Special Interest Group - Railways in Wales

[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]

We have Railways in Scotland, would it be possible to have a SIG entitled Railways in Wales, primarily for the Standard Gauge.

 

There has been some talk on threads regarding the Cambrian, Pwllelli Next Stop, also Dukedogs and my llanfyllin are some of the Cambrian layouts,

 

How exactly can we start one?

[Andy Y]

If there's the interest (I don't see why there shouldn't be) I could get one set up over the hols.

[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]

Thanks for the swift reply Andy, thought you'd be busy watching Strictly.

[Kenton]

Considering the excellent and interesting South Wales Industrial Railways topic and also the important mix of early railways in Wales - I am surprised that has taken this long for clamours for a separate grouping of topics under the Welsh Nationalism banner.

 

It will as ever make no difference to those who follow all topics in the View New Content listings and simply like to see everything and anything - even railways of a foreign land. Also not particularly liking the fragmentation of the site into cliques, fiefdoms or geopolitics, I do have serious reservations.

 

... but as we seem to have an independent Scotland, I guess Wales deserves the same treatment and isolation ... so I guess that's a potential half vote.

[Simond]

Dear Mr Brunel

 

Thank you for your kind invitation to express an interest in Welsh railways.

 

As a Birkenhead boy, the North Wales Coast was a very important part of my childhood holidays, Porthmadog in particular, where the love of steam & sail could be most easily combined. I recall a somewhat abrupt reply from Paul Dukes at Boston Lodge when I asked if my shifts as a teenage fireman could be arranged around the tides...

 

But with passing years, my girth, and the gauge of my models, has increased somewhat.

 

Great Western, standard gauge, 1930's, and things to do with harbours, ships, etc.

 

Please consider this a vote!!

SD

[Andy Y]

I've set the Group up here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/240-the-railways-of-wales/

 

Have fun.

[Happy Hippo]

I'm now following the forum:  Just needs some content now

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Donw]

I have a strong interest in Welsh railways particularly the GWR and Cambrian in standard gauge and also the narrow gauge especially the Tal y Llyn. Can I also recommend the Welsh Railways Research Circle WRRC. Just received the latest newsletter and Journal.

Don

[81A Oldoak]

I have a great interest in Welsh railways and will think of something to post, look you. 

[The Stationmaster]

I'm now following the forum:  Just needs some content now

 

Regards

 

Richard

 

You could always start the ball rolling with Common Branch Jcn

[Trains&armour]

I certainly will be following this forum. I would very much like to built a layout based on the Cambrian Railway.  But I'm not Welsh, I'm not even British, so I need all the help I can get!

[tomparryharry]

Common Branch Junction.

 

When the family moved to Wales, by chance we lived in Llantwit Fardre, just near Common Branch. To me, it was the total opposite to Forest Hill. No more electric 4 track; replaced by a single line mineral branch. Finding long-abandoned branches going all over the place, especially seeing the original layout at Tonteg, now disappeared under a new road. Llantrisant No1 railway, heading over to Waterhall Junction. The abandoned siding connections at Llantwit Fardre, that lead back into Bryn Colliery, home of Gilbern Cars...

 

Goodbye LBSCR, hello Taff Vale.

 

Happy days, happy memories....

 

Ian

[br2975]

Common Branch Junction.

 

When the family moved to Wales, by chance we lived in Llantwit Fardre, just near Common Branch.

 

 Llantrisant No1 railway, heading over to Waterhall Junction.

 

 

I was brought up at the Waterhall Jct end of the branch, in fact my very first railway photo was of a 'six-eighter' propelling a brake van past Waterhall Jct.

.

The Llantrisant No.1 Branch ran two fields away from our living room (not lounge, we had a council flat !) window - and gave distant views of the Radyr based 34xx pannier that usually worked the daily limestone trains from Creigiau to Cardiff, East Moors Works.

.

 When first married I lived in Beddau close to Cwm Colliery and Common Branch Jct, rarely catching a loco at either. 

