Reasons For The Line

The story of the Mumbles Train begins with the spectacular limestone cliffs of the Gower Peninsula. Limestone from the cliffs was burned in kilns to form lime powder which was used as fertilizer on the Gower fields. The pictures below show the cliffs and kiln at Penmaen, Gower.

Did you know that the cost of transporting goods between Oystermouth and Swansea was 4d (about 2p) per ton per mile. It was cheaper to transport coal, timber, bricks and clay at 1½d (less than 1p) per ton per mile.

During the Industrial Revolution, Swansea developed into an important centre and a seaport town.
The Mumbles Railway was formed so that lime produced from the Gower kilns and coal from the Clyne Valley could be transported to the wharfs at Swansea.

A meeting to agree the building of the railway, or tramroad, was made in 1804. The railway would transport iron products and minerals between Oystermouth and the Swansea Canal basin. The picture left shows the Gower fields in 1996. This shows the agricultural nature of this area. The Gower has always been an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Did you know that it cost £9000 to build the Mumbles Railway track? A report of 1827 stated that the line was about 7 'English miles' long, with a gauge of 47 inches. Each rail was 35 inches long and 3½ inches wide. The first goods traffic passed over the track in April, 1806.