Kinmel Camp Railway
Encyclopedia
The Kinmel Camp Railway was a 3 miles (4.8 km) long standard gauge
railway built to serve Kinmel Camp near Rhyl
in north Wales
.
was a training camp opened by the British Army
in 1915 to train soldiers during the First World War. It was connected to the London and North Western Railway
line at Foryd station by the short, steep branchline that formed the Kinmel Camp Railway. The KCR opened in 1915. Between 1916 and 1917 a branch was laid to avoid the steepest gradients at the camp terminus. By 1918 a connection had been added to the Vale of Clwyd Railway
's line from Rhyl
to Denbigh
.
After the end of the First World War, the line continued in use serving a quarry near the site of the camp at St. George. The railway continued in this capacity until it closed in 1964.
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway built to serve Kinmel Camp near Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
in north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
History
Kinmel CampKinmel Camp
Kinmel Camp was an army training ground in what was once the grounds of Kinmel Hall, near Abergele, in Conwy county borough, Wales. The Kinmel Camp Railway served the camp from 1915 until 1964...
was a training camp opened by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1915 to train soldiers during the First World War. It was connected to the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
line at Foryd station by the short, steep branchline that formed the Kinmel Camp Railway. The KCR opened in 1915. Between 1916 and 1917 a branch was laid to avoid the steepest gradients at the camp terminus. By 1918 a connection had been added to the Vale of Clwyd Railway
Vale of Clwyd Railway
The Vale of Clwyd Railway was a line which connected the towns of Rhyl and Denbigh via St. Asaph.At Rhyl the line connected with the North Wales Coast Line....
's line from Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
to Denbigh
Denbigh
Denbigh is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Before 1888, it was the county town of Denbighshire. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph. It is about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry...
.
After the end of the First World War, the line continued in use serving a quarry near the site of the camp at St. George. The railway continued in this capacity until it closed in 1964.