Swansea Vale Railway

[Fenway Park]

The 2004 WRRC book on the Midland Railway outpost in Swansea has been transformed into a full history.

 

Recommended to all Welsh Railway followers. 

 

Forgot the Midland 1Fs could be found in Swansea. 

 

The Brynamman service closed in 1950 so I am confused that it took so long to remove the Paxton Street Coal Tanks from the Swansea Victoria motor fitted workings. Was this different systems?

[John_Miles]

Just to clarify the above, the new book is published by Black Dwarf / Lightmoor and is called "The Swansea Vale Railway - A Midland Railway Outpost". The previous book was around 100 pages, the new one is 264 with around 500 photos, most not previously published, almost the complete set of 2 chain plans of the entire railway, a full history and recollections from railway staff and passengers. I have to declare an interest - I am one of the authors.

[philip-griffiths]

The Brynamman services were worked from St. Thomas as a branch off the line that served Ystradgynlais and over the top to Brecon.   Paxton Street Coal Tanks from the Swansea Victoria worked out westwards to the branches and on to Pontarddulais and Llanmorlais.  

[Fenway Park]

A recent copy of Steam Days had a colour section showing steam from Swansea Victoria to Pontarddulais. There is one photo showing a LNWR Coal Tank on a pull and push working. The caption suggests the LMS 3Fs from the Brynamman workings were sent to Paxton Street to replace the Coal Tanks but at a later date than when the Brynamman workings ceased in 1950. 

 

I was querying the time lapse but have I missed their use on workmen train workings or goods turns. They remained motor fitted.

 

Fascinating book with well researched history etc. 

[Richard_A]

I've bought this book and it's fantastic I've been interested in the SVR since a kid, and it's proving very inspiring to me, with the added benefit of it providing a kind of guessing game regarding where any infrastructure might still be.

[John_Miles]

I've bought this book and it's fantastic I've been interested in the SVR since a kid, and it's proving very inspiring to me, with the added benefit of it providing a kind of guessing game regarding where any infrastructure might still be.

 

There's not a lot left. There is part of the trackbed near Foxhole and there was a bridge here last time I looked. If you scrub around on the roundabout where St Thomas was you used to be able to find platform edging bricks. Further north the overbridge between Glais and Pontardawe on a minor road still exists. North of Pontardawe you can walk the trackbed to the Tawe bridge at Ystalyfera (where there is a café to slake your thirst). If you look very carefully there are some tiny remnants of Ystalyfera station. By the Gough Arms the trackbed towards Yniscedwyn Colliery is still there and finally between Rhos Aman and Brynaman you can follow the track bed but you need to do a bit of trespassing. Brynaman station site is occupied by someone who stores fairground rides and has some big dogs.

[John_Miles]

I forgot two extra things - they occured to me in a trip to Tescos so there are some benefits to being sent to the shop.

 

Opposite another Tescos in Pontardawe, if you risk your life crossing the road and then plough through the saplings and undergrowth, part of the station retaing wall is still there. Also most of the Caelliau branch can be walking and it's a really nice valley culminating in some large lime kilns. Above these is the route of a tramway which climbs the hillside for some distance. You need to be reasonably fit to explore this.

[Richard_A]

Thanks.

 

I was driving up past pontardawe a few weeks back and wondered what might be left.

 

Does the road north of pontardawe use some of the track bed at all?

[John_Miles]

Thanks.

 

I was driving up past pontardawe a few weeks back and wondered what might be left.

 

Does the road north of pontardawe use some of the track bed at all?

 

No. the road is on the opposite side of the valley. You can gain access to the trackbed either near the roundabout just north of Pontardawe, it's on the east side of the valley, or just south of Ystalyfera at the roundabout there, near Asda. There is a pull in with a café. Cross the river by the footbridge and look to your immediate right and the abutments of the bridge are there and from there on you are on the route of the railway. After about a mile you come to Ynisygeinon Junction and a few hundred yards south of that if you look in the undergrowth to your right you will find some mass concrete footings which is all that is left of the signal box. Further south you come to a large open space which is the site of the sidings.

 

The Brecon road through Ystalyfera does follow the trackbed and the roundabout near the Aubrey Arms is where Gurnos Junction was. The large stone retaining wall in the middle of Ystalyfera is where the station was.

Edited June 23, 2017 by John_Miles

[Richard_A]

Thank you. I might just have a trip out next weekend hunting it.

[Fenway Park]

Some years ago I valued the Gough Arms for the bank  and was informed by the owner it was first used as the counting house for the tramway. The book suggests otherwise that this is local folklore. 

 

Glad to see the pub is still operating in these difficult times for the industry.

[John_Miles]

Some years ago I valued the Gough Arms for the bank  and was informed by the owner it was first used as the counting house for the tramway. The book suggests otherwise that this is local folklore. 

 

Glad to see the pub is still operating in these difficult times for the industry.

 

The book being discussed in this thread says nothing about the former usage of the Gough Arms. You must be thinking of another book.

[Fenway Park]

Apologies John, must have been another book. There have been several books on the industrial heritage of the Swansea Valley. 

