steveNCB7754

The Nantlle Tramway was one of the more unusual parts of BR, and may be of limited interest here with perhaps little modelling potential.  It was officially closed in December 1963, together with the short Talysarn Branch from Penygroes.  The following black & white photos were taken in 1965 shortly before tracklifting commenced, and the colour photos were taken in 2007 ...

Wow!

Another gem.  That is an incredible location, that I have never seen pictures of before.  If I went to a show and saw a model layout looking just ike that, I would have assumed it was a somewhat unrealistic freelance effort (that double archway through the embankment is a 'doozy', as our American cousins say).  Would need some pretty deep boards to do all that justice though.

Thanks again for yet more amazing images.

Regards

Steve N

Good pic at railblue.com:

 

http://www.railblue.com/pages/Photo%20Galleries/David%20Mant%20Collection/DMC_01001_2_HD_170174.htm

Yes, that picture confirms it, they were definitely painted Pale Lilac! (Valspar IMHO) 

Steve N

EddieB, on 28 Mar 2014 - 18:52, said: ... it is well-known that fluorescent lighting can cause greenish casts on colour film - so any photos taken in the shed under such condition may appear greenish.

Hi EddieB,

You raise a good point about the environmental effects on photography. My other passion is aviation and I know from forums on that subject, the passionate debate raised about the colour of paint or hue thereof, evidenced by some wartime colour photo.

There (as in the locos above), you are up against many contributing factors: how faithful was the film used, in rendering the true paint colour anyway?  Was the film originally developed correctly (and any prints for that matter)?  How have the film (or prints) degraded in the intervening years?  Under what environmental lighting conditions were the photos taken (including natural light or flash)?

On the latter point, a classic example is a wartime photo of a Bristol Beaufighter, flying above the Mediteranean - much conjecture about the shade of blue used on the underside of the aircraft, but pointless to debate this in a way, because any photo taken in that environment, will have a blue cast due to the sky above and sea below.

So unless someone at the time, stood next to the object with a Munsell or BSI Chart in hand for comparison, photographs are, by definition, always going to be second best as evidence.

Steve N

Thanks for your input Merf, drjcontroller and Enterprisingwestern, its useful to get the views of those that actually saw the locos rather than those who rely on photos (but thanks for those that supplied the links anyway) or printed information.  Unfortunately I didn't note the colour in 1967 when the locos were in much better external condition and it wasn't until 1980 that I noted them as green, principally from 01002, as 01001 was partly sheeted over by that date.  As the note was made at the time of the visit I can only assume that they must have appeared green at that time.

 

There is no doubt that 01002 got a lot of exposure to the elements during its use on the breakwater, which probably accounts for the varying condition of its paintwork.  A former employee of Wilds published an account of his time at the brickworks, which included a period assisting the loco driver on 01002.  He recalled that at times they were caught out by bad weather while working on the breakwater and on one occasion the loco derailed when they were returning, with waves actually breaking over the track.  They had to be rescued by the Wickham trolley and the loco left on the breakwater until the following day.

Hi again PGH,

Just a thought (about paints and weathering).  Not sure where (or when) I heard this, but I think I'm right in saying that black is not really a 'colour' in the accepted sense and that in reality, it is just a really, really dark version of a 'true' colour, say blue or green.  You can often see this effect with clothing dyes -  the thing starts out ostensibly 'black', but after a lot of wear, washing and UV exposure, you begin to see a very subtle (or not so subtle) hint of green for example.  My point, is that these two locos could have been painted 'black' originally, but after the weathering over time you describe, they took on a green hue which later visitors saw and assumed was the original colour.

As I say, just a thought.

Regards

Steve N

Hi again,

Another great set of photographs and all the more so, for featuring subjects that many simply did not bother to record.  Those final Blodwell Quarry images, would be a fantastic source for anyone contemplating a small industrial layout, ala' Chris Nevard.

Thanks again for these postings.

Steve N

The next 6 posts cover the Central Wales (or Heart of Wales Line as its now known) and the Mid Wales Lines.

 

In compiling this topic its been interesting to try and work out what I actually did when riding on some of these lines over 50 years ago, as I didn't make any notes and the photo taking was rather spasmodic.  The Mid Wales and Central Wales Lines were first covered with a school mate during 4-5 days of travel, presumably using one of the rover tickets then available, all done on a daily basis from home on the North Wales Coast.

