South Wales industrial railways

[travelintrev]

I have enjoyed reading through this topic. From the mid 70's I worked for a diesel engine distributor and spent lots of time working at BSC (Llanwern & Port Talbot) AS&W, as well as various other BSC & NCB sites around South Wales. Mainly on Sentinal /Thomas Hill Locos. The strangest Machines were part of the mines rescue kit. From memory these where built on a Thornycroft lorry Chassis, but were also fitted with rail wheels (bit like the LMS Ro-Railer) and where fitted with Standard railway drawgear, Generator (working a a wierd voltage IIRC) winch, and other rescue gear.

 

The following photos are all I seem to have from those times taken around 1976, and I think at or near Mountain Ash.

[br2975]

Nice ones Trev.

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All three photos are taken at Mountain Ash, apparently from Cardiff Road, looking across at the backs of the shops in Oxford St. etc.

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The loco is "Sir Gomer".

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Thanks.

 

Brian R

[br2975]

During the spring of 2005 I found the following locos apparently marooned in the undergrowth near the 'country' end of the Gwili Railway.

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The first two photos show RH 88DS 394014/56 which arrived at the premises of Metal Box, Neath in 1978 (luckily after Max Boyce had left there !)from Ocker Hill Power Station, Wednesbury. It entered preservation with the vale of Neath RPS at Aberdulais, in 1985 before moving to the Gwili Railway in 1994.

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Secondly we have 'Trecatty' RH 0-6-0DM 421702/59 which had been employed at Cwmbargoed opencast site by Taylor Woodrow until preservation beckoned in 1986.

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Finally we have Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0DM D1246/1961 formerly "No.3" at the BSC Ifor Works, Dowlais (see an early photo on this thread). This loco had initially passed into preservation with the Taff Vale RPS, moving to the Vale of Neath RPS and in turn moved to the Gwili in 1994.

 

Brian R

[clarkea1]

Brian,

 

I'm hoping you may have some suitable photos if you have time to post them..... I'm wanting to model some of the Blackadder scrap wagons which were taken into ASW internal use? I was wondering if you had any photos of them in internal use?

 

Many thanks

 

Alastair

[hmrspaul]

Brian,

 

I'm hoping you may have some suitable photos if you have time to post them..... I'm wanting to model some of the Blackadder scrap wagons which were taken into ASW internal use? I was wondering if you had any photos of them in internal use?

 

Many thanks

 

Alastair

There are a lot of Black Adders here http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/blackadder including some in the works - but I don't believe they were in internal use at that time.

 

Paul Bartlett

[br2975]

Allied Steel & Wire (ASW) acquired some thirty-odd POA 'Blackadder' wagons for internal use when the larger capacity JNA bogie wagons came into service and displaced the POA fleet; the POA wagons acquired by ASW had initially been hired to them by Powell Duffryn.

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ASW applied the prefix 'KW' to these wagons, standing for "Korky's Wagons" ("Korky the cat" being one of the ASW employees nicknames) and they were for internal movements of scrap, from Allied Bird Fragmentisers which was on the site of the now Sims scrapyard the other side of Rover Way from the Tremorfa melt-shop to the scrap bay alongside the furnace building.

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Several were cut down in height and used for scrap traffic from the Cardiff Rod Mill to the scrap bay at Tremorfa; on conversion they were renumbered from the "KW" series and received a "RM" (Rod Mill) prefix.

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The RM wagons were allegedly of a similar height to the windows of a Cl.08 and when loaded presented a safety hazard to other employees and the conversions were halted.

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One other "KW" was loaded with scrap, bringing the weight to exactly 56tonnes and given a sheet metal 'lid'.

The wagon was then renumbered TW1 - the "TW" prefix identifying it as a 'test weight' wagon, for calibrating the weighbridges.

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Apparently, ASW also purchased a handful of other RLS/TIPH POA boxes immediately before their liquidtion in 2002. The wagons were allocated the prefix "PO" but never entered service, standing lifeless in Tidal Sidings for s few years before disappearing.

 

Most of the photos below were taken on 22nd. August, 2002 when I toured the two works with Hywel Thomas (Morfa Bank) about a month after ASW went into receivership and the outstanding orders were being met.

 

If anyone requires the complete fleet list for these wagons, giving their ASW number, former PDUF number and the date the entered ASW service (or were converted) I have these details; together with a list of most other ASW internal users and their dates of introduction, conversion, bogie and buffer details !

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I hope this helps ?

 

Brian R

[clarkea1]

Excellent Brian - they're exactly what I was after! I have a 51L / Wizard Models resin kit on my workbench which will be ideal for the wagon in the last shot.

 

Will post a pic or two once it's built

 

Regards

 

Alastair

[br2975]

Alastair,

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I still have two un-made somewhere at the back of my workbench.

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I was disappointed with the ASW transfers that 51L provided, as the 'coil' logo was out of register.

