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Marshfield station in GWR days


OnTheBranchline
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Hi everyone,

 

I was just wondering what sort of information I might be able to get from RMWeb regarding the former station of Marshfield (in between Newport and Cardiff).

 

Things like:

1) Pictures of the station/surrounding area

2) Station/track/signalling layout

3) Typical workings (obviously there's a huge list but some ideas would be good).

 

Thank you in advance.

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I forget exactly when it was published but the Welsh Railways Research Circle published a supplement to its journal, the Welsh Railway Archive, all [?] about Marshfield.  I know that I have discussed Marshfield with at least one RMwebber but whether it was on or off the forum I do not recall.  You could do worse than interrogate the search facility!

 

Chris

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I forget exactly when it was published but the Welsh Railways Research Circle published a supplement to its journal, the Welsh Railway Archive, all [?] about Marshfield.  I know that I have discussed Marshfield with at least one RMwebber but whether it was on or off the forum I do not recall.  You could do worse than interrogate the search facility!

 

Chris

There has been a few topics where Marshfield has been mentioned. One was discussing the footbridge and the other about the pit prop depot there, if I remember rightly

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The pit prop depot was a good bit west of the station, where the Freightliner terminal is now.  Traffic was everything that ran on the SWML between Cardff and Newport, so no fiddle yard is ever going to be big enough to contain all the stock possible.  Traffic using the station was a single trailer auto, 14xx, 54xx, or 64xx (seen photo of 6412 in lined green with this train) which shuttled between Cardiff and Newport, usually following an up Paddington in that direction. occasionally substituted by a diesel railcar post-war, and local goods traffic, almost entirely agricultural, using the 2 road yard; this was supplanted in later years by milk which was brought in by road tankers from the nearby depot.  The milk train was a Canton turn, arrived late morning, and was at one time the only working from that depot on Christmas Day.  

 

Access to the yard was via a ground frame, at least after the signal box closed for MAS in 1965 (?), with no ground signals as the movements were handsignalled by the train's guard, and the tanks were, prior to (I think; I should know because I was guard of the engineering train that removed it) 1972 when the trailing crossover was removed, propelled back to Cardiff to be attached to the up Whitland-Kensington later in the day.  A Brake Van was used until the single manning agreement; authority was provided by the Sectional Appendix.  After the removal of the crossover, the train proceeded to Newport to run around and haul the tanks back to Cardiff.  My memory, reasonably accurate back to about 1963, does not include any freight traffic other than milk here.

 

The passing traffic was anything and everything GWR/WR except 47xx and 1361/66, including Kings for a brief period early 60s and on one occasion in '63 a Royal Scot.  Expresses hauled by Castles, Britannias, Halls, stoppers by Halls, Granges, 43xx, Standard 5MT, Standard 4MT, expresses for the North to West line with loco changes booked at Pontypool Road sometimes hauled by 5101 or 56xx; anything goes.  Freight, which could be seen on the main as well as the relief roads; anything from a 57xx to 9F.  Cross country and 4 car 'Inter City' dmus post 1958, 8 car Blue Pullman, Diesel Hydraulics but Warships and Class 22 were rare, Brush Type 4, EE type 3, BRCW type 3 on Portsmouth trains, occasional ER split headcode type 3 and EE type 1 heading for Tidal/Marshalling from the Gloucester direction,and even the odd 08.

 

The pitprop depot was serviced from Canton as well, 94xx in steam days then D95xx and 08.  But this traffic, a fascinating subject in it's own right, did not come as far east as the station; the depot is a good half mile east, and was huge site.  It's boundaries can be traced on Google Earth as a modern industrial estate.

 

I cannot remember much detail of the semaphore box, or when the station actually closed to passenger traffic; it was pre Beeching I think.

Edited by The Johnster
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Marshfield station closed in 1959, it only had the two platforms - on the Main Lines.  The signalbox finally closed in1966 having become a fringe 'box to Newport panel in 1963 however the layout was progressively rationalised during the 1960s - according to BR records the Up Refuge Siding had been removed in January 1953 but no further layout alterations took place until September 1965 when the Relief Lines crossover and slip connection to the Down Refuge Siding were removed; the Down Refuge Siding remained until May 1966 so presumably its removal was basically in connection with the eastward extension of Cardiff panel which led to the closure of Marshfield 'box on 24 May.  All that was presumably left then was the sidings and teh MNain Lines trailing crossover.

 

there is currently a photo of the Up platform and part of the building for sale on EBay -

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marshfield-Railway-Station-Photo-Newport-Cardiff-Great-Western-Railway-1-/262765056184?hash=item3d2e0490b8

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  • 2 weeks later...

@on the branch line

 

If you don't know it, the Signalling Record Society is good for track plans. (There is also a four volume series of GWR station layouts by CR Potts).

 

One that I've liked the look of is Saunderton - no idea if someone has modelled it before. As its the so called northern route, part of the joint line, you get all types of GWR passenger locos including Kings. If your period is later, you can justify a Blue Pullman too. South of Bicester so you can justifiably have slip coaches at the back of the train. Not a large station, twin track so not hugely space consuming, classic GW signal box. It's also a fairly nice part of the world!

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S73.htm

 

From Lawrence Waters "Last years of steam Paddington to Wolverhampton":

 

 

David

post-22698-0-78487000-1519429496_thumb.jpgpost-22698-0-56636800-1519429540_thumb.jpg

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On 23/02/2018 at 18:47, Clearwater said:

@on the branch line

 

If you don't know it, the Signalling Record Society is good for track plans. (There is also a four volume series of GWR station layouts by CR Potts).

 

One that I've liked the look of is Saunderton - no idea if someone has modelled it before. As its the so called northern route, part of the joint line, you get all types of GWR passenger locos including Kings. If your period is later, you can justify a Blue Pullman too. South of Bicester so you can justifiably have slip coaches at the back of the train. Not a large station, twin track so not hugely space consuming, classic GW signal box. It's also a fairly nice part of the world!

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S73.htm

 

From Lawrence Waters "Last years of steam Paddington to Wolverhampton":

 

 

David

post-22698-0-78487000-1519429496_thumb.jpgpost-22698-0-56636800-1519429540_thumb.jpg

 

Thank you for the suggestion, I haven't forgotten about it.

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