South Wales industrial railways

[tomparryharry]

Isn't it funny what you look at? I saw Llantarnam Abbey, and thought "that lubricator looks wrong". Didn't even look at the smokebox door..... DOH!

 

Ian

[multiprinter]

Anyone fancy reproducing that track?(Intentionally,that is)

[welsh wizard]

Anyone got any photos of the peckett that used be at ferry road? my neighbour used to work on it and it was great to go go down and sneak a footplate ride ,i believe it was replaced by a planet loco? saw it when i cycled down the shed and found the steamer gone and a diesel in its place ! but dont know what happened to the Loco after that or the diesel for that matter always remember trying not to get the bike wheels caught in the rails that crossed the road outside the wagon repair shops ,that location would make a great layout ! merv from a sunny south wales coast....

[br2975]

Anyone got any photos of the peckett that used be at ferry road? my neighbour used to work on it and it was great to go go down and sneak a footplate ride ,i believe it was replaced by a planet loco? saw it when i cycled down the shed and found the steamer gone and a diesel in its place ! but dont know what happened to the Loco after that or the diesel for that matter always remember trying not to get the bike wheels caught in the rails that crossed the road outside the wagon repair shops ,that location would make a great layout ! merv from a sunny south wales coast....

 

 

Merv.

 

The actual title of the company was "South Wales Public Wharf & Transit Co." and the loco was a Peckett 0-4-0ST of the M5 Class, Works 1903/1936.

 

It was initially sold for preservation to a chap who lived in Peterston-super-Ely, and the loco was kept in his front garden, IIRC alongside an ex-USAC half track.

 

I think it went to the Gwili Railway (but without my IRS handbook, can't be sure) but it is now at the Chatham Historic Dockyard and has been returned to steam, making its trial run in October, 2010.

 

http://www.martynbane.co.uk/peckett/locos.htm

 

The Peckett had been replaced by a 'Planet' 4wDM FH 3890/1958 which worked the remaining line to the Victoria Wharf and bonded warehouses underneath the bridge where the 'Cogan Spur' road now links the 'Elizabethan (or Barons Court) Roundabout and the A4232 Ely Link Road........ the lines at this end were still in place circa 1996 and an LNER 6 wheeled underframe from one of their parcel vans was hidden in the undergrowth there.

 

The Planet shunter was sold to (ARC at that time ?) Machen Quarry, before passing into preservation with the Bridgend Valleys chaps.

 

The Peckett / Planet were only used on certain lines at the bottom end of Ferry Road, some of those at the 'top' end that served the Taff Wagon Works, Grangetown Gas Works and what later became Bill Way's scrapyard were shunted by BR off the Ferry Road Branch.

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I regret not having any photos of this area, those that only know it as the cardiff Bay retail park wouldn't believe the transformation in say 15 years.

 

Brian R

[tomparryharry]

Cardiff Bay??? I have to confess at getting lost in Cardiff, on my last visit. It's all changed South of Greyfriars Road/Crockherbtown...... They've even moved Ninian Park!

 

Regards,

Ian

[br2975]

As I mentioned earlier, one morning in early 1978 I found three locos in steam, and working in and around Mountain Ash; here are the three.

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Photo.1 - "Sir Gomer" was initially engaged in replacing the loco coal wagon from under the coal stage, and was playing with an almost ex-works MCV.

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Photo.2 - Once finished with his domestic duties "Sir Gomer" took a train from the sidings alongside the loco shed toward Abercwmboi, and was banked by RSH 'Austerity' 0-6-0ST "No.8". We made our way to a crossing just north of Deep Duffryn Colliery where "No.8" dropped off.

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Photo.3 - "No.8" stood around before returning light to Mountain Ash.

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Photo.4 - "Llantanam Abbey" meanwhile had collected loaded HTV hoppers delivered by BR to the exchange siding alongside what had been Mountain Ash (Oxford St.) station and was shunting them at the 'Landsale Yard'.

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Although there were four locos in steam, there were also one or two diesels also working, but which proved camera shy !

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As I mentioned above, all this steam in one place 13 years after steam ended in South Wales, and ten years after BR called it a day.

.

Brian R

[welsh wizard]

Merv.

 

The actual title of the company was "South Wales Public Wharf & Transit Co." and the loco was a Peckett 0-4-0ST of the M5 Class, Works 1903/1936.

 

It was initially sold for preservation to a chap who lived in Peterston-super-Ely, and the loco was kept in his front garden, IIRC alongside an ex-USAC half track.

