Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway

It was built to serve the lead mines at Bwlch Glas and stone quarries around Hafan[1] and opened in 1897, closing just two years later.

However the Cambrian Railways would not permit the tramway to cross its line at any point between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth, leaving no alternative but to unload into barges to get under the bridge at Ynyslas, and then tranship to coasters on the other side.

In the end it was decided the only option was to go to the Cambrian Railways' Llanfihangel station, even though Mr Molyneaux had previously stated that much benefit would be lost by their not having direct access to a port.

Szlumper decided to build the Vale of Rheidol Railway to a gauge of 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm) due to the sharp curves required for the line.

On 19 August a trial train was run as far as the bottom of the Hafan incline, although the track between Llanfihangel and Talybont was not laid to a high enough quality to permit passenger services to begin immediately.

The formal opening to passengers took place on 28 March 1898, although trains only ran on Mondays, connecting with the Cambrian Railway's Market Day Special to Aberystwyth.

The majority of passenger trains in the line's short history stopped at Talybont as there were few houses to be served further east of that village.

In 1910, Cardiganshire County Council suggested to the company that they explore re-opening the tramway as a standard gauge branch of the Cambrian Railways.

Between Pontbrengeifr and Tal-y-bont sections of the trackbed remain intact, but others have been eroded away by the Afon Leri and are heavily overgrown which makes walking it more difficult.

Traveling further to the north alongside the A487 before turning eastward, Tal-y-bont station and engine shed has been buried by several houses.

Molyneaux's had long-term ambitions to connect the Plymlimon and Hafan to the Corris Railway, and he also unsuccessfully pressed the promoters of the Vale of Rheidol Railway to adopt the same gauge, which if adopted would have created a 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) system in the area to rival the 2 ft (610 mm) gauge lines around Porthmadog.

[14] However, the P&H's loading gauge was both taller and wider than its two northern neighbours, and so none of its rolling stock could have been used on either Corris or Talyllyn, suggesting that no link was seriously contemplated.

After the tramway closed the coach was transported to Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth for use as a summer house, but decayed many years ago.