sonal congratulations
to Mr. Poundley, through whose enthusiasm and activities the branch was
mainly built. It had also been arranged to attach to the train a truck
of coal from Abermule to distribute amongst the poor, but this was more
than the locomotive could accomplish. It went up the next day, and, no
doubt, contributed to a wide endorsement of the views of the newspaper
scribe, detailed to record these stirring events, that the branch was
"everything Kerry can want." Anyhow, with its still rare trains, it is
all that Kerry has ever had, and possibly Kerry is still content.

The Kerry branch is also noteworthy for another thing, that it is the
first arm of the system which diverges to the east of the main line. So
does what was originally the first portion of the trunk, the line from
Moat Lane to Llanidloes, later extended by the amalgamation with the
Mid-Wales Railway, to Brecon, and so also does another diminutive line,
another mile further, which, though not part of the Cambrian proper,
deserves notice in these pages, if only for the personality of its former
manager.

This is the Van line, which ran from Caersws (whose station is built on
the site of an old Roman settlement) up to the Van mines, once productive
enough of valuable lead ore, but now derelict. Constructed under the
Railways Construction Facilities Act, 1864, the line was opened for
mineral traffic on August 14th, 1871 and for passenger traffic on
December 1st, 1873. It was leased to the Cambrian, but got into Chancery
and was closed a few years later. While it ran many made pilgrimage
along its short length, less for the purpose of traversing its rather
uninteresting course than for a chance of conversing with one of the most
notable characters, under whose charge the trains ran. To many Welshmen,
indeed, who never travelled on or even heard, except perhaps quite
incidentally, of the Van Railway, the name of John Ceiriog Hughes is a
household word.

Born at Llanarmon-Dyffryn-Ceiriog, in Denbighshire, on September 25th,
1832, he passed his early years in the romantic vale of the Ceiriog,
amidst the glowing memories of Huw Morris of Pont-y-Meibion. Beginning
his business career in Manchester, he soon returned to his native land,
and, after occupying a position as stationmaster at Llanidloes, was
appointed to the management of this little line. The duties were not
particularly arduous, and, in any case, "Ceiriog" was apt to take life
wit