Fat Controller Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 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 Not to mention the bloke who did the murals in the Guildhall (Frank Brangwyn)- shame they'd specified white distemper.. Mum was at Craig-y-Nos when it was a sanitorium- said it was like being buried alive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 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. Neil, Currans used several locos over the years, their final loco was, amazingly enough "Edward Curran" a JF 0-4-0DM 4000012/47 which they owned from new. . For those who didn't know, Curran's were served by the GWR Riverside Branch from Cardiff General - Clarence Road, and the works occupied much of the land west of the branch, and east of the River Taff, on what was then known locally as 'Rat Island' (NOT - 'Tiger Bay' !) . Clarence Road station closed from 16th March, 1964, when the branch passenger service was withdrawn. However, Clarence Road S.B. remained open until June, 1965. The branch was severed at a point 58 chains south of Cardiff General, and almost at the point where the former Glamorgan Canal Railway connection was located, from 13th. March, 1967. . The remainder of the Riverside Branch closed from 8th. July, 1968 and that spelled the end for Curran's internal network also, with "Edward Curran" going to John Cashmore for scrap about 18mths later. . Currans saw a boost in output during World War II when they switched to the war effort; and over the years hired in locos from A.R.Adams of Newport. . The southern end of the works is now an apartment development called "Century Wharf" (you can put a pink ribbon on a pig, but . . . . .). . The top end toward Cardiff Central station still has the odd section of railway line visible. . I was too young to remember Curren's system, but did visit the Glamorgan Canal Railway on the opposite side of Dumballs Road with my dad, just before it closed in 1963 - the line was by then owned by Cardiff Corporation, for whom my dad worked nearby at Trade St. and the driver was a neighbour of ours. I acquired some slides of the Riverside Branch and GCR, but the source is not known. Unfortunately they don't show the Cardiff Corporation loco, a Greenwood & Batley 4wBE 2002/45 which was scrapped by Western Metals of Ferry Rd in 1965. . The pictures attached show the Riverside Branch in the early 60s and No.1 is taken looking north toward Cardiff General and shows Clarence Road S.B. with Currans works occupying all the land to the left of the line. I believe the corrugated building with brickwork dwarf walls was Curran's engine shed. No.2 is taken from the same place, looking south and shows Clarence Road station, with Curran's behind it to the right. The land to the extreme left is now occupied by the spanking new Cardiff Bay Police Station. The Avondale Hotel is the building with the ornate tower, behind the station, and is located on James St. No.3 is looking south and shows the connection to the Glam. Canal Rlwy. going off to the left. The left hand building is Lloyd's Bute Proving House, and the photographer was leaning over the level crossing gate that protected the siding into the prroving house. It had to be reinstated when the canal railway closed as it had fallen into disuse, the proving house having been served from the other side, alongside the Glamorganshire Canal as well. The buildings behind the signal were originally owned by shipping companies, as the far sides opened onto the canal railway and the canal itself. The nearest, later known as 'Allbodies' was rented by Cardiff Corporation and held the scenery used as backdrops in the battle renactments at the Cardiff Searchlight Tattoo - I know that, because my dad made them, on frameworks of scaffolding, and with hessian stretched over wooden frames, sized and then painted to represent either the mission at Rorke's Drift, or the farm buildings at Waterloo - and all would then be mounted on army Bedford trucks which drove on and off the Cardiff Castle green during the tattoo, and the folding scenery opened out. Again Curran's are to the right of the Riverside Branch. No.4 is taken a little further south from No.3 and is about the point where the branch was severed in 1967. James Arnott was an oil distributor, who moved to Cardiff Docks about this time. Again, Curran's works it to the right (or west) of the branch.A pair of open wagons on the Glam. Canal Rlwy are just visible to the extreme left. . The road seen in these pictures is Dumballs Road, which still follows the same course. Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh wizard Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 My old man was a driver out of trade street ,thats how i ended up doing an apprenticeship at clare road workshops ! small world ,i think one of the walls to clarence street station is still there or is my memory playing tricks ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 My old man was a driver out of trade street ,thats how i ended up doing an apprenticeship at clare road workshops ! small world ,i think one of the walls to clarence street station is still there or is my memory playing tricks ? Merv Was Billy your father ? If so, he was there when both my old man and I were at Trade St. the other two drivers at the time were Johnny Brown and Selwyn Light. Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 I believe, that with the closure of Powell Duffryn's Cardiff operations (Maindy and Radyr) in December 1992, only Allied Steel & Wire maintained an 'industrial' internal railway system; and operation of the ASW system was contracted out to 'Transrail' in 1995, and a year or two later to EWS using 'network registerd' Cl.08 locos - so, are they really industrial per se ? . The photo shows, what I suspect may have been the last operating 'industrial' railway system in the city of Cardiff, on the premises of Messrs Beale & Sons, Anchor & Chain manufacturers, Dumballs Road. . Don't bother looking for them now, they went, in the early years of this millenium, but the yard is still there (I think). . They had a few yards of track set in concrete, about 3 switches and a travelling crane - formerly part of the Glamorganshire Canal Railway system. . To get your bearings, the office block in the right hand background is Southgate House, at the bottom of Westgate St. Alas, more manufacturing industry consigned to history. . Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh wizard Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Merv Was Billy your father ? If so, he was there when both my old man and I were at Trade St. the other two drivers at the time were Johnny Brown and Selwyn Light. Brian Yes Brian Billy Trigg I remember Jonny Brown and was Selwyn the Low loader driver? and the gaffer was Russ forget his last name he used to take me fishing !...small world eh ! we will have to have a chat at the next WAG meeting ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 Yes Brian Billy Trigg I remember Jonny Brown and was Selwyn the Low loader driver? and the gaffer was Russ forget his last name he used to take me fishing !...small world eh ! we will have to have a chat at the next WAG meeting ! Your dad had the wagon with the longest bed, Selwyn & Johnny had tippers. The gaffer was Russ Talbot, a Canton boy. Always said I learned more in my first week at Trade St than I did in school. I'll keep you posted on the next WAG meet up. Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh wizard Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Your dad had the wagon with the longest bed, Selwyn & Johnny had tippers. The gaffer was Russ Talbot, a Canton boy. Always said I learned more in my first week at Trade St than I did in school. I'll keep you posted on the next WAG meet up. Brian Yes you must have been there when I was at Clare road ! the old man always made sure it was me that serviced his wagon ! he would then tell me all the faults I missed him and George strawbridge used to set me up rotten I finished in 1975 and moved to Birmingham and started work at Tyseley MPD but that's a story for a WAG meet ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 George strawbridge used to set me up rotten George, who couldn't see hand in front of him, and when riding his bike, his shadow would stop every so far to let him catch up - really nice guy. I think we'll need to continue this, over a beer ! Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 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!!! In (a belated) response to Alastairs previous post. . . . . . . No.1 - shows ASW No.390 shunting at Tremorfa during the early 1990s. Behind the loco is the 'nail works' and the loco is in a position that would now be on the lead into the 'new melt shop' scrap bay. The wagon, BM520, is a conversion of one of the former chemical tanks. Behind the photographer (me) is Rover Way. . No.2 - shows the 'bottom end' of the Castle Works, and in order to get your bearings ..... out of shot to the extreme left is now the EMR scrap yard on the north arm of the Roath Dock. In the distance can be seen mounds of coal in the Ryan blending site, which later moved to the south side of the Roath Dock. Behind the coal can just be made out the roof of the former GWR dock engineering buildings, and behind them can be seen the Pier Head building. The rail entrance to the wire works is on the far right of the building, one of the LC or LLC bogie coil carriers can just be made out by its' black and yellow stripes. The extreme left hand road, curves to the right in the distance to access the Cardiff Rod Mill, which is hidden behind the wire works in this shot. This line is still in use, at least 8 trains each way per day, seven days per week.. Again, this is an early 90s shot. When the wire works closed, the one siding was used to store two Cl.50 locos . . . . . . . . Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Brian, I followed your thread on the old forum and since stumbling upon this section of the forum have followed this and find it absolutely fascinating, full of inspiration. Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Despite having been closed since the mid-60s, the Abercynon - Aberdare branch continued to see infrequent passenger services, from the Mystery Excursions of the 70s, through Rugexes and Christmas Shopping trains down to Cardiff (and beyond). . In 1985, and in order to test the waters before reintroducing a full passenger service, BR(WR) used a brace of London area Cl.117/118 units to run Saturday shoppers specials to and from Aberdare. . This shot was taken from one such trip, up to Aberdare (I didn't stay, came back on the same unit) and shows 08787 on hire to NSF Abercwmboi Phurnacite Plant - when one looks at the state of the Barclay shunter, the reason for hiring a Canton shunter is all to apparent. . For those who never saw it, the 'Phurnie' was the inspiration for "Dante's Inferno" and spewed out every fume and (alleged) toxin known to man, in order to produce a smokeless fuel. . 08787 is alive and well and still in Wales, but now masquerades as 08296 at Machen Quarry. . Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Bri, this really is top stuff and so many memories! Currans, what a place to work, the lab still had ALL the munitions stuff from the war (the first in some cases) and I spent most of my time messing about making such things as cordite! it worked to, amongst other experimental chemisrty! Have the anti terrorist cops after me now! I think the shed housed a foundry when I was there but may have this wrong, there were certainly lines running into the foundry area and again in the pickle plant. I recall the whole place being huge, taken a good hour to cover the main plant which was part of my duty doing the chemical quality checks etc. I used to scoot around the docks as often as poss on my trustee steed (shanks pony or my TS185) and never had a prob visiting, it all seemed to be open access. IF only I took my camera! Drinking in the New Sea Lock or the White Heart (LISA!!) and bumping into my grandad Fred Oaten who I only saw a few times in my life. Be good to meet up when next in Kaerdiff and catch up on this industrial history! Did excelsior ropes have its own connection? Any pics of Llandaff for Whitchurch or the yard near our place? Top thread! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I used to scoot around the docks as often as poss on my trustee steed (shanks pony or my TS185) and never had a prob visiting, it all seemed to be open access. Top thread! Having worked in Cardiff for 6 months in 1970 and never realised the docks were there and so open (and bypassed the town centre!) I didn't visit until the later 1970s. At first I was very cautious (and Dave Larkin actually got stopped by the docks police) but then realised that photographic permits were easily available ... and never had to show one. Thats life. A remarkable place in the 1980s when the Easter holidays had weather similar to what we are enjoying now. Rain; in South Wales.. when? I agree, so many memories. But I still cannot believe anywhere was called Splott! What was the name of the round disco bar in the centre of town? Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh wizard Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 There was a pub called the panorama is that the one you are thinking about ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 At first I was very cautious (and Dave Larkin actually got stopped by the docks police) but then realised that photographic permits were easily available ... I knew they existed, but never had the pleasure ! However, when I joined South Wales Police in the late 70s – our BTP colleagues were quick to point out they covered certain parts of the city (the docks, Ferry Rd. etc) where ‘allegedly’ we had no powers . . . . . . our response was always – “no problem, over to you then†But I still cannot believe anywhere was called Splott! Many people still think the name ‘Splott’ was invented by Terry Wogan and Lynne Bowles. What was the name of the round disco bar in the centre of town? You’ve got me there, in the early 70s I can only remember (a) the Top Rank, Queen St. (B) Tito’s, Greyfriars Rd. © Bumpers, Castle Arcade (d) The New Moon, Mill Lane. There was a pub called the panorama is that the one you are thinking about ? Amazingly enough, still there, but now rejoicing under the name “Trader’s Tavern’ Drinking in the New Sea Lock or the White Heart (LISA!!) and bumping into my grandad Fred Oaten who I only saw a few times in my life. When our club was based in Bute Road station building, along with the then Butetown railway chaps, we’d withdraw to the New Sea Lock at the end of the