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My notes on these wagons show:-

 

PO SERIES

 

PO1 ex TIPH4578

PO2 ex TIPH5215

PO3 ex TIPH5219

PO4 ex TIPH5214

 

All four sighted 26/11/06 in the ASW Loop, Splott Jct. with their former TIPH numbers painted out, and yet to receive any Celsa internal numbers. All still at Tidal on the following dates 05/02/07, 08/02/07. Ultimate fate unknown.

 

Brian R

[br2975]

Back, after a break of almost two months.

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Now, where were we ?.

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Yes, Carmarthen Bay Power Station was located about a mile east of Burry Port and connected to the main line.

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The station ceased to produce electricity in about 1984, and the two Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DM locos were preserved during 1985.

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No.2 AB393/54 remained local, moving to the Kidwelly Industrial Museum, whereas No.1 moved to Norchard on the Dean Forest Railway where I snapped it about five years later

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Brian R

[Guest oldlugger]

Hello br2975,

 

I just wanted to say what a great thread this is and most interesting. There are some inspiring photos for someone like me who is very interested in the UK industrial railway scene; I'm currently building an industrial feeder line from an electricity generating board, on my P4 layout.

 

Cheers

Simon

[Fat Controller]

Back, after a break of almost two months.

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Now, where were we ?.

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Yes, Carmarthen Bay Power Station was located about a mile east of Burry Port and connected to the main line.

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The station ceased to produce electricity in about 1984, and the two Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DM locos were preserved during 1985.

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No.2 AB393/54 remained local, moving to the Kidwelly Industrial Museum, whereas No.1 moved to Norchard on the Dean Forest Railway where I snapped it about five years later

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Brian R

Carmarthen Bay received most of its coal in 24.5t opens (later MEO) from Brynlliw colliery, with other pits supplying some in the more common 21t opens. This was another place dad's firm did some work at- they installed the footings and hut for an upgraded weighbridge. This would have been the very early 1960s- dad let me sit on his lap and steer the dumper. Not such a good idea, really, as I almost wrecked our Standard Vanguard

Brian W

[br2975]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, in the mid 90s Allied Steel & Wire contracted out their railway network to Wimott Brothers of Ilkeston.

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It seemed like a good idea at the time.

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A well maintained standardised fleet of Yorkshire Engine Co. diesels, designed and built for heavy industrial use either 'rebuilt,sold on, or scrapped and replaced by a mixed bag of (mainly) NCB hand-me-downs.

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Within a couple of years ASW contracted Transrail to carry out their shunting, and Transrail became EWS and . . . . . .

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Anyway here are a couple of shots from the Wilmott period

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(i) I believe this was RR 10213/64 rebuilt by Thomas Hill in 1988 is seen entering the Cardiff Rod Mill with a train of coil. This was taken from the roundabout at the south end of the Butetown Link road where it now meets hemmingway Road and the Butetown Tunnels.

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(ii) A Yorkshire Engine Co. 'Janus' loco heads a train of billets out of the Tremorfa plant en-route to the Rod Mill. I've never positively identified this loco. If it is a former ASW loco, it's been rebuilt/refurbished a bit and has been fitted with train air brakes. I have no details of Wilmott Bros. deploying a 'Janus' at ASW ...... but I'm sure someone out there can satisfy my curiosity ? This was taken in 1995

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Another May, 1995 shot will follow soon.

 

Brian R

[br2975]

Another shot from 'the Wilmott era' at Allied Steel & Wire.

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9th May, 1995 finds former Port of London Authority No.200, which was purchased in 1973 and became GKN 392 'Sarum' YE2619/56 and passed to ASW on its' creation in 1981 Sarum is about to meet it's maker at Allied Bird Framentisers, Rover Way (now Sims Metals).

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In front of 'Sarum' is another Meadowhall product, YE 2910/1963 which had been brought to ASW by Wilmott Bros. who had bought it from British Coal's Coventry Colliery. I wonder if it was one that I climbed over during 'the strike' ?

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Brian R

[br2975]

Mountain Ash today - well actually April, 2007

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Memories have been stirred by Tom Heavyside's article in the August, 2011 'Bylines' describing the Monmouthshire Railway Society DMU tour to Mountain Ash on 27th. March, 1976 (see my pics earlier, taken on that tour).

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In the first photo below, we're on the footbridge of the new Mountain Ash station looking up the valley toward Aberdare.

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The former Taff Vale Railway station, Mountain Ash (Oxford St. - renamed by the GWR to avoid confusion with the other station) was a situated a little closer to the overbridge in the distance.

 

The line was singled after the passenger service was withdrawn, but at this point is now doubled again, the overbridge that gave a grandstand view of NCB rail oprerations and which links the two sides of the valley is visible.

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Deep Duffryn Colliery was on the far side of the bridge.

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The former Vale of Neath (GWR) line pssed under the right hand side of the girder bridge to the right of the span crossing the Afon Cynon. The NCB line into Deep Duffryn passed through the left side of the same bridge.

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The steam shed was located on the right hand edge of the photo, hard against the riverbank.

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The flat ground around the down platform shelter was the site of an exchange siding that ran along the rear of the former TVR down platform, and also sidings here served the NCB wagon repair shop.

