon at Wrexham where the station was to have been. In 1845 an extension to Ruabon was added to the scheme. The company merged with the Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway on the 28h August 1846 to become the Shrewsbury & Chester Railway which eventually opened to the public on the 4th. November 1846. The Shrewsbury & Chester Railway was taken over by the Great Western Railway on the 1st September 1854.
The branch line to Minera which was opened in 1847, started at Wheatsheaf Junction, about one mile north of Wrexham General Station, the line ran through Rhosrobin, alongside The Wheatsheaf Inn (a part of the bridge carrying the road over the railway may still be seen). The line then climbed by means of a rope worked incline through what is now a housing estate(although part of the trackbed is visible as a pathway through the houses), to a tunnel (220 yds.) to enter the Moss Valley close to the present golf club. The blocked off entrance to the tunnel is still to be seen at this point although very overgrown and in a very dangerous state and a home to a colony of bats. The line then climbed up another rope worked incline (Brake Chapel was later built on the course of the incline and thus got it`s name) and then entered another tunnel (400yds.) to re-emerge at Brymbo close to the site of the G.W.R. station. When Black Lane Colliery, Pentre Broughton was opened, the ventilating shaft for the Brymbo Tunnel was used and sunk to a lower depth for the extraction of coal. It appears that this was not the only other use that the tunnel was put to, an extract from the Broughton & Brymbo British Schools logbook reads:-
“May 22nd 1863, Received information from Mary Brain (a pupil teacher who died later that year) that a number of boys & girls had met several evenings after school in the Tunnel now disused, and that they had ginger beer with them. There was also some screaming and noise; and it was probable that their object in collecting in that dark place was anything but a good one.” This tunnel was opened up in the mid-1970`s by British Rail workers for an inspection and found to be still in a very good state of repair.
According to G.G. Lerry in Collieries of Denbighshire the Brymbo Branch was operated by teams of three horses, also the branches to the Ffrwd and Bryn Mally. The two short branches to Bryn Mally and Ffrwd opened in November 1847. A branch line to Fron Colliery was authorised in 1845 and was opened at the same time as the original line to Brymbo, it was app.1¼ miles long, it was using this line which branched off at Vron Junction that access to the steelworks was made by rail on the G.W.R. On the 27th. January 1872 the Wrexham & Minera Joint Extension Railway was opened from Brymbo to Llanfynydd, this was leased to the Great Western Railway / London & North Western Railway.
As traffic increased, the line from Wheatsheaf Junction was found to be hopelessly inadequate for the traffic mostly because of the rope worked inclines and the tunnels were very small and so, on 22nd. May 1862 a new line from Croesnewydd Junction was opened to Brymbo, which was doubled in 1882. The new line to Brymbo was three miles long (just half the length of the old line), and fairly steeply graded. Trains to Brymbo left the Croesnewydd yard at 1 in 78, then 1 in 50 for approximately one mile, then 1 in 45 up to the Broughton coke ovens followed by 1 in 36 to Brymbo Middle Crossing Signal Box where trains reversed for the steel works. . Beyond Brymbo Middle Signalbox was Brymbo West Crossing together with another signalbox beyond which the line became single as it carried on towards Minera. From this point the limeworks at Minera was three miles away but it meant that no fewer than eight level crossings had to be negotiated. The first was Caello crossing which had a sixteen wagon siding close by which belonged to the Brymbo Steel Works, this was used to load refractory bricks from the Caello Brickworks for use in lining the blast furnaces in the steelworks. Beyond was Smelt Crossing which had another siding where fireclay from a pit close by belonging to the steel works was loaded, this was used to make the bricks that I mentioned earlier. Pentresaeson Crossing was then reached, then Gegin. Ruthin Road, crossing followed The next three crossings were Vicarage Crossing, Cae Glas, and Berwig.
In April 1882, passenger services were introduced between Wrexham and Brymbo and a station at Plas Power was opened in August of the same year. On the 15th. November 1897, services were extended to Coedpoeth, and on 1st May 1905 they were finally extended to Berwig Halt, other halts being provided at Vicarage Crossing, Pentresaeson, Brymbo West, and finally Lodge Halt in 1906. Pentresaeson Halt consisted of a wooden platform with a corrugated iron booking hut and a shelter, it was only manned on a Saturday when traffic was enough to justify a porter being sent from Wrexham General to book passengers.
