The M&MR later decided to alter the course of its line and never reached Llanidloes, but continued to be liable for heavy charges for a station it did not connect with.

Major route closures took place in the region in the 1960s, but a portion of the L&NR, from Newtown to Moat Lane, continues in use, carrying passenger trains on the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth line.

At the end of the eighteenth century, the local industry of Mid Wales was already fairly well provided with canals, although the mountainous terrain made their engineering difficult.

Charles Blacker Vignoles reported in 1837 on his recommended route to reach Dublin, which was to use a natural harbour at Porthdinllaen on the north coast of the Llŷn Peninsula.

[1] Isambard Kingdom Brunel was considering a London to Dublin route at the same time, and he too favoured Porthdinllaen as a ferry port.

His line would have been 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge and run from Ludlow through Craven Arms, Montgomery and Newtown.

[2] In 1852 a further proposal was published, for a Montgomeryshire Railways Company; it would run from Shrewsbury through Minsterley (rather than Welshpool), Newtown, Llanidloes and Llangurig to Aberystwyth.

A prospectus was approved: capital of £60,000 would be needed to build the line, and annual receipts were estimated at £8,250, offering a dividend of 7 per cent.

Serious errors in Hopkins’ levels were exposed, but the scheme was quickly rectified and the Llanidloes and Newtown Railways Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict.

[3][4] The authorisation led to a period of elation within the company, and immediately a long extension line to Shrewsbury was suggested.

The lease was incorporated into the 21 July 1859 Llanidloes and Newtown Railway (Canal Extension) Act 1859 (22 & 23 Vict.

Four locomotives were ordered from Sharp, Stewart and Company of Manchester to work the 12-mile (19 km) line, and Davies and Savin used other engines for the construction.

Dove was probably a second hand Sharp, Roberts 2-2-2 locomotive acquired from the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway.

At this stage the L&NR was isolated and all stores were carried by canal to Newtown and carted across the town to the station.

[7] The Newtown and Machynlleth Railway followed, opening on 3 January 1863, running westward from Moat Lane Junction, so that the southern (Llanidloes) end of the L&NR was now a spur branch line.

This scheme had been radically cut back during the Parliamentary hearings; only a few months previously its promoters called it "the Mid-Wales section of the Manchester, Liverpool, Swansea & Milford Haven Junction Railway," but it was authorised from Llanidloes as far as Newbridge-on-Wye only, passing through Rhayader.

[11] Later that month, on 23 July 1860, the Manchester and Milford Railway was authorised to build a line south from Llanidloes through Strata Florida, Tregaron and Lampeter to Pencader.

The Manchester and Milford Railway constructed its line from the southern extremity, northwards, and the process was slow due to money shortages.

The Mid-Wales Railway too was subject to cash problems, but most of its line from Penpontbren to Rhayader was made ready by March 1863, despite the difficult terrain.

The Manchester and Milford Railway which was still building far to the south west, but when it should eventually reach Penpontbren a full double junction would have to be made there.

From Penpontbren the M&MR turned west for three miles [5 km] to the village of Llangurig, sheltered under the Plynlimon range.

To conquer the mountains beyond Llangurig a spectacular line was planned with two tunnels totalling one and a half miles [2.4 km] and a viaduct 280 ft [85 m] high.

[14][22] The Mid-Wales Railway served a thinly-populated rural area, and its operational costs were increasing at a time when income was declining.

Occasionally BR standard 2-6-0 engines appeared on trains proceeding only as far as Llanidloes, to which (from Moat Lane) the route classification was “yellow”.

[4] The section between Newtown and Moat Lane Junction remains in use as part of the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth line.