 

I think it went to the Gwili Railway (but without my IRS handbook, can't be sure) but it is now at the Chatham Historic Dockyard and has been returned to steam, making its trial run in October, 2010.

 

http://www.martynban...ckett/locos.htm

http://www.flickr.co...ajv/5051168966/

 

The Peckett had been replaced by a 'Planet' 4wDM FH 3890/1958 which worked the remaining line to the Victoria Wharf and bonded warehouses underneath the bridge where the 'Cogan Spur' road now links the 'Elizabethan (or Barons Court) Roundabout and the A4232 Ely Link Road........ the lines at this end were still in place circa 1996 and an LNER 6 wheeled underframe from one of their parcel vans was hidden in the undergrowth there.

 

The Planet shunter was sold to (ARC at that time ?) Machen Quarry, before passing into preservation with the Bridgend Valleys chaps.

 

The Peckett / Planet were only used on certain lines at the bottom end of Ferry Road, some of those at the 'top' end that served the Taff Wagon Works, Grangetown Gas Works and what later became Bill Way's scrapyard were shunted by BR off the Ferry Road Branch.

.

I regret not having any photos of this area, those that only know it as the cardiff Bay retail park wouldn't believe the transformation in say 15 years.

 

Brian R

 

hello again Bri nice to see that it has survived it did work up to the top end now and then, I rode it up the wagon works (not the taff wagon one the other one with the blue gates ) and we shunted some vans at a trackside warehouse further down ferry road a bit before the hairpin bend there were warehouses on the right hand side with a track running in front of them this was the only time i saw the loco or rode it there most of the time it was shunting the esso oil depot just past the crow oil company after about four o clock it used to go down to the shed on the long curved track that led down to the wharves there was also the yellow peril as we called it that used to venture out of the gasworks now and then and not forgetting the steamers at the dowlais and the lorry engined shunter further down the road and the sad remains of east dock shed ! ,i..........Merv from a sunny south Wales coast getting all nostalgic for tizer an jubllys and a lemonade at the red house inn !

[Leon]

The Red House was great, remeber driving my grandfathers ford escort from on his knee. I was siping his bitter then not lemonade...

[br2975]

The Red House was great,

 

Once played darts for 'The Old Arcade' at 'The Red House' (or the Railway Hotel - amongst its many titles) - it had outside 'bogs' and we couldn't use them for part of the evening, because it was a high spring tide (?) and the urinal backed up and flooded the floor !!!!

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It was a travesty when it closed - imagine what a money-spinner it would be now ?

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I could tell other stories about my career and Ferry Road e.g. working mornings walking 'Strangetown' and sunbathing on the 'beach' behind the 'Red House' as the sun rose over 'the docks' - other tales are for a WAG evening, and won't be committed to print !

 

Brian R

[welsh wizard]

Once played darts for 'The Old Arcade' at 'The Red House' (or the Railway Hotel - amongst its many titles) - it had outside 'bogs' and we couldn't use them for part of the evening, because it was a high spring tide (?) and the urinal backed up and flooded the floor !!!!

.

It was a travesty when it closed - imagine what a money-spinner it would be now ?

.

I could tell other stories about my career and Ferry Road e.g. working mornings walking 'Strangetown' and sunbathing on the 'beach' behind the 'Red House' as the sun rose over 'the docks' - other tales are for a WAG evening, and won't be committed to print !

 

Brian R

 

looking forward to hearing them bri !!!!

[br2975]

Having neglected this thread for a while, I was prompted to post again after reading another thread in this section, regarding the Port of London Authority rail system.

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So, about May, 1995 I found ASW No. 372 "Bamborough" YE 2760/59 ex PLA 235 wearing the later black livery that a few of the ASW acquired before they were disposed of; shuffling about near the entrance to the former Castle Works, adjacent to where the 'EMR' scrapyard is now located.

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The loco is now preserved on the Gloucester-Warwickshire Railway.

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Brian R

[clarkea1]

Brian,

 

Glad to see some more pics appearing here - please keep them coming!!!

 

Do you have anything which shows the old Castle Works in more detail? I presume this was the original GKN works slightly to the South of the current rod mill at the bottom of East Moors Road?

 

Regards

 

Alastair

[br2975]

Do you have anything which shows the old Castle Works in more detail? I presume this was the original GKN works slightly to the South of the current rod mill at the bottom of East Moors Road?

 

Alastair,

 

Thank you.