[Paul H Vigor]

On 20/06/2017 at 13:18, philip-griffiths said:

The Brynamman services were worked from St. Thomas as a branch off the line that served Ystradgynlais and over the top to Brecon.   Paxton Street Coal Tanks from the Swansea Victoria worked out westwards to the branches and on to Pontarddulais and Llanmorlais.  

MR/LMS motive power for Swansea Vale services was housed at Upper Bank shed. Apparently, in the aftermath of the Grouping, it was suggested that former LNWR Coal Tanks could be introduced to haul Swansea St Thomas' to Brynamman services. Former MR loco crews refused Coal Tanks due to poor brakes, preferring former MR locos they were familiar with. Initially 0-4-4T 1Ps later 0-6-0T 1Fs. Did Jintys and 0-6-0 3Fs operate in the Vale??

[Paul H Vigor]

On 23/06/2017 at 05:41, rka said:

Thanks.

 

I was driving up past pontardawe a few weeks back and wondered what might be left.

 

Does the road north of pontardawe use some of the track bed at all?

The Pontardawe bypass uses a short section of Swansea Vale trackbed from Ponty Tesco heading up the valley. Where the road leaves the former railway alignment a very pleasant cycle track/footpath starts linking Pontadawe to Ystradgynlais. If you know were to look, the route retains quite a lot of railway archaeology.

[Richard_A]

9 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

The Pontardawe bypass uses a short section of Swansea Vale trackbed from Ponty Tesco heading up the valley. Where the road leaves the former railway alignment a very pleasant cycle track/footpath starts linking Pontadawe to Ystradgynlais. If you know were to look, the route retains quite a lot of railway archaeology.

Thank you, I might have a look when I can

 

[Paul H Vigor]

2 hours ago, rka said:

Thank you, I might have a look when I can

 

When you reach the site of Ynisygeinon Junction, if you have a good look you will find the cut off stumps of signals and the footings of the former signal box.

[Richard_A]

I assume it's best to start there as there is a cafe and carpark.

 

[Fat Controller]

12 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

MR/LMS motive power for Swansea Vale services was housed at Upper Bank shed. Apparently, in the aftermath of the Grouping, it was suggested that former LNWR Coal Tanks could be introduced to haul Swansea St Thomas' to Brynamman services. Former MR loco crews refused Coal Tanks due to poor brakes, preferring former MR locos they were familiar with. Initially 0-4-4T 1Ps later 0-6-0T 1Fs. Did Jintys and 0-6-0 3Fs operate in the Vale??

There were some Jinties equipped for push-pull working on the Brynamman branch, I believe. 

[Paul H Vigor]

19 minutes ago, rka said:

I assume it's best to start there as there is a cafe and carpark.

 

Yes. You can park up and walk down the valley. If you get the chance, another place worth spending some time exploring is Penwyllt - up above Colbren Junction. Some Neath & Brecon rails remain in situ relating to the mothballed quarry, also much tramroad, tramway and industrial archaeology to be found.

[Richard_A]

1 hour ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Yes. You can park up and walk down the valley. If you get the chance, another place worth spending some time exploring is Penwyllt - up above Colbren Junction. Some Neath & Brecon rails remain in situ relating to the mothballed quarry, also much tramroad, tramway and industrial archaeology to be found.

Thank you

[Paul H Vigor]

2 hours ago, rka said:

Thank you

My pleasure

[Paul H Vigor]

On 22/06/2017 at 20:03, John_Miles said:

I forgot two extra things - they occured to me in a trip to Tescos so there are some benefits to being sent to the shop.

 

Opposite another Tescos in Pontardawe, if you risk your life crossing the road and then plough through the saplings and undergrowth, part of the station retaing wall is still there. Also most of the Caelliau branch can be walking and it's a really nice valley culminating in some large lime kilns. Above these is the route of a tramway which climbs the hillside for some distance. You need to be reasonably fit to explore this.

John, 

Would this be the lower end of the dramroad from Ponty serving the Primrose colliery at Rhos? If so the upper section passed just below us here in Alltwen.

Paul

[John-Miles]

Sorry I don't look at this section very often, it seems to be mostly someone building coaches. The Caelliau branch is in Upper Cwmtwrch and well worth exploring. There is a road from Ystradowen which branches off the main road and heads down into the Twrch valley. At the bottom is a bridge and you can park. Head north on the east bank of the river and this is the track of the railway. At one place there has been a landslide which has wiped it out but carry on and there is a bridge over the river and some wonderful lime kilns. This is the site of Henllys Vale colliery. If you are fit, there is then the remnants of a rope worked incline which heads up the mountain, over some rather boggy ground but stick at it and when you get to the top of the incline head to your left along a track which takes you to some quarries which were worked by Baldwins for silica sand. Men lived up here in barracks going home for the weekends. There is also the remnants of an excavator. I should have said before you reach the landslide there are the remnants of Brynhenllys colliery which was pumped out by a water wheel. There are bits of the weir left.

 

The comments above about Penwyllt. Well worth a visit. I like it so much I'm making a model of it in EM.

Again there is a tramroad which heads from behind the brickworks up the hillside. After all this walking you will be thirsty. There are good pubs on the way back down the valley and in Abercrave.

Edited July 1, 2020 by John-Miles
I typed right instead of left - bad directions!!