.

The attached photo was when I struck lucky at Common Branch Jct, early 1979.

 

Count me in on the railways of Wales

 

Brian R

[The Stationmaster]

Just to cheer up the winter gloom a sunny day view at Radyr in mid 1973 -

 

[br2975]

Another gem that tugs at my heartstrings Mike !

(Taken from the 'box ?)

.

Locos didn't stable at this point for more than a couple of years - I suspect they were safer, and more secure, in the middle of the yard.

.

Just can't make out what the 47 is hauling, possibly opens, but unless it is about to reverse into the yard, it will be making an unusual (but not totally rare) incursion into the valleys on anything other than an MGR.

.

A good reference for my pair venturing further upstream when "Twll Cach" gets off the ground.

.

Brian R

[Donw]

One of my favourite views

 

Don

[Donw]

Two more the first showing the seldom modelled check rail on a sharp curve

 

 

the second a somewhat different view of the station

 

 

Don

[Simond]

I remember one bleak Easter holiday, I think it was 1976, I went to Barmouth, with two mates, camping.  We'd been supposed to take the car, but I failed miserably to bleed the brakes and my dad wisely wouldn't let me take it without it going to a garage first. 

 

We got a lift from my mum to Birkenhead North, caught the first train to Wrexham, and got on a bus.  The bus took us to Barmouth.

 

Ye gods, it was as cold wet and miserable as it is tonight - maybe colder but not as windy.  There were no girls, or any other holidaymakers of any description, anywhere.  So we walked across the bridge, we played on the beach, paddled in the Mawddach, we got invited into the signal box, we got p****d in the local pub, we "cooked" some rare dishes, mostly nvolvinbg canned food, which probably saved us from food poisoning,, and most of all, I recall the dodgems - they needed to be driven to clean the track & power grid, and we were the free labour.  I think we spent 3 hours on them, until the milk in Neil's shopping bag broke... 

 

It looks from Don's photo that they're still there - the yellow roofed "box" with orange sides!

 

We spent a week camping in Barmouth in the rain, at Easter.... probably would have had more fun if I'd done some work for my A levels.  Need I say more?

SD

[The Stationmaster]

Just to cheer up the winter gloom a sunny day view at Radyr in mid 1973 -

 

img180.jpg

 

Taken from the 'box Brian. I'm fairly sure that the 47 was on the 13.55 (I think, might be the 15.55?) Margam which was a Margam turn but it might have been from the Tunnel.  We didn't stable in the yard at that time as we didn't have any roads with sufficient clearance for prep'ing locos so they all went up to the holding sidings - we had an old BD container which was used to store sand and the guy with the car repair business (the building beyond the footbridge) sprayed it up in a rather nice Ford blue for me .

 

The two below are looking in the opposite direction and clearly were not taken from the 'box although the angle of view isn't dissimilar - but there was no way I fancied climbing right to the top of one of the lighting towers. they tended to sway a bit as you got higher

 

The first view is looking towards Llandaff over the TVR, as once was, mainline while the second is looking directly at Radyr Quarry Signalbox - somehow I think it probably looked far better like this than it does today plastered with ticky-tacky housing estates.

 

 

[trisonic]

Big +1 from the firgid 'States for this thread!

 

Lovely photos.

 

Best, Pete.

 

Edit: firgid is colder than frigid...

[chrisf]

Having been blessed with grandparents in Barry, how could I not welcome this development?  Croeso!

 

Chris 

[br2975]

.

 

 

The first view is looking towards Llandaff over the TVR, as once was, mainline while the second is looking directly at Radyr Quarry Signalbox - somehow I think it probably looked far better like this than it does today plastered with ticky-tacky housing estates.

 

img160.jpg

 

 

Where do I start - signal on the far left marks the point where the cinder path below the embankment led under the lines to Llandaff and Queen St. to give pedestrian access to the yard - on the far side of the huts near which PWM (651 ?) is stabled.

