Welcome to our exciting community project!

 

Incorporated on the 15th April 1999, the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway was created by several like minded individuals who set out to preserve as much of the railway and mining heritage of the route from Llanelli to Cross Hands as possible. It became obvious early on that Cynheidre would become the focal point of this project and as such several grants were obtained to purchase land around the colliery site, which is now our base.

 

Our first public open day occurred on Saturday 3rd September 2017 which marked the start of regular events at our railway. Since then, we have successfully pulled off several themed events, including Christmas and Easter from 2017 to the present day. 

 

The reception from the local community to these events has been a huge motivation for us to continue to develop both the site that we have and the events that we hold. Year by year we are increasing the amount of public events and see this as an important step in the development of the project. We are developing our woodland into an accessible learning area and trail. 2025 will see the opening of a community space and cafe and this project will create two jobs meaning we will be an employer for the first time ever.

 

Our railway operation currently consists of the utilisation of diesel locomotives and a mixture of using our brakevan, Class 142 and Class 143 'Pacer' DMUs and several niche items such as a Baguely Drewry Military Railcar. Longer term we wish to complete the restoration of our class 122 DMU to compliment the fleet and ultimately we want to complete the outstanding work on 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive ‘Desmond’. This would allow us to bring the first working steam locomotive to Cynheidre since 1969.

 

We want to continue to improve site facilities and make our site a complete day out for visitors of all ages. Our project is not just about railways and history, although we fully recognise that these are important cornerstones. We have a small heritage centre, which concentrates on the history of the railway line and the industry that it served. 

 

Initially, when our railway first opened to the public we offered a train ride of just over a hundred metres. As of March 2019 we have approximately a half a mile of railway line that we can use on open days, which has been possible due to grant funding. We will be exploring further extending the running line during 2025, as we continue with our aim to be able to utilise the full one mile of track bed that we own. 

 

We also maintain the ultimate goal of extending the running line to the south towards Llanelli. Although challenging, it is by no means impossible and we remain open to the possibility of one day making it a reality. This is a fantastic challenge that we gladly accept.

 

None of this could have been possible without the tireless efforts of every single volunteer that has helped us over the years. To continue to grow and develop we need to recruit more volunteers to continue our progression. If you think you could assist us in any way then please get in touch, you would be very welcome to join us on our journey to becoming a major tourist attraction in West Wales.

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Our objectives are as follows:

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• To advance the education of the public in the role Cynheidre played in the industrialisation of South Wales and in particular the coal industry and the transportation of coal from pit to port.

• To develop the site into a heritage park and hold regular open days and fundraising events for the benefit of the local community and the general public.

• To create a first-class tourist attraction where this history can be celebrated and knowledge shared for the benefit of all.

• To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the charity's landholding. 

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