Electric staff working was used as far as Berwig Halt and a wooden train staff from there as far as the limeworks app. 50 chains. The staffs being the way of ensuring that only one train was on the single line at any one time.
Bradshaws Guide for 1922 shows that ten trains a day left Wrexham for Coedpoeth, five of which carried on to Berwig Halt.
The G.W.R. Divisional report for 1925 admitted that “ Coedpoeth Station was a considerable distance away from the villages it purpotes to serve these being Bwlchgwyn, Talwrn, Penygelli, and Llandegla with an estimated population of 9,000”. The facilities at Coedpoeth Station being a single platform, with a signal box, passing loop, a water tower, and a carriage shed which was still in place on 1910 O.S. plans. Up to 1905 when Coedpoeth was the furthest that passenger trains would venture, the first passenger working of the day was the 08:45 UP Coedpoeth – Wrexham and the last weekday working being the 19:20 DOWN Wrexham - Coedpoeth. This would possibly mean stabling carriages overnight in the carriage shed and engine and crews having to make a light engine journey both in the morning and evening. It might also mean that cleaning staff would have to travel to Coedpoeth to clean the carriages. The Coedpoeth Station Master had control of eight level crossings, four sidings & three halts one of which was Pentresaeson Halt. Coedpoeth Goods Yard had two loops, each capable of holding 50 wagons, and two sidings. There were three loading banks, two long & one short with a 4 ton crane and there was also a ground frame cabin which held the levers to control the points in the yard. A weighbridge and a small goods shed completed the goods yard together with the crossing keepers cottage. The Bwlchgwyn Silica Co. used these facilities extensively until the early 1960`s. Prize horses & cattle could be handled here due notice being given.
Almost immediately beyond the goods yard was Vicarage Crossing which had a single platform on the down side (this being the village side of the line), a wagon loop and a loading bank. At some time after the war an engine came off the rails here while shunting a coal wagon, the breakdown train was unavailable until the next day and so the engine had to be left overnight. The next day the breakdown train arrived together with an inspector to re-rail the engine. Bob Williams the platelayer who lived at Vicarage Crossing House was there to help and his wife was busy making tea. As it was a cold day the inspector made his way into the house to warm up in front of the very large fire where the coal was piled up nearly to the top of the grate, Bob`s excuse was that the weight on the engine had to lightened to make it easier to get it back on the rails and he was glad the inspector didn`t notice how full the coal shed was as well! In 1925 the crossing keeper was a woman who earned 8/- (40p) a week. Going back to Smelt Crossing, this was looked after for many years by a Miss Jones who`s brother was another platelayer, Miss Jones was painfully shy and always did her best to be back inside the house when the engine passed and if she didn`t manage that then she would keep her face well hidden.
From 1905-26 Berwig Halt was the terminus of the one class passenger service and although only classed as a halt had a single platform with a wooden shelter with general waiting room, ladies room and office for two signalman porters one of whom had to attend Cae Glas Crossing , 199 yards north east of the halt when summonsed by a bell presumably rung from Coedpoeth Signalbox. Electric train staff ended here and trains to the quarry were controlled by a wooden staff and a “one engine in Steam” procedure. There were no freight facilities at Berwig in 1910 but old maps show traces of a short gravity line that once ran from the stone quarry, underneath the bridge to Pen Y Bryn Chapel to a loading bank alongside the railway. At the lime works there were a total of seven sidings.
From the lime works a privately owned branch line ran to New Brighton to service the Dellafield lead mines. The last of these mines closed in 1913 and the branch was lifted before the onset of World War One. This branch was relaid in the 1920`s when silica clay mines were developed at New Brighton. This line was worked first by a small loco named "Henrietta" and in 1910 it was replaced by a brand new Beyer Peacock loco named "Olwen" (works no. 5408) .
Passenger services were generally run by a “Steam railmotor”, this being in essence a carriage with a very small steam engine built into it at one end with driving controls at either end. Coedpoeth carriage shed would have probably fallen into disuse when these were introduced.
