Aberthaw and Rhoose: Lime, Cement and the Railway

[corneliuslundie]

Aberthaw and Rhoose: Lime, Cement and the Railway

 

 

New book by Brian P Mills

The area between Penarth and Aberthaw has excellent limestone and as a result there have been quarries in the area for over two centuries. This led to the creation of major Cement Works at Rhoose and Aberthaw. The second half of the 20th century saw Aberthaw chosen as the site for two power stations, now both closed. These industries all relied heavily on the local railway network. The author worked locally in the industry for many years and gained an intimate knowledge of its operations. In addition he has taken close interest in the railways of the area: the Taff Vale Railway branch from Bridgend ot Aberthaw and the Vale of Glamorgan line.

In this book Brian brings together these aspects and explores the histories of the various quarries, the lime and cement production at the various site, the power stations – including those operated by the cement works, and the associated railway systems.

The local industries made extensive use of railways both narrow and standard gauge and the book describes these internal operations, with listings of the locomotives known to have been used. The main line railway system was extensively used for delivery of cement, and many of the major contracts are recorded. Coal delivery to the cement works and the power stations is also covered, from 16 ton mineral wagons to modern bogie vehicles.

Also recorded are the many changes to the railway infrastructure over the years.

All these aspects of the history of the area are extensivelty illustrated, mostly in colour.

Publication of this book has been assisted through sponsorship by Ty-Mawr Lime of Brecon.

 

ISBN: 978-1-7396139-1-4

Format: A4 softback, 104pp, colour throughout

Price: £26.95 plus £3.00 postage & packing

 

Available shortly to purchase from the WRRC website www.wrrc.org.uk

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks for the tip, the WRRC usually do excellent books!

 

[Philou]

I remember the cement works (just) and the power stations. Double-headed MGRs served the power station (Aberthaw B) IIRC.

[corneliuslundie]

No double headed trains illustrated in the book but a mention of one with a Colas class 70 (but only the rear of the train illustrated).

Also a photo of a Freightliner class class 60 on bogie coal hoppers.

Jonathan

[Captain Kernow]

I particularly remember a trip with double-headed Class 37s from Penallta Colliery (I think) to Aberthaw, when doing my graduate management training course with BR in the early 1980s. That was a most interesting and memorable trip!

 

[Philou]

I've permitted myself to show on a map the route taken by Captain Kernow to Aberthaw and showing the juxtaposition of the Penarth lime works to the power station - if it can be of use to anyone.

 

It's in a .pdf format so it should open readily.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

Captain Kernow's Route.pdf

[Rivercider]

3 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

I particularly remember a trip with double-headed Class 37s from Penallta Colliery (I think) to Aberthaw, when doing my graduate management training course with BR in the early 1980s. That was a most interesting and memorable trip!

 

Yes, during my time in Freight Train Planning in WR HQ Swindon 1985-86 I remember Penallta was one of the forwarding points for coal to Aberthaw, I wish I had retained even just one weekly freight train notice from those days.

 

cheers

[The Stationmaster]

13 hours ago, Philou said:

I've permitted myself to show on a map the route taken by Captain Kernow to Aberthaw and showing the juxtaposition of the Penarth lime works to the power station - if it can be of use to anyone.

 

It's in a .pdf format so it should open readily.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

Captain Kernow's Route.pdf 279.9 kB · 6 downloads

I don't know if had changed by then but normally everything from Penallta would go via the Big Hill and Radyr to avoid Queen Street and the General.  But if it was mgr wagons going the other way would be a much less hair-raising (due to the poor brakes on mgr wagons - not much good on steep inclines).

 

An awful lot of the coal going to Aberthaw at one stage was recovered from tips.  So very handily small coal which had been thrown away back in the day and with a little bit of muck in it which helped reduce the calorific value.  There was a huge tip near Eirw Branch Jcn in the Rhondda which was cleared by Ryans and it took some years to get it all to Aberthaw at the rate of one or two trains a day.

[Captain Kernow]

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I don't know if had changed by then but normally everything from Penallta would go via the Big Hill and Radyr to avoid Queen Street and the General.  But if it was mgr wagons going the other way would be a much less hair-raising (due to the poor brakes on mgr wagons - not much good on steep inclines).

 

An awful lot of the coal going to Aberthaw at one stage was recovered from tips.  So very handily small coal which had been thrown away back in the day and with a little bit of muck in it which helped reduce the calorific value.  There was a huge tip near Eirw Branch Jcn in the Rhondda which was cleared by Ryans and it took some years to get it all to Aberthaw at the rate of one or two trains a day.

At this stage, I'm not too sure of the route, but I know we did go through Cardiff General station (it was over 40 years ago!!).