The first day we travelled through Caernarfon - Afonwen - down the Cambrian Coast line to Dovey Junction - Moat Lane Junction, then down the Mid Wales Line, presumably all the way to Brecon, although for some reason I didn't take any photos there.  The few photos I did take on the Mid Wales were only blurry views from the train.  Return to North Wales would probably have been via Oswestry and Chester.

The second day we did Bala to Wrexham, the photos taken on that trip were covered in Post #49.  I haven't a clue how we got to Bala, presumably via Afonwen and Dolgelley, but the return would have been via Chester.

The third/fourth day we travelled to Shrewsbury, then by the Central Wales Line to Swansea (taking the few photos in this Post), up the valley lines to I've no idea where, except that we must have passed through Abercynon where I took a solitary photo, to Cardiff, then returned home overnight via Newport and Hereford, arriving back in North Wales on the morning of day 4.

The next day (day 5) it was down to Hereford and as far as Fawley on the Gloucester Line (the photos taken were in Post #30), but this was a solo trip as my mate must have had enough travelling by day 4.

 

The next trip covering these two lines was in October 1962, down the Central Wales Line from Craven Arms to Builth Road, then up the Mid Wales Line to Moat Lane Junction.  Quite a number of photos were taken on that trip.

 

The last trip was on Saturday 29th December 1962, which I believe was the last day of scheduled passenger services for the three remaining lines to Brecon (officially closed on 31st January).  We travelled overnight via Crewe and Shrewsbury, down the Central Wales Line, arriving at Builth Road in the early hours.  Then down the Mid Wales Line to Brecon; down the Newport Line as far as Pentir Rhiw; then returned north up the full length of the Mid Wales Line to Moat Lane Junction.

 

 

9A.17B.jpg

 

I'm not sure of the merits of this view, but it's the Swansea train at Builth Road High Level Station.  On the left is the luggage lift down to the Mid Wales Line's Low Level Station with the footpath down alongside.  The bridge over the Mid Wales Line is just in front of the loco.  Above the footway in the distance is the small single road loco shed with steam visible from a loco standing outside.

 

 

9A.19B.jpg

 

Crossing 48706 on a northbound goods train at Garth

 

 

9A.20B.jpg

 

Llandovery Station with a variety of wagons in the yard - 3 steel 16T minerals, a van, a cattle wagon and a tank wagon

 

 

9A.21B.jpg

 

I've no idea where this is, except it must be between Llandovery and Swansea, and where the Central Wales Line connected with a local service.  This negative was never printed so when I recently scanned these negatives it was the first time I'd seen this view since I took it over 50 years ago !

 

9A.22B.jpg

 

5699 at Abercynon.  The disc above the front buffer with the lettering "C 02" might give a clue as to what it was doing there ?

First of all -  thanks for yet more excellent and evocative photographs (especially the mid-Wales ones).

Until recently, I had not really noticed these target boards or discs, but since the recent excellent article by D.K. Jones ('Abercynon Locomotive Depot and its Duties'; Jan 2014 Steam Days magazine), I have been keeping an eye out for them.  From Jones' article, Abercynon workings were 'J' prefixes, but checking through Derek Huntriss' 'The Heyday of Steam in South Wales', there is a photo of a pannier at Quaker Yard Low Level in 1964 on a down mineral with 'C13' on the disc, attributed to Cardiff Cathays.  In an earlier photo, another pannier leaves Nantgarw Colliery with 'H25' on its disc and this is attributed to Cardiff Canton.  Perhaps someone, somewhere, has compiled a list of all these reporting discs?

Regards,

Steve

 

6.CS189B.jpg

 

7.CS180B.jpg

 

A parcels unit on permanent way duty and trailing lengths of rail passing the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway station at Portmadoc in May 1983

 

 

8.CS112B.jpg

 

Aberdovey Signal Box in August 1962

 

 

9.CS107B.jpg

 

7801 at Moat Lane Junction in August 1962

 

 

10.80.29B.jpg

 

75033 on the down Cambrian Coast Express at Newtown on 25th February 1967.

This loco worked the last up steam hauled CCE a few days later on 4th March 1967.

 

 

11.80.30B.jpg

 

75033 leaves Newtown, blowing off vigorously

 

 

12.CS111B.jpg

 

7819 at Welshpool on a northbound train.  In the distance a Standard shunts an oil tank wagon and a flat loaded with farm machinery.

 

Have just seen this post today and can only echo the many positive comments -  what a great thread!

My interest is in mid and south Wales railways and seeing the Moat Lane image, I wondered whether you ever travelled/photographed the Mid-wales line from there to Buith Wells via Llanidloes, Rhayader, etc (an area I know very well)?

Regards

Steve N