evening. Rita was the landlady in those days. As for ‘big’ Lisa – a Butetown legend, to those of a certain age ! She would regale us with stories of her being an African tribal princess, but would avoid the awkward question(s) about how she came to be ‘working’ in Cardiff docks. Allegedly, when she passed away, the undertakers experienced great difficulty getting her body out of the flat, and was apparently taken out through a window. Did excelsior ropes have its own connection? Yes, well sort of, I think it originally served the patent fuel works next door as well; it’s now underneath (i) MacDonalds and Llys Talybont student accommodation. Any pics of Llandaff for Whitchurch or the yard near our place? Several shots of Llandaff for Whitchurch in the 70s, mainly of the ‘box and signals – I was on the Whitchurch car the night they switched the ‘box out for good. Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 During the mid-90s someone floated the idea of teaching youngsters mecahnical skills by allowing them to work on 'old' railway locos. . For the project, two Cl.50s were secured, 50029 & 50030. . Imagine my surprise one day, to find them standing alongside the former ASW Castle Wire works in Cardiff Docks - where they languished for some considerable time. . Here they are circa 1995. Brian PS Some years later, around 2001-2002, several EWS locos, mainly Cl.37s were stored alongside the ASW Cardiff Rod Mill, due to the 'pro-rail' management of the company. The locos were eventually removed (post Aug. 2002) after ASW 'went to the wall' in July, 2002. (pics for another day ?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiprinter Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 During the mid-90s someone floated the idea of teaching youngsters mecahnical skills by allowing them to work on 'old' railway locos. They were taught how to board up windows were they? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tomparryharry Posted April 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 20, 2011 Those bl**dy diesels ended up at Blaenavon. What a nightmare.... Pleased to see that the boys at Peak Rail are getting on with them. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 They were taught how to board up windows were they? Was that 'Operation Collingwood'? I seem to recall a lot of stock being stabled at Thingley Junction, near Chippenham. It was yet another scheme that Rail seemed to plug every issue, and which came to naught- 'Travelling College',anyone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Was that 'Operation Collingwood'? Yes Brian - I just couldn't remember which Cl.50 the 'op' was named after. 'Travelling College',anyone? Now, that could form a thread on its' own, and you're right, Rail (or was it still Rail Enthusiast)seemed to survive on this project - "back in the day" when the magazine was a decent read, and not an industry 'house' rag (or downmarket Modern Railways). Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Bri, enjoyed quite a few lock ins in The New Sea Lock, Rita putting records on her palyer and us all singing away, a certain Mr Rance singing loudest of all! The first time Lisa 'shows me' in the White Heart I was 17 and a member of Cardiff 4mm group. A new experience for me, eagerly lapped up, and it was like Graham Tierney said, It looks like a zeplin with a chocolate digestive stuck on the end! Mike Bird and Dennis Simmonds didnt even spill their pint! Mind you Dennis was 'careful' lol Great times and top modellers who I managed to learn a lot from. Hope the Cardiff club scene is just as good! And I think the club named was Bumpers, not as good as the pepper pot mind but I could never get in there, even when wearing my John Colliers 3 piece nylon powder blue £39.99 suit! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkea1 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 In (a belated) response to Alastairs previous post. . . . . . Brian, I've been away so have only just seen this, but many thanks. That's certainly cleared a few things up - I can now envisage where things were much more clearly! Regards Alastair Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I agree, so many memories. But I still cannot believe anywhere was called Splott! It's not - its called Y Sblot, it just got misanglicised. The joke has it that it's pronounced 'splow' these days anyhow. Not that a change of name worked for Windscale either... Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 The joke has it that it's pronounced 'splow' these days anyhow. Not that a change of name worked for Windscale either... Today I spotted a sign at the junction of John St. / Bute St / Herbert St / Callaghan Sq. Cardiff . "Splott Sunday Market. East Moors Road Every Thursday, Friday & Saturday" . Says it all really. Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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