 

Unfortunately, I have nothing of value showing the Castle Works - which is a shame, as I did two weeks work experience during my sixth form days (many many moons ago - about four years before East Moors closed) with GKN, based at the Castle Works.

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Certain things stick out in my mind, one were the vats at the south end of the works, giving off some of the most offensive odours and fumes I've encountered this side of the morning after a gallon of BrAIns SA and a Lamb Phal curry. The workers there all had little hair, what they had was wispy, thinning and white, and most had no teeth left !

.

We were watching one mill at work when they had a cobble, something to see first hand, the billet hit the roller, instead of passing between - the consequence being, the front of the red hot and very 'plastic' billet stops dead, the back end continues at around 30mph and whips everywhere.

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Guys with pinchbars and cutting gear then start to cut it into bits, standing with their legs apart as the billets continue to roll, between their legs !

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I also found out why the workers from the nail factory all SHOUTED instead of speaking normally !

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No decent photos, but a few memories.

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Brian R

[clarkea1]

Thanks Brian, very interesting.

 

Your recollections of horrible smells reminds me of a year spent working in Port Talbot prior to university. The smell of the pickle lines (where hot rolled coil was "pickled" in acid to remove the surface rust and scale prior to cold rolling) put me off salt and vinegar crisps for life!!!

 

It's sobering to look at old photos and remember what has gone (even though steel tonnages have probably remained fairly constant - if I remember correctly East Moors was less than a million tonnes (or tons?) per annum). About all that's left of East Moors now is the offices!

 

So was there a nail factory on that site prior to the Tremorfa one which is where the new Melt Shop is? Was there a wire factory there too (I know there was Somerset Wire at the Tremorfa Site but the Dowlais to Tremorfa book also mentions Castle Wire (or Cardiff Wire?) Sorry for all the questions!!!

 

Regards

 

Alastair

[Steadfast]

Last week I managed to get over to Cardiff - their latest arrival was a far cry from 'Bamborough'

Ex works and very shiny, 08401 had arrived overnight, as we were passing Newport on the M4 we saw the black one heading away on the back of a low loader.

Thanks go to Brian R for his help last year in 'genning up' on the location, despite not seeing anything at that time, the info was dead useful last week

cheers

 

jo

[br2975]

It's sobering to look at old photos and remember what has gone (even though steel tonnages have probably remained fairly constant - if I remember correctly East Moors was less than a million tonnes (or tons?) per annum). About all that's left of East Moors now is the offices!

 

So was there a nail factory on that site prior to the Tremorfa one which is where the new Melt Shop is? Was there a wire factory there too (I know there was Somerset Wire at the Tremorfa Site but the Dowlais to Tremorfa book also mentions Castle Wire (or Cardiff Wire?) Sorry for all the questions!!!

 

Alastair

 

The 'nail factory' we visited was on the Tremorfa site, underneath the new Celsa melt shop, alongside what was called 'the prairie'.

 

GKN ran an old and battered (IIRC) Thames mini-bus between the various sites, known to all as the 'tilly' - the ride, over many uneven road surfaces and level crossings is best left to the imagination - although rumour has it 'Oakwood' have experimented with a similar ride, but the punters were too frightened !

 

There was a wire works at the Castle Works, I can recall the LC and later WC wagons loitering there at one time, on part of what became NEG (Nippon Electrical Glass) for a while in the 90s/00s.

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For my first day on work experience I walked from Cardiff Central bus station, along Tyndall St where behind a wall lurked Tubal Cain Foundry, next door to what was formerly the Bute/Cardiff Railway loco works, then there was the LNWR warehouse (now a hotel) which at one time was shunted by an LNWR loco outstaioned at the Rhymney Railway shed. Then came another warehouse, now converted to offices, which was on the north-east corner of the East Dock and was surrounded by Cardiff trolley busses awaiting scrapping.

 

To the left, about this time, I snapped a trio of Landore & Margam shunters, with an 'Enparts' wagon, staged in Tyndall Fields/Long Dyke sidings.

 

I then crossed Tyndall St. level crossing then walked down East Moors Road where on the right would have been the former Cambrian Wagon Works, then the (Wagon Repairs Ltd which was using the Planet shown previously to shunt 16tonners under repair. The entrance to the GKN Castle Works was opposite this wagon works, facing a wall that proclaimed 'No bicycles to be left against this wall' and underneath were dozens of push bikes.

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As I walked here I too was probably thinking to myself "it's only eight years since there was steam over there, at Cardiff East Dock shed".

