Hay
The Tramway, 1816-1864
The economic transportation of coal was a problem in the early 19th century, when it was being mined in quantity. Canals were very expensive and could only be built to serve the most important routes.
It was realised that horses could be used to pull much heavier wagon-loads if they ran on relatively level metal tramways rather than on the rough roads of the time.
Hay and the
Tramway c1830
Photograph by
kind permission of
Brecknock Museum
The print above shows the town of Hay as seen from the north bank of the River Wye around 1830. The horse-drawn wagons can be seen at the centre of the picture on the embankment above the river. The level tramway between the river and the town was later to be used with the arrival of the steam railway in Hay in 1864.
There are 4 pages on the Hay Tramway. Use the box links below to view the other pages.
