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The Journal WELSH of the Welsh Railways RAILWAYS Research Circle ARCHIVE NOVEMBER 2010 Volume V No. 2 Not Brecon & Merthyr 2-4-0T No.21, the subject of an article inside, but No.12 at rest on Brecon shed on an unkown date. However, the engine does look smart - the buffers and coupling hook, for example - so it is likely that it is quite new. Built in 1889 by R Stephenson & Co., it was withdrawn during a visit to Swindon in January 1923 without ever carrying its GWR-allotted number of 1452. Tudor Watkins collection In this issue .. q VALE of NEATH & CEFN MAWR Jct. q COURTYBELLA Jct. q The GWR and RHYMNEY ENGINES q B&M 2-4-0T No.21 q 1960s STEAM at CWMBRAN q LNER in WEST WALES q TREDEGAR DERAILMENT q NO PUFF for TVR A Class WRRC PERSONALTIES FOREWORD o describe the Vale of Neath & Cefn President TMawr Railway as an important under- Dr STUART OWEN-JONES Although generally confined to South Wales and the valleys there is a mixed bag in this issue, graced taking would be a gross exaggeration. Its The Vale of Neath and with articles from some new authors. Thanks to all contributors, of course, but a special word for those grandiloquent name completely belied its Chairman putting pen to paper for the first time; I hope it was not such a difficult task, after all. TONY MILLER intentions and its achievements which were Cefn Mawr Junction Railway ‘Dystlegh’ Whilst on the topic of writings, readers are reminded that the concept of the Colin Chapman Memorial both equally modest. The railway was less Rod Lane, Ilton Trophy was agreed at the 2010 AGM. The trophy may be awarded at an AGM to an author - not necessarily than 3½ miles long and ran from exchange Paul Reynolds attempts to elucidate the history of a Ilminster, TA19 9ET a member - who has done most ‘in the last calendar year to investigate and publish original work on the sidings with the Vale of Neath Railway at Editor development of the railways of Wales.’ Thus readers are asked to let the editor know of any published work Clyne to a desolate little coal level up in mineral tramway in the Neath valley TONY MILLER - it can be an article or book - of 2010 that may be worthy of consideration and which can be brought to the the hills, even today far from any human ‘Dystlegh’ committee’s attention. Tony Miller habitation. The company that built it lasted Rod Lane, Ilton Ilminster, TA19 9ET little more than two years before it was wound was that Dickson would form a separate of any sort of railway and no real progress CONTENTS up, although the railway itself remained in company to do this but before going ahead was made before the company went into Membership Secretary The BARRY BIT 26 use for over twenty years and its ghost can he required an initial investment of £3,000 liquidation, probably in 1866. DAVID MOORES still be seen in the form of a forestry track from the coal company and a guarantee of By now George Bedford had been at 9, Coniston Way Through carriages in high summer Wetherby, LS22 6TT The VALE of NEATH and CEFN MAWR JUNCTION RAILWAY 27 on top of the hills that flank the Neath valley. 300 tons a day. In January 1865 he was still work. If the Neath & Pelenna directorate Paul Reynolds tells the story of a mineral tramway in the Neath Valley Perhaps its most distinctive feature is that the waiting for the directors to respond. Their had shown no interest in backing Dickson, General Secretary company that built it enjoyed the suffix ‘Co reluctance to do so was very likely because and if Dickson too had lost interest by now ALASTAIR WARRINGTON COURTYBELLA - a mystery solved? 31 Ltd’: it is unusual to find a railway that was the prospects of the company were already and moved on to other projects, it was up ‘Claremont’ Ray Caston has answers to Tony Ford’s mystery Eridge Road built by a limited liability company under the proving to be nothing like as rosy as they had to Bedford himself to supply the railway Garndiffaith RECORDS of STEAM in the EASTERN VALLEY 32 powers of the 1862 Companies Act. appeared in 1863. that both companies urgently required. In Pontypool, NP4 7LU David Ellis’ memories of steam in the 1960s To trace the origins of the VNCMJR we Meanwhile, in 1862, Isaac Smith had January 1865 he started to negotiate with B&M 2-4-0T No.21 34 need to go back to 1859 when Isaac Smith embarked on another colliery venture by the seven parties who had an interest in the Tudor Watkins and Ray Caston describe its short career of Neath took a lease of the Fforchdwm taking a lease of the