Notes: Llynclys Junction was located on the Cambrian Railways (CR) main line just to the east of its village namesake. The junction was the point at which the Porthywaen branch diverged from the CR main line. The main line at Llynclys had been opened by the Oswestry & Newtown Railway (O&NR) on 1 May 1860 and the Porthywaen branch on 1 May 1861. The branch was built to serve quarries at Porthywaen and originally both the main line and the branch were single-track railways. In the second half of 1863 work began on doubling the main line and it was completed by 15 February 1864.

The O&NR became part of the CR on 25 July 1864.

The junction was controlled by a signal box located in the fork of the junction. Sidings were also laid out at Llynclys Junction to facilitate the transfer of wagons between branch and main line. The sidings were located on both sides of branch just beyond the junction. In the early days the branch had its own locomotives so a shed and servicing facilities were also provided.

Passenger and goods trains ran along the main line and Llynclys station was 18 chains south of the junction. The branch was used only by goods trains until 6 January 1904 when Tanat Valley Light Railway services started to use it.

In January 1922 the junction became part of the Great Western Railway and in January 1948 British Railways [Western Region] (BR[WR]). Tanat Valley line passenger services ceased on 15 January 1951 and the Porthywaen branch reverted to its pre-1904 status of being a goods line only.

On 18 January 1965 the CR main line closed completely between Llynclys Junction and Buttington. It was lifted between the two locations later that year and the actual junction at Llynclys was removed. It retained its name as a railway location, however, as the sidings alongside the Porthywaen branch remained for the use of quarry trains. In 1965 quarrying activity was still taking place at Porthywaen and also at Nantmawr and Llanddu (near Blodwell Junction).

The Porthywaen quarry had closed to rail traffic by the end of the 1960s and the Nantmawr quarry services ceased after 21 October 1971; the quarry at Llanddu contined to be served until 1988.

After rail services ceased the line was left in situ and could still be seen in July 2016. Aspirations to reopen it as a heritage line had been well developed by that time by the Cambrian Heritage Railways group.

To return to Lynclys station click here