 

I know we went through Cardiff General, because I had to hand control of the train (worked by two Class 37s in multiple) back to the booked driver, in case 'someone in authority' saw me at the controls... At this remove from the event, I think I can safely divulge what happened!

 

I was what was called a 'Traffic Management Trainee' at the time, doing an 18 month course introducing me to all aspects of BR operations on the Western Region. I was based in the Bristol Division, but because there was relatively little freight in Bristol (certainly as compared with South Wales), it was decided that the two Bristol trainees should go to South Wales to 'learn about freight operations' (this was one of the most interesting parts of the course).

 

I was staying with a fellow Cardiff-based trainee in the northern Cardiff suburbs and I had started the day at Radyr Depot, where I was introduced to the driver and guard. I then sat in the secondman's seat as we ran up to Penallta, light locos, with the guard in the back cab of the rear loco.

 

At Penallta we attached to a train of loaded MGR wagons and a brake test was done. Just before we departed back down the valley, another driver climbed into the cab, asking for 'a ride home'. He was a friend & colleague of the actual driver, so of course he came with us. I then stood behind the two seats and we set off.

 

We regained the main line (off the colliery branch) and ran back down the valley, the two drivers chatting away about the topics of the day.

 

After a fairly short while, the driver stopped the train in the middle of the block section. The line was on an embankment, with a row of terraced houses backing onto the line on the left. The driver on his way home then said 'cheerio', exited the cab via the door on the left-hand side running, scrambled down the bank and went into his garden via a gate in his back fence!

 

Once he'd left the cab, the driver said to me, 'your turn now', indicating towards the controls. Hardly believing my luck, I got into his seat as he talked me through what to do. Obviously he watched me (and the line ahead) very closely but the gist was that I got to drive the train right through to Aberthaw, with the exception of  the section of line through Cardiff itself.

 

Once we'd berthed the train at Aberthaw, I was allowed to drive the light engines back to Radyr!

 

A very memorable and pleasurable experience and one that I didn't expect!

 

[Philou]

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

but normally everything from Penallta would go via the Big Hill and Radyr to avoid Queen Street and the General

 

However, if I have understood it then, IF the MGRs came down via Walnut Tree junction (Taff's Well) and Radyr, the only way to avoid Queen Street and the General (Central) would be along what is now the City Line (Fairwater Branch) and the Penarth curve? The other route then would be direct via Queen Street, that seemingly @Captain Kernow must have used if he went through Cardiff General.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[The Stationmaster]

17 hours ago, Philou said:

 

However, if I have understood it then, IF the MGRs came down via Walnut Tree junction (Taff's Well) and Radyr, the only way to avoid Queen Street and the General (Central) would be along what is now the City Line (Fairwater Branch) and the Penarth curve? The other route then would be direct via Queen Street, that seemingly @Captain Kernow must have used if he went through Cardiff General.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

Yes Phil.  However there was a big problem with mgr wagons on the Big Hill because they had useless handbrakes and relying on the auto brake cioming down there wasn't much of a happy picnic either.  There was an mgr runaway there which happened when I was away on leave and the job was 'squared up' by the Signalmen and driver so no official report was made.  It was a runaway waiting to happen - mgr wagons with a Class 47 on the front, the ultimate combination of pxxx poor stopping power on the Valleys.  After it came off the bottom of the Big Hill it ran away for very nearly 2.5 miles before coming to a stand .  I only found out about it more than fortnight after it had happened when I found a strange entry in a Train Register Book (but it had been signed well before I looked at it) and then learnt the whole story.   And best to let it lie but someone apparently heard something - probably from the Driver - and mgrs were later banned from the Big Hill, fortunately.

 

So - mgr trains were sent via Queen St and the General.  Plus by the late 1970s the rundown of the Big Hill was underway and it was eventually closed as it was too expensive to operate.

[corneliuslundie]

And by no means the first run-away on the "Big Hill". An issue from the start, and with hand braked wagons and steam locos a big problem if the guard didn't get the right number of wagon brakes pinned down. I am sure I have seen a report of a train all piled up at the sand drag.

And from the Colin Chapman RR papers:

20 August 1867

"Walnut Tree Junction"

Read letter from Mr Lundie to the Secretary of the 24th ult and Mr Horrace Lloyd's opinion of the 22nd ult

"Resolved that a copy of Mr Horrace Lloyd's opinion be sent to the Taff Vale Railway; and they they be informed that this Company have ordered additional precautions to be taken with the breaks on descending trains, and that they will dismiss the driver and guard of any train overrunning the junction in future. . . . "

Jonathan

[Captain Kernow]

I did have another cab ride (not driving this time!) during that week at Radyr, over the Big Hill.

 

Many years later, when looking at archive photos of Penrhos Jct in books, I was amazed to find that all that infrastructure once existed at the top!