The line started out as the Brecon to Hay Tramway and the tunnel was built for that purpose, and opened on the 7th May 1816. This makes the tunnel at Talyllyn the oldest railway tunnel in the World. The tramway itself reached Kington in 1818 which was a total of 36 miles and this made it the longest railway in the world at that time. In 1862 the tunnel was widened to take a standard gauge railway, the Brecon & Merthyr Railway, and it opened in its widened form on the 1st of May 1863. The railway closed to passenger traffic on the 31st of December 1962 and to goods on the 4th of May 1964. The track was eventually lifted in 1965. The plaque shown below was given to the station by the Brecon Chamber of Trade in the 1950's. This plaque is in the Brecon Museum, although not on display at this moment in time, but awaiting a transport section to be completed for it to sit in.
My model of this location is based around the 1957 - 1962 period of British Rail (Western Region) in its decline of steam. There is a multitude of photographs both on websites and forums of the station and the 3 junctions that made up the triangle, but my focus is on just the one, Talyllyn Junction West.
The line was restricted 'Yellow' in the Ex GWR axle weight coding, therefore only light locos could work over the line, but also because of the grades such as Severn Mile Bank, trains were short, ammounting to two, three or 4 coach formations. Freight was the same, although some trains had double heading Panniers to strengthen them, such as the Ammonia tanks which also had barrier wagons. The village was served freight by way of the 'Pick-up' goods, both coal and cattle facilities were on site, but just in the single siding adjacent to Platform 1. Although double track leading off towards Merthyr, the inside line of the triangle was but a long siding connected at both ends. This siding was used to shunt freight into the single station siding, therefore being the reason for a single slip within the double junction.
Here is a map which shows the layout of Talyllyn Junction, North, East and West.
Talyllyn Junction West Station was actually the second station at Talyllyn, there was a single platform and small waiting room at Talyllyn East Junction. The platform could still be see into the 1960's along side the 'Long Siding' between East and North Junctions.
Here are a few pictures of Talyllyn in the 1960's.
Firstly, Talyllyn station showing the station buildings of which the large building was refered to as a 'Refreshment Room', which in fact was a Public House. The two buildings nearer the camera are, nearest first, the 'Ladies Waiting Room' with combined WC at the rear and the other half was the 'Station Masters Office'. The next building along the platform towards the tunnel was the 'Parcels Office' and the 'Gentleman's Waiting Room', with an entry between it and the main building to the 'Gents'.
The next picture is of 'Talyllyn Junction West Signal Box' which was situated on the end of platform 2 right next to the barrow crossing for the passengers.
Here we can see two LMS 3F 0-6-0 tender locomotives crossing at Talyllyn, again these locomotives were regular performers on the Brecon to Hereford services. Latterly this duty was taken over more by both Midland 4F locos and the Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 loco & tender, although these locos were still seen on some trains into the 1960's.
Here is a picture I've come across recently of an arriving train from Three Cocks Junction, rolling into Platform 1 whilst an unidentified Ex GWR Class 2251 waits to depart from Platform 2.
Pannier Tank No. 7716 arriving at Talyllyn Junction with a stopping train for Brecon.
A view towards Three Cocks and Merthyr showing the double junction and the signal box.
I will add more details and pictures as time goes on. Too much to put all in now!