minerals under Tonmawr land that would be required by the railway. NOTE Sir JOHN WYNDHAM BEYNON JUMPS the RAILS at TREDEGAR 36 minerals. Fforchdwm was a large estate Uchaf and part of the adjoining farm of The negotiations were lengthy and time- The drawings and diagrams Gerald Davies describes an industrial derailment (over 1,300 acres) in the hills behind Neath Blaencwmcaca. Tonmawr Uchaf embraces consuming, partly because of legal delays, contained in this publication near the modern village of Tonmawr. For Cefn Mawr, the hill above Resolven that partly because of the number of parties The GWR and the RHYMNEY ENGINES, Part 1-The Saddle Tank Classes 38 are usually printed as a few years he worked the coal himself has recently been disfigured by a large wind concerned. This was particularly so in the large as possible and not John Hodge continues his survey of the treatment meted out to absorbed engines but in 1863 the property was transferred to farm. Smith’s intention was to work the case of the Gnoll estate where three different necessarily to an accepted A RACE to the GWAUN CAE GURWEN COALFIED - a postscript 42 modelling scale. a limited liability company, the Neath & Tonmawr minerals but the best way to do parties had an interest – the trustees of the Richard Maund adds some notes of official thinking at the time Pelenna Colliery Co. By 1864 two levels this was to approach them by drifting from widow of the previous owner who had a Readers may photo- The MEMORANDUM of 1920 - the GWR plans its future 42 Blaencwmcaca on the north side of Cefn life interest in the surface, the reversionary enlarge or reduce them but were in production and the property was said for personal use only. A brief note about the scope of this far-reaching plan to be capable of yielding 600-800 tons per Mawr at the head of the Melincwrt valley. owner of the estate who would enjoy it after The Y9 WEE PUGGIES - the LNER reaches West Wales 43 day. Both levels were in the Pelena valley In January 1865 he floated another company her death, and Acton Smee Ayrton MP, who Photographs - efforts are Martin Connop Price introduces the late Ray Bowen’s notes and one of them eventually developed into which was registered in February as the had bought much of the estate including the made to trace copyright holders of photographs The RASSA TRAMWAY 44 Garth Tonmawr, the last active colliery in South Resolven & Cefn Mawr Colliery Co. mineral rights a few years previously. prior to publication. If, for John Mann and Paul Reynolds trace the location of a picture in the last issue the area. However, successful operations Ltd. Exploratory work got under way and by By the end of 1865 Bedford had most any reason, we have failed were hindered by the transport arrangements January 1866 three levels had been opened of the wayleaves that he needed, including TVR A CLASS SHORT of PUFF? 45 to do so correctly, please which were expensive and inadequate. The of which the third seems to have been the wayleaves over the Gnoll estate where Ayrton let us know. Bob Crump’s personal memories of engines found wanting South Wales Mineral Railway had recently most successful. It can be identified with the owned the mineral rights, but he still lacked a The next issue is due in FATAL ACCIDENT at BURRY PORT 46 been opened throughout but it was nearly a Blaenycwm level (also known sometimes as grant of wayleave from the Gnoll trustees over May 2011. A newspaper report of the death of an eight-year-old from Martin Connop Price mile away from the nearest level and coal the Cefn Mawr or Neath Merthyr colliery, the rest of the estate. Negotiations dragged PLUS ÇA CHANGE 47 had to be carried down to the railway by about which more later) which appears on on, mainly because of procrastination on the Terry McCarthy reflects on Ammon Beasley’s comments of 1907 horse and cart which also resulted in the coal Ordnance Survey maps at SS 846997 and part of the trustees’ solicitor, but in March Welsh Railways Research RESEARCH INTEGRITY 47 being broken and so reduced in value. which lasted until 1892. However, as with 1866 an agreement was signed. Bedford was Circle exists to study, record Richard Maund warns against perpetuating errors This situation alarmed a group of the Neath & Pelenna company, successful to have his wayleave for 99 years from 30th and preserve information relating to the railways in Wales TAIL TRAFFIC 48 shareholders of whom the most vociferous exploitation was impossible in the absence June 1865.

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