flyingsignalman Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 I paid a visit to Caersws to see the remains of the Van Railway station but first a couple of views of the Cambrian Railways station. The signal box, a fairly cramped 18 lever structure On the station looking east (next station Newtown) Looking West (next station Machynlleth) A view of the station and signal box. Some colour views from summer 1981 The box, the Signalman can just be seen opening the gates for an up train. The up train waits for the signal (that is just visible on the left) and has a van attached to its rear. End view of the box. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 11, 2012 Author Share Posted October 11, 2012 Walking over to the Van Railway site and along the Cambrian line (it was a Sunday and the box was unmanned) I took a few more views. Looking East Looking west back to the station. Van Rly on left and former goods yard on the right. Looking into the Van Rly station site The Van Rly station. The station building as used by the Bridge Dept of the PWay General view The track bed looking up to Van Mines. The Van Rly engine shed. An isolated piece of double headed rail that formerly was part of the siding to the shed. wagon stabled in the yard, built at Wolverton 1950 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 11, 2012 Author Share Posted October 11, 2012 A notice on the engine shed side door A B&M chair in one of the sidings The station End view rear view with van parked under lean-to. The Cambrian goods shed BR addition. Close up of the makers plate. After that it was a quick trip to take a few photos at Westbury (Salop)............ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted October 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 11, 2012 Great stuff! I always thought it was strange there was only 1 platform here, would have been useful passing point with 2 platforms. Particularly interested in the "swinger" van on the DMU, I knew this was done on the Barnstaple line but had no idea they ran on the Cambrian as well. Would have made the DMU work hard up to Tallerddig! EDIT - you added the 2nd set as I typed.... Din't realise the "Provender" stores were made in Exeter! Wasn't there a Paul Lunn plan based on the Van Rly sidings in RM a while ago? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted October 11, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 11, 2012 Thanks very much for sharing the photos Keith, fascinating stuff. I know very little about the Van Railway and you have increased my knowledge greatly! All the best, Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted October 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2012 fantastic, i would have been 7 when the first set of piccies was taken and living futher along the cambrian at llwyngwril, i remember vividly playing in the school playground and seeing what i know now to be a DMU pulling a single coal wagon towards barmouth, amazing to think they used to do things like that!! apparently my great great grandad's family were from caersws and most of the family worked for the cambrian railway in the vicinity both as i believe traincrew and station staff, i will have to ask my dad what exactly they did, i know he was proud that when i signed the cambrian i was driving trains along the same bit of track my ancestors did 100 years previous (and knowing caersws, probably under the same signal gantrys etc) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukedog Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Nice pictures, Thanks for sharing. Cheers Frank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted October 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2012 fantastic, i would have been 7 when the first set of piccies was taken and living futher along the cambrian at llwyngwril, i remember vividly playing in the school playground and seeing what i know now to be a DMU pulling a single coal wagon towards barmouth, amazing to think they used to do things like that!! Hi Jim - I think this would have been around the time of the ban on loco haulage across the Barmouth (Mawddach) bridge. I remember reading that class 128 parcels units were used to haul short engineers trains during this time, maybe a few other wagons were removed back across the bridge in this way as well ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted October 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2012 yes thats what it probably was, i distinctly remember it had no side windows but i was old enough to know it wasn't a loco Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 EDIT - you added the 2nd set as I typed.... Din't realise the "Provender" stores were made in Exeter! Like so much else, they were presumably a product of the concrete works at Exmouth Junction and they got everywhere, presumably an example of centralised supply by BR. Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted October 12, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2012 Great stuff! I always thought it was strange there was only 1 platform here, would have been useful passing point with 2 platforms. I guess it only needed one platform because Moat Lane Junction was quite close and it was reckoned that any crossing could have been done there. But I was once on a late running up train that did cross a down service here. Both trains did call at the platform but I don't remember the exact sequence of manoeuvres by which it was accomplished. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-CRS Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Thank you, great pics, I have caught trains from there quite a few times, would like to do it in N Gauge at some point in Cambrian era so both lines working. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted October 13, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 13, 2012 I guess it only needed one platform because Moat Lane Junction was quite close and it was reckoned that any crossing could have been done there. But I was once on a late running up train that did cross a down service here. Both trains did call at the platform but I don't remember the exact sequence of manoeuvres by which it was accomplished. And I forgot to mention how much I appreciated the photos So much "Old Railway" atmosphere surviving well into the post-Beeching era. It may have been 1982 but it could almost have been twenty or thirty years earlier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Great shots, I regret I took till the late 90s to get there, despite visiting most other stations on the Cambrian in the 70s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR00N Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Some really brilliant photo's there of Caersws, thanks very much for sharing them