The Lampeter, Aberayron And New Quay Light Railway

The harbour and most of this delightful town was developed in the early 19th century. By the 1880s the townsfolk became involved with proposals to connect their town to the GWR main line in the area. Having considered several options, the final proposal was for a route from the market town of Lampeter, with a branch from this line to New Quay. Planning, construction and financing of this railway was a protracted affair, and the railway did not open until 1911. By this time there was already competition from motor buses. The late opening date of the line means that most unusually photographs are available covering the earliest days of the railway. The line lost its passenger service in the 1950s, but freight trains continued to work on the line until 1973. A section of the line south of Aberayron is now a footpath. Also covered in this book is the New Quay Harbour Tramway, a line of approximately 4 ft 2 in. gauge, built to assist in the construction of the harbour there in the 1830s