Crosses Afon Prysor Opened 1 November 1882 | Official name Cwm Prysor Viaduct Total length 149 m Body of water River Dwyryd | |
Design 9 36 feet (11 m) brick arches on stone piers Width Single Standard Gauge Rail Similar Cwm Prysor Halt railway st, Pont Briwet, Trawsfynydd nuclear power sta | ||
Cwm Prysor Viaduct, which is occasionally referred to as Blaen-y-Cwm Viaduct, is a former railway structure which crosses the Afon Prysor in thinly populated uplands east of Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd, Wales.
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History
The viaduct was the most substantial single structure on the line. It is sharply curved, necessitating the provision of a check rail in its active railway days. In 1953 extensive repair work was undertaken in which the opportunity was taken to raise the parapet and add metal railings on top.
The structure consisted of nine stone arches carrying a single bi-directional track over which passenger trains ran between Bala Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog from 1882 to 1960, with freight trains lasting a year longer. A "Last Train" special crossed the viaduct a week before final closure. The track was lifted in the 1960s. The prospect of rail traffic returning over the viaduct is very remote, not least because part of the route has been flooded by the construction of a dam at Llyn Celyn.
Modern access
The structure is Grade II Listed. In 2015 the public had a Permissive Right of Access to the viaduct, but no right of way. It is included in widely publicised walks.