with us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 I guess it only needed one platform because Moat Lane Junction was quite close and it was reckoned that any crossing could have been done there. But I was once on a late running up train that did cross a down service here. Both trains did call at the platform but I don't remember the exact sequence of manoeuvres by which it was accomplished. Thanks to all for the kind comments Looking at the signals, the loop was to passenger standards so I guess the up train ran into the platform and then the down train ran through the loop on to the main line, then backed into the platform behind the up train (it may have waited for the up train to leave before setting back into the platform). I have a sketch of the SB diagram but its not scanned yet; I'll post it when I have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 I've scanned my sketch of the SB diagram. I've drawn it upside down as I wanted the up direction to the right. I made the sketch on 14/5/1981 which is also the date of the colour photos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hughes Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 When the daughter of the original manager of Van Railway - my namesake, as it happens, the Welsh poet John 'Ceiriog' Hughes - got married, the engine shed at Caersws was cleaned up and decked out for the reception, which apparently went on long into the night. The line's sole loco presumably had to stay outside for the occasion, but it would have made a nice centre-piece if they'd left it in situ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 When the daughter of the original manager of Van Railway - my namesake, as it happens, the Welsh poet John 'Ceiriog' Hughes - got married, the engine shed at Caersws was cleaned up and decked out for the reception, which apparently went on long into the night. The line's sole loco presumably had to stay outside for the occasion, but it would have made a nice centre-piece if they'd left it in situ! Are you sure you're not confusing this with the Ivor the Engine discussions going on at the moment? I'm getting this vision of Ivor singing with the choir outside, to entertain the guests! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hughes Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Are you sure you're not confusing this with the Ivor the Engine discussions going on at the moment? I'm getting this vision of Ivor singing with the choir outside, to entertain the guests! LOL! I wonder if the historical tale is where the Ivor the Engine people got the idea? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Great stuff! I always thought it was strange there was only 1 platform here, would have been useful passing point with 2 platforms. Particularly interested in the "swinger" van on the DMU, I knew this was done on the Barnstaple line but had no idea they ran on the Cambrian as well. Would have made the DMU work hard up to Tallerddig! EDIT - you added the 2nd set as I typed.... Din't realise the "Provender" stores were made in Exeter! Wasn't there a Paul Lunn plan based on the Van Rly sidings in RM a while ago? I hadn't realised that the Swindon Cross-Country sets worked the Cambrian; they were my 'local' units around the Llanelli area until I left in 1973. I'd travelled on them on the Shrewsbury trains, and on Crewe-Derby trains, but was unaware they'd strayed down there. Who's units were they? Etches Park? The lines west of Swansea saw regular tail traffic in 4-wheel vans in the early/mid 1970s- generally from Milford Haven, I believe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted October 17, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 17, 2012 I do remember the Swindon CC units being used between Shrewsbury & Wolverhampton in the early/mid 80s, and I'm fairly sure I had a trip back from Aberystwyth on one in 1983. I do think the Milford Haven - Swansea and Exeter - Barnstaple runs with tail traffic would be easier than over Tallerdigg though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I do remember the Swindon CC units being used between Shrewsbury & Wolverhampton in the early/mid 80s, and I'm fairly sure I had a trip back from Aberystwyth on one in 1983. I do think the Milford Haven - Swansea and Exeter - Barnstaple runs with tail traffic would be easier than over Tallerdigg though Cockett Bank would have been 'interesting'... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dampflok Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Another fascinating thread! It's interesting to see the changes over the years, even with the semaphore signalling. Here's a few shots taken in 1964, on 28th July - the first shot shows a two-car DMU heading towards Machynlleth on the platform line (this was a driver training special prior to the DMUs being introduced), though it is signalled by the wonderful lower quadrant Cambrian signal, which it seems was replaced by the bracket with two upper quadrant signals in the shots by the OP: The second shot is from across the fields as 7828 "Odney Manor" approaches the station with the up working of the "Cambrian Coast Express", again showing the single down starter which was the (I assume) Cambrian Railway lower quadrant signal: The third shot shows the Van Railway Yard, looking back towards the junction with the Cambrian. The loco shed is to the left while the station building is partially hidden by rolling stock, including perhaps a four or six wheel departmental coach and what looks like an old Great Central tender, perhaps from an ROD 2-8-0. A gang of workmen have a trolley on the track and beyond is the Cambrian goods shed: Final shot is of the buffer stop at the end of track, the abandoned formation curving away to the right, while the 0 and a quarter milepost is just beyond the bufferstop: Wonderful to see the close-up shots of the relics that still graced the location in the 1980s, and looking on Google Streetview it appears that the Cambrian goods shed, the "Exeter" concrete shed, Van station building and loco shed still all survive, though how long ago the photos were taken I don't know. Cheers, Geoff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hughes Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 The goods shed certainly still survives and is in industrial use of some kind, and I think the concrete shed is also still there; the loss of the goods yard and other facilities at least means that there's decent free parking at Caersws, which consequently acts as the railhead for Llanidloes, Rhayader and a number of other local spots - it's surprising just how busy the little station can be at times. Shame the old crossing gates have gone, though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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