.

By the time of your photo the Loan Act shed appears to be used by Powell Duffryn as there are tanks parked outside.

.

Being within walking distance from home, this was the first shed I 'bunked' having taken my life in my hands on the pot holed, rat infested, litter strewn 'Road to Mandalay' that ran alongside the Taff in order to enter from the rear.

.

By then the shed accomodated several standard shunters,  a lot of 'six-eighters' a few 'nine fivers' and a BR(WR) 151xx shunter.

.

Circa 1964/65 " Flying Scotsman " hauled an excursion to Cardiff, where a Cl.37 took over for a tour of South Wales.

.

Along with hundreds of other dads 'n' lads I was jostled something rotten on Cardiff General and had but a brief glimpse of 4472.

.

Imagine my feelings when years later I found some photos by locale enthusiast Alan Jarvis of 4472 being serviced at Radyr that day - with virtually no one (save interested railwaymen) in sight

 

In later years a friend and I were invited aboard PWM651 by a sympathetic driver and spent an hour or so shunting in the PW Yard.

. 

 

A summer Saturday in July, 1966 and the following were in and around Radyr Yard

Cl.08:- 3398, 3405, 3428, 3595, 3603, 

Cl.14:- 9537, 9538, 9548, 9550, 9551

Cl.37:- 6834, 6870, 6897, 6973, 6980, 6985, 6993 

 

Moving forward seven years and  a  typical Saturday in September 1973 saw the following in and around Radyr yard

Class 08:-3258, 3420, 3422, 3748, 3756, 3760,

Class 37:- 6858, 6882, 6906, 6909, 6931, 6941, 6981, 6993, 6998

PWM651

 

Many years later, and in a different life, on quiet night turns we'd park up near Junction Terrace and catch up on some beauty sleep - in the safe knwoledge that the early morning Cl.56 hauled Aberthaw - Tower empties would wake us in time to book off and not oversleep !

.

Brian R

[Donw]

I was staying in some Digs near Roath (quite near the bigroundabout) and was sat at their table trying to put together an ABS loco coal wagon. The householder asked me was it difficult. I remarked that I was having trouble working out the brake gear.  "I think we used to have a drawing of that" was the response. Turned out he was a draughtsman for Powell Duffryn. Took me round the works for a tour after work one day. Quite interesting see the disc brakes and the linkage on the Gullwing and the tankers.

Don

[The Stationmaster]

Where do I start - signal on the far left marks the point where the cinder path below the embankment led under the lines to Llandaff and Queen St. to give pedestrian access to the yard - on the far side of the huts near which PWM (651 ?) is stabled.

.

By the time of your photo the Loan Act shed appears to be used by Powell Duffryn as there are tanks parked outside.

.

Being within walking distance from home, this was the first shed I 'bunked' having taken my life in my hands on the pot holed, rat infested, litter strewn 'Road to Mandalay' that ran alongside the Taff in order to enter from the rear.

.

By then the shed accomodated several standard shunters,  a lot of 'six-eighters' a few 'nine fivers' and a BR(WR) 151xx shunter.

.

Circa 1964/65 " Flying Scotsman " hauled an excursion to Cardiff, where a Cl.37 took over for a tour of South Wales.

.

Along with hundreds of other dads 'n' lads I was jostled something rotten on Cardiff General and had but a brief glimpse of 4472.

.

Imagine my feelings when years later I found some photos by locale enthusiast Alan Jarvis of 4472 being serviced at Radyr that day - with virtually no one (save interested railwaymen) in sight

 

In later years a friend and I were invited aboard PWM651 by a sympathetic driver and spent an hour or so shunting in the PW Yard.

. 