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Photo 2, also taken from the new Mountain Ash station shows the site of the former GWR (VoN) Mountain Ash (Cardiff Road) station and the NCB steam shed and handful of sidings where loaded trains bound for Abercwmboi Phurnacire plant were held until needed.

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On the far right edge of the photo is the Cardiff Road home of my great-aunt Joan !

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Brian R

[br2975]

After a lengthy hiatus - I've decided to breath new life into this thread - albeit the subject matter may be 'pseudo industril locos'.

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I have a large number of photos of the former Allied Steel & Wire (now celsa UK) rail operations in and around the Castle and Tremorfa works in Cardiff.

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From when ASW initially entered into a contract with 'Transrail' later EWS andlater still DB(S) some 60+ Cl.08 and 09 shunters were used at the works.

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Some allocated to the original LNWK and later WSAW pools never operated at the works, but were 'christmas trees' kept at Canton TMD to provide spares for the working locos.

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It's my intention to feature one particular loco at a time (I don't have shots of all 60+ !!!!!).

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Today's choice is my favourite 08854 'Bradshaw' - as the 'real' Bradshaw, a long time fitter at Canton was a near neighbour and sadly missed good friend .

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Pic.1- 08854 is seen propelling ASW internal user wagons loaded with export coil into the compound alongside the north arm of the Queen Alexandra Dock on Saturday 12th April, 2002. The loco is being controlled remotely using the Hima-Sella apparatus. The driver is watching the road on the far side of the train.

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Pic.2 - 08854, by now contracted to Celsa (UK) is seen entering the Tremorfa steel works complex with a rake of empty MB (Merchant Bar) wagons from the Castle Works (Cardiff Rod Mill) for another load of billets. 3rd. March, 2007.

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Pic.3 - 08854 photographed across the tracks from the car park at Tidal Sidings - standing forlorn in the summer of 2007. I don't think it ever worked again.

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Brian R

[marc smith]

Only just re-caught up with this thread again - it's been a while since my last visit

It's still a great thread, with so much interesting reading, and some great photos

Thanks once again for sharing folks

[br2975]

This is the centre of operations so to speak, of the Celsa, Tremorfa plant.

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When they purchased the assets of the liquidated Allied Steel & Wire, Celsa invested a reported £90million on building a new 'melt shop' (electric arc' furnace).

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The first two shots show the facility under construction, during September 2005 and give an idea of its' size - it can be seen from most parts of Cardiff.

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The third shot shows the new completed melt shop.

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What was known as the 'south running road' runs along the inside of the pallisade fence from right (east) to left (west).

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The lower building, to the right, with a mono-pitch roof is the scrap bay, which contains two roads where incoming scrap wagons are unloaded, and the scrap stored before being loaded into (very) large buckets that are wheeled into the melt shop and emptied into the furnace for melting.

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The molten steel is cast into billets and on the opposite side of the building seen here, the billets are loaded onto bogie bolsters in a two road billet bay. From where they are transported to either the 16" mill (?) or the Cardiff Rod Mill.

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There is a melt approximately every three hours.

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Initially the two roads in the new scrap bay were single ended, but were soon linked into the south running road closer to the 'old scrap bay' - the new permanent way is shown being laid in the fourth photo.

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At the time the photos here were taken it was possible to view operations through the fence, from Rover Way which runs alongside the plant.

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However, Celsa fitted a form of mesh screen inside the fence which now restricts visibility into the works - but, with a little local knowledge, and a reasonable lens, it is possible to grab some reasonable shots from adjoining public places, or car parks etc.

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Not only are steel works private property, they are inherently dangerous places, and trespassing is not tolerated.

 

If anyone is interested, I can post some more shots, just let me know.

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Brian R

[marc smith]

More shots are always welcome Brian

can't get enough of them....

[jonas]

Seconded! I find this part of the railway is fascinating - thanks Brian!

[br2975]

Some more shots at Tremorfa , which I hope may inspire some industrial modellers.

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First photo shows the gable end of the 16" Mill west billet bank (the light blue cladding)

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The darker blue building at the right hand edge is the former wagon repair shop.

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The second shot shows the north end of the 'old' scrap bay and emphasises how mucky, dark and dingy such places can be.

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I have other photos which show the JNA wagons inside, being unloaded.

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Brian R

[clarkea1]

Keep them coming Brian - fascinating stuff!

 

Is the old scrap bay still being used then? Certainly last year when I used to pass Tremorfa Works fairly regularly it still seemed to be in use (or full of scrap at least!).

 

cheers

 

Alastair

[Arthur]

There's a nicely illustrated, 13 page, article on Mountain Ash in the September edition of Steam Days. The authors father was a driver on the NCB system.

[jonas]

First photo shows the gable end of the 16" Mill west billet bank (the light blue cladding)

 

Is that a Tope wagon and an SPA?

[Fat Controller]

Is that a Tope wagon and an SPA?

I think it's a Gunnell (formely PGA), rather than a Tope.

[colin penfold]

12/08/79 taken whilst on the "welsh warrior" railtour

 

oakdale colliery br[w]

 

 

trethomas colliery 4wh chain driven ruston

 

 

trethomas colliery wagon tipper