Golfa Bank

Golfa Bank is a particularly steep bank on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. The bank is nearly a mile at 1 in 29, which in its day, was the steepest section of the Cambrian Railways worked by passenger trains and is still a challenging climb. The line travelling up the slope is curvy, to make the climb easier. Golfa summit is 630 ft above sea level, meaning the locomotives have to travel from about 350 ft above sea level at the bottom of golfa bank, meaning they climb 280 ft in 1.5 miles. The locomotives had to be built specifically to manage the bank, due to its steepness.

There was a halt at the top called Golfa Halt, 1 3/4 miles or 3.2 km from the Welshpool Raven Square terminus. The halt had a loop that was provided for goods traffic.[1] The station was opened on 6 April 1903.[2]

The Great Western Railway withdrew passenger services on 9 February 1931.[2][3] and the line closed completely on 3 November 1956.[3] The station officially reopened on 18 July 1981,[2] however it was closed again by 2015.

Notes
  1. Rushton, Page 24
  2. Butt 1995, p. 106.
  3. Rushton, Page 6

References
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
  • Rushton, Gordon (2015). The Welshpool & Llanfair Railway Travellers's Guide. Llanfair Caereinion : Welshpool & Llanfair Railway.
  • 3 minutes from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion
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