 

A summer Saturday in July, 1966 and the following were in and around Radyr Yard

Cl.08:- 3398, 3405, 3428, 3595, 3603, 

Cl.14:- 9537, 9538, 9548, 9550, 9551

Cl.37:- 6834, 6870, 6897, 6973, 6980, 6985, 6993 

 

Moving forward seven years and  a  typical Saturday in September 1973 saw the following in and around Radyr yard

Class 08:-3258, 3420, 3422, 3748, 3756, 3760,

Class 37:- 6858, 6882, 6906, 6909, 6931, 6941, 6981, 6993, 6998

PWM651

 

Many years later, and in a different life, on quiet night turns we'd park up near Junction Terrace and catch up on some beauty sleep - in the safe knwoledge that the early morning Cl.56 hauled Aberthaw - Tower empties would wake us in time to book off and not oversleep !

.

Brian R

 

I'm fairly sure it was PWM651 Brian although the last thing I took any notice of in those days was engine numbers - except on derailment reports (we didn't manage any collisions involving locos during my time there but derailments were not uncommon, it was a good way to learn some re-railing skills when it was something you weren't supposed to do ).

 

The cinder path was known locally as 'the black ash path' and was of course the official Walking Route to much of the Down yard although I don't think hardly anybody ever used it except for one man, a Guard, who was punctilious in his use of it.  However he had a reason as it was also a cause celebre in WR industrial relations having been the source of complaints since the 1940s and having sat at Sectional Council level in the IR machinery since a date which could only be ascertained by checking through years worth of minutes, all marked 'deferred'.  With my arrival as a 'new boy' (English at that!!) it was of course revved up locally and muggins duly took it on board only to be told, rather petulantly, by Marland House 'that it's in the machinery and you can't discuss it locally other than to note any new complaints or comments'.  I reckon it probably established a record for the time it spent on the back burner before that phrase was even in common usage.  I of course had used it to get to the shed the first time I did it, with a permit, in 1962.

 

And yes PD were in the old loco by then and also - although they are barely visible in the lower pic as they are right in the background - we had a couple of roads on the Up side full of tank cars waiting assessment/decision/repair.  The task being somewhat increased after one of the Train Meeters forgot to pull a particular handpoint when the 13,.55 Margam propelled back into the yard one day and instead of going into a virtually empty road it went into one containing abut =60+ for length of assorted tank cars.  I heard an almighty crash and got to the office window in time to see a Grampus about 12 feet up in the air on its way back down to earth.  All in all quite an impressive incident and we had to rerail several vehicles ourselves (at the request of the Canton breakdown gang) before the BDVs could even arrive let alone get near the site.  the second loud noise came when, despite my warnings, they rerailed a wagon which had been off one pair of wheels but was also the one holding the buffers compressed on about another 50-60 wagons between it and the somewhat rearranged stop blocks the; the wheels came out of the dirt, all the buffers released at once, everything shot forwards, and teh jacks went flying in all directions.  Real railway work at its best and all sadly a thing of the past (not that I wish derailments on anyone of course)..

[Ian Hargrave]

I was staying in some Digs near Roath (quite near the bigroundabout) and was sat at their table trying to put together an ABS loco coal wagon. The householder asked me was it difficult. I remarked that I was having trouble working out the brake gear.  "I think we used to have a drawing of that" was the response. Turned out he was a draughtsman for Powell Duffryn. Took me round the works for a tour after work one day. Quite interesting see the disc brakes and the linkage on the Gullwing and the tankers.

Don

My late father worked for 'PD' as they were known,all his working life,from 1924 until retirement in 1968,apart from National Service from 1943 to 46,firstly at Aberaman Pipe Works and latterly as manager of Tanybryn Brickworks,Llwydcoed,which was next to the Gelli Tarw incline on the Vale of Neath line.It used to have an 'as needed' shunt into the works sidings.After the end of steam,that section remained open to sevice Tower Colliery. To save pennies before I married in 1965,he gave me a job as stoker and general dogsbody there.The last shunt I have logged was on 19/8/65 by D9528,then of 86A ( Canton ).Coal traffic was,of course,in the hands of E.E. Type 3's,then newly built and being cascaded down the valleys at a rapid rate....in BR green,of course.