Passenger services were cut back to Coedpoeth in 1926 and stopped completely beyond Brymbo Station on 1st. January 1931, this was the same date as the cessation of passenger services to Rhos, and Moss. This was hardly surprising with the onset of motor bus services which were much more convenient given the location of Coedpoeth Station, in fact it was known for people to walk to Plas Power Station rather than to Coedpoeth to catch the train as in many instances this would have been nearer. After the passenger service ceased, the signalbox at Coedpoeth was opened every day except Sundays at 07:50 closing at 15:50, it was recorded as being 2miles 21½ chains from Brymbo West . In 1950 Brymbo lost it`s passenger services both to Wrexham and Mold. In 1954 all crossings beyond Brymbo West became unmanned, they were padlocked, the keys for which were held at Croesnewydd West Signalbox. It was the duty of the fireman to unlock and open the gates, and that of the guard to close and secure them. Probably the last time that coaching stock was seen on the line was on the 18th. April 1959 when engine no`s. 1635 / 1660 took a Stephenson`s Locomotive Society railtour as far as the limeworks, the same tour also went to Rhos, Moss Valley and to Llanfynydd that day. Other tours followed, but these were conducted in brake vans.
I have so far been unable to locate any definite freight traffic patterns but reading through some diary entries for Jack Lewis who was a driver at Wrexham during the war does give a vague idea of what went on:-
18th July 1940 – 22 wagons to Vron Juct. then 23 empties to Coedpoeth and on to Minera with 16 empties, 35 minutes shunting and then return to Croesnewydd with 4 wagons.
Saturday 26th October 1940:- 14 wagons to Coedpoeth, 40 minutes shunting, 13 wagons to Minera, two hours shunting, return 21 wagons to Coedpoeth, 27 wagons to Brymbo, 21 wagons to Croesnewydd.
Tuesday 19th July 1941:- 16 wagons to Coedpoeth
Friday 22nd July 1941:- 26 wagons to Coedpoeth with an assisting engine.
It appears that Saturday was a regular day for a train to Minera as I have a recollection of one at Berwig Crossing on a Saturday morning and some trains were filmed at Coedpoeth also on a Saturday morning.
Burnt lime was taken from Minera in wooden bodied trucks, which had a bar above them in order to place a tarpaulin over the load which would keep the lime dry (it was not unknown for wet lime to swell enough to burst the wagons open). Latterly, 20 ton open steel wagons were used together with hopper wagons. These were generally hauled by G.W.R. panniers (sometimes double headed) or from the early 1960`s standard 4 tender engines were sometimes used.
In the early 1960`s Coedpoeth Station was demolished leaving the water tower and goods office standing. In 1964 the New Brighton branch was lifted for the second time and "Olwen" succumbed to the scrapman`s cutting torch.
The North Wales Mineral Railway was closed in four stages, the section from the Moss Valley to Brymbo closing in 1862, the route from Wheatsheaf Junction through into the Moss Valley was in use until October 1908 when it was cut back to Gwersyllt where it continued to serve local coal pits and it was finally cut back to Wheatsheaf Junction in 1951. On the 1st. January 1972 the section from Brymbo West to Minera closed completely, and the track was lifted in the spring of 1974 . This removed one of British Railways Stoke Division`s most complicated operating hazards, eight unmanned and gated level crossings on a short line. The track bed was sold to the Wrexham Rural District Council for £200.
At Coedpoeth the goods shed has been converted to a house and the yard filled in to the level of the top of the loading banks, the level crossing, disapeared under road works in 1977. From Brymbo to Pentresaeson much of the track bed has disappeared because of opencast mining, but from Pentresaeson to Minera it is reasonably intact to the limeworks (now also closed).
The site of the lead mines at New Brighton has been developed as a visitor centre which has involved clearing much of the track bed of the branch which may be followed to the lime works. Along the path are many reminders of the branch which consist mostly of sleepers with bolts still attached.
The line from Croesnewydd to Brymbo saw it`s last train in 1984 when the rail strike of that year proved to be the final nail in the coffin for steel traffic by rail from Brymbo.