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I was back again five years later, carrying out a survey for a relieving sewer under Tyndall St. and found the Tyndall St. Crossing Signal Box abandoned, empty and with it's nameboard still in place . . . . . it was gone the next morning, someone beat me to it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Brian R

 

PS

 

'Jo' - I think my mate Keith was driving '401' when you snapped it on the Celsa scrap turn.

[BlackRat]

Bri, only just found this thread! Talk about trip down memory lane!

 

Mountain Ash, fantastic, Johnny Ratcliffe used to take me and his lad there now and then, superb. Wonder where they are now?

 

Do you remember the loco that was in Splott PArk? We used to call her 'Jessie', I think it was an austerity but I was only about 6 so cant recall what exactly it was!

 

Great memories of East Moors, GKN etc to.

 

When I was working in the lab at Currans, I used to slope off and have a look around the lines etc and of course loved going round the docks.

 

If I remeber correctly, Currans itself had lines inside the factory so I guess at some point there must have been a loco (or fleet) or perhaps they used the Taff Vale or later the GWR.

 

The railways of Cardiff and South Wales are probably the most facinating in the world.

 

I even lived in an old T.V.R. house and Mam still does!

 

Thanks Bri, top banana and say hi to Gunners to!

[clarkea1]

Brian,

 

Many thanks for those memories. Have you seen the Cardiff Story exhibition in the Old Library on the Hayes? Not particularly in depth (the temporary exhibition about Cardiff Docks a few years back was much better) but there's a few interesting items there, including some of the "last cast" and "last billet" ceremonial items from East Moors. Work a look if you're in town.

 

Blackrat,

 

Jessie wasn't an austerity, but an earlier Hunslet 0-6-0 design, so you weren't far off!!! There's some more info here:

 

http://www.llangollen-railway.org.uk/slocojesse.html

 

Currans certainly had railways at one point - if you turn right in front of the Black Horse insurance building at the top of Dumballs road then further down that road towards the Currans buildings you can still see inlaid tracks crossing the road!

 

Alastair

[clarkea1]

And while we're on the subject, I've never seen a photo of this before!!!

[Etched Pixels]

The loco looks remarkably similar to the Hafod copperworks Garratt - wonder where it ended up in later life or if it's another to very similar design ?

[Adam]

The loco looks remarkably similar to the Hafod copperworks Garratt - wonder where it ended up in later life or if it's another to very similar design ?

 

That was a different machine - named Vivian (which I think is the name of the works?) or something like that - that in the link worked for GKN at East Moors. A very diverse fleet of machines that. Beyer Peacock built four of these industrial Garratts: the preserved William Francis of Baddesley Colliery in Staffs. being the best known, the two examples from south Wales and another in Staffs.

 

Adam

[Kelly]

Next we look at Machen Quarry, part of the Hanson empire and situated at the end of a branch from Park Jct. which is on the Newport / Ebbw Jct - Ebbw Vale line.

 

In recent years the quarry lost a Network Rail ballast contract, and rail movements have decreased.

 

 

 

 

That first photo makes the class 60 look like it is running sans tracks!

 

Kelly

 

 

[philip-griffiths]

Great Photos, many thanks for bringing back some memories. I grew up in Pontllanfraith. My initial railway memories are of steam exhaust from the locos travelling up and down to Tredegar. This was in the late 60s. The line was removed with diesels, and I'm told that diesels worked the coal trains from Pochin and Wyllie until closure, so the steam I used to see must have been from locos transferring between collieries. Another steam joy was when travelling to see the family out at Usk, and spotting the locos at Hafodyrynys.

 

BTW back a page or so ago there were pictures of some minerals. Are these the ones that I saw at St. Fagans a few years ago?

 

regards from an exile.

[Fat Controller]

That was a different machine - named Vivian (which I think is the name of the works?) or something like that - that in the link worked for GKN at East Moors. A very diverse fleet of machines that. Beyer Peacock built four of these industrial Garratts: the preserved William Francis of Baddesley Colliery in Staffs. being the best known, the two examples from south Wales and another in Staffs.

 

Adam

'Vivian' was the family that owned the Hafod works, I believe- the name can still be found in Swansea's art gallery, the Glynn Vivian.

[br2975]

'Vivian' was the family that owned the Hafod works, I believe- the name can still be found in Swansea's art gallery, the Glynn Vivian.

 

Wow Brian, that's two patrons of the arts from Swansea, Glynn Vivian and Mdme Adelina Patti (well Craig-y-nos), they don't know themselves.

 

Brian