eing arrived at at a meeting of "a few of the most
influential inhabitants of Llanymynech," with the Rev. J. Luxmoore,
Rector, in the chair, later in the day.

[Picture: Latest Cambrian Composite Bogey Coach, built for through
traffic between Aberystwyth and Manchester]

As to the rival West Midland scheme, like the ogre in the fairy tale
which ends happily ever afterwards, "little more was heard of it," at any
rate as a great through route from Shrewsbury to the sea. The project
was revived in the Parliamentary session of 1864, and a crowded meeting
at Llanrhaiadr gave it tumultuous blessing in speech and bardic effusion.
{94} But, though ultimately a line was constructed from Shrewsbury (as
we have shown in a previous chapter) it got no further than the Nantmawr
quarries, a few miles north-west of Llanymynech, and after running some
years, became derelict, until revived under the Light Railways Act as the
Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway. Not until 1904 did the Tanat
Valley itself echo to the sound of any sort of railway coach, "lightning"
or otherwise. Here again it was the Light Railways Act which made
construction possible. The Tanat Valley Light Railway Company was
formed, the directors being gentlemen interested in the locality, with
Alderman Charles E. Williams, of Oswestry, as Chairman. After some
controversy as to whether the line should be narrow guage, starting from
Oswestry and running along the Morda Valley through Llansilin, or an
ordinary guage extension of the mineral branch from Llynclys to
Porthywaen, via Llanyblodwel, the latter plan was adopted, and, under
pressure from the Earl of Bradford, a large local landowner, a connection
was also formed over the old Nantmawr mineral line to Llanymynech. The
railway which had its terminus at Llangynog has well served an important
quarrying and agricultural district, but it has never flourished
financially. For many years, indeed, the Company existed only in name,
and in 1921 it was formally absorbed in the Cambrian, which had worked
it, under agreement, from the outset.

But let us go back to the more successful enterprise in the neighbouring
valley. The middle of July 1863 saw the Llanfyllin branch ready for
traffic and on the seventeenth the opening ceremony took place. It
included an excursion to Borth in twenty-three carriages packed with
people, many of whom had never seen the sea. The train, we are told by a
contemp