Starting in 2026, the Railway Work, Life & Death project has been working with the Llangollen and Corwen Railway to find out more about the people who worked on the railway before it was preserved. This is part of the project’s wider work with heritage railway organisations (about which you can find more here), to support their engagement with the social history of the railways. It helps to put people back into railway history and heritage – all too often absent. Below you’ll find the life stories of a few railway staff who worked on the route of the Llangollen and Corwen Railway before it was preserved.
The Llangollen and Corwen Railway
Today the Llangollen and Corwen Railway runs between Llangollen and Corwen in Denbighshire, North Wales. It’s part of the former Great Western Railway route between Ruabon and Bala. Opened in stages from 1861, the section of railway now preserved was open by mid-1865. On one level a rural railway, it also carried seasonal holiday traffic (including through coaches to London) and freight, including farm produce and stone from local quarries.
Passenger traffic on the line lasted until 1965, and goods traffic ended in 1968. After this the track was lifted, but starting from 1972 a preservation group worked to restore the line. Corwen, the limit of the line, was reached in 2014. There’s more on the history of the Llangollen and Corwen Railway here.
Llangollen and Corwen Railway staff life stories
Below you’ll find a handful of railway staff who worked on what is now the Llangollen and Corwen Railway before it was preserved. We know about them because they appear in the Railway Work, Life & Death project database and had an accident at work.
For each, during 2026 we worked with the Railway to research and share their life stories. For those visiting the line, we’ve collaborated to produce a leaflet (available as a PDF, here) with short summaries of the life stories. You can read the fuller versions of the life stories via the links here:
Lad porter Jones, Llangollen – full story coming soon
Timber loader Rogers, Glyndyfrdwy – full story coming soon
Ganger John Edwards, Carrog – full story coming soon
If you know more about any of the railway workers featured we’d be keen to hear from you – do please let us know.
Needless to say, these four are only the tip of iceberg. There were plenty more staff who appear in the Railway Work, Life & Death project database, and who could have been researched. As we continue the collaboration with the Llangollen and Corwen Railway we hope to bring you more of their stories.
Looking more widely, there were many, many more railway workers along the line over the years, beyond those we know to have had an accident. Their stories are just as interesting and should also be told. It’s excellent that the Llangollen and Corwen Railway recognise this and are actively engaging with the social history of their line.
Thanks
Our particular thanks to Peter Dickinson, Berwyn’s station master. This work arose from a chance conversation in spring 2026, and Peter has been both supportive and provided practical assistance essential to making this work happen.
Thanks also to Bob Gwynne, who has been very supportive of the Railway Work, Life & Death project over the years and in various capacities, at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway and beyond.