Cambrian
Memories Set BW-1; 10 6x4 Black+White Prints
The Cambrian Main Line ran
from the LNWR at Whitchurch to the coast at Dovey Junction, one line going
south to Aberystwyth and one north to Pwllheli. Collett goods No 2255 from
Oswestry shed pauses with a humble pick up freight at Fenn’s Bank station, which
was in a detached part of Flint. As the Collett engine waits a path, a much
older Dean Goods, 2538, enters the station on a local passenger train on
2/06/1952.Om 10-04-1946, “Dukedog” 4-4-0 No 3224 enters Welshpool station on a
long train that is carrying a stopping passenger headcode. The Van branch
diverged from the main line at Caersws from 1871 to 1940. We are looking west
towards Machynlleth in the early fifties when the original wooden crossing
gates survived. A fabricated steel gate replaced this at some time and the
crossing was opened and shut in the traditional way until 2011 when barriers
were installed and the box closed. The box, which dated from 1891 was a
Dutton/Cambrian design and retained its original 18 lever Dutton frame for 120
years! The civil engineers were once
avid users of old 4-w coaches, such as W14151, which is allocated to the BRIDGE
DEPARTMENT at Caersws! We visit Towyn station on a wet day in 1952 when the
station canopy still survived. Many of the Cambrian engines were old when the
line was taken over by the GWR, The fifteen “large Belpaire goods” whichtook
numbers on the 8xx range were an exception and 11 of them lasted until the
early fifties. 894 pauses with a 4 coach train at Barmouth Junction on
3/09/1937. Small prairie 5517 has just crossed Barmouth viaduct with a seven
coach rake of stock in blood and custard livery on 23 June 1954. Our final view
is of “Dukedog” 9024 passing Barmouth South signal box on 23-06-1954. This 27 lever
Dutton/Cambrian box of 1890 was preserved and moved to the Llangollen Railway. A copy of these notes
accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is
prohibited without our prior written permission.
=====================================================================
Cambrian Memories Set BW-2; 10 6x4 Black+White Prints
This set opens with a rare
wartime shot of 3213 near Whitchurch on 7/07/1941, at a time when train
photography was decidedly risky as
arrest as a German spy was possible! Ray
Tustin, who was the photographer, took an even bigger chance the previous day
when he took 3209 from the footbridge at Welshpool. The leading vehicle is a 6w
milk tank.
The next three views provide a welcome colour
portrait of Towyn when the exchange siding between the TR and the GWR were
still intact, when 16T mineral wagons still delivered coal to the small GWR
goods depot and there were barrows and trolleys on the platform. Sadly such
adjuncts to the railway scene are now only to be found in museums. On 30/08/1937,
Ray Tustin photographed a curved frame 4-4-0 about to plunge into the Friog
Rocks avalanche shelter near Fairbourne. It had been completed by the GWR in
1935. The signalman awaits the token from the fireman as No 9006 swings on to
the Fairbourne and coast line at Barmouth Junction on 24/06/1954. Dukedog 9018
has arrived from Dolgelly with a Pwllheli train on 24/06/1954.The station name board
says CHANGE FOR MACHYNLLETH and ABERYSTWYTH. The now preserved 4555 and 6345
are side by side at Barmouth station on 23-/06/1954. Our final view is of
Penrhyndeudraeth just east of Portmadoc. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These
views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior
written permission.
=====================================================================
Vale of Rheidol Railway from 1930s to 1960s SET BW-1 12 6x4 Black+White Prints
The GWR inherited the 2’ 0” gauge Vale of Rheidol line from the Cambrian Railways in 1923. Immediately after Aberystwyth station was a level crossing over Park Avenue with the rival Crosville bus depot beside it. A long coach siding ran beside the line and the tail end of a departing train may be seen in our view dated 14/06/1950. The original loco shed and abandoned harbour branch were located at the end of the carriage siding. VOR No 7 is seen at the old sheds in 1934. No 7 takes water at Aberffrwd on 14/06/1950. The same engine runs round at Devil’s Bridge terminus in 1934. No 8, by then named Llywelyn is at the second VOR station which adjoined the joint GWR and Cambrian standard gauge station at Aberystwyth on 30/08/1960. The friendly crew of No 9 Prince of Wales give footplate rides to small boys when running round at Devils Bridge c1959. Originally No 9 had been numbered 1213 by the GWR and is seen at the old Aberystwyth shed in 1934. Winter services had recently ceased and the steam heat hose has been removed but the pipe remains. A portrait of matchboarded 7 compartment 3rd class coach 4145 recalls one of the original MRC&WCo bogie coaches provided in 1902 in full GWR livery in 1934.New bodies were provided in 1938 using the old chassis and W4143W is in BR carmine and cream at Devil’s Bridge on 3/09/1960. We take