Dowlais Iron Works

Location type

Works

Name and dates

Dowlais Iron Works

Served by the Taff Bargoed Joint Line (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway).

Chronology Dates

21/06/1836Taff Vale Railway
Act passed. Promoters included John Josiah Guest (Dowlais Iron Works), Walter Coffin (Dinas colliery). Connections made at Merthyr Tydfil to the Penydarren Iron Works, Dowlais Iron Works and Plymouth Iron Works. Line to be single track.
30/06/1837Taff Vale Railway
Act passed for branch to Cyfartha Iron Works and branch to Plymouth Iron Works, Penydarren Iron Works and Dowlais Iron Works. Only the branch to connect to Crawshays Private Railway was opened. The branch also served the Ynysfach Iron Works.
  /  /1847Taff Vale Railway
John Guest of Dowlais Iron Works resigns as the railway's chairman due to a perceived clash of interests.
28/07/1849Dowlais Iron Company
Builds own line, Dowlais Railway, from Dowlais to Merthyr as the existing old tramroad was poor and the Taff Vale Railway had not built its branch to the Dowlais Iron Works yet.
21/08/1851Dowlais Railway
Opened from Dowlais Iron Works main gate and furnaces to the Taff Vale Railway. An inclined plane was worked by steam engine and the Dowlais end worked by locomotives.
  /  /1867Taff Bargoed Joint Line (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway)
Agreement to build line from Nelson to Dowlais for hauling iron ore from Cardiff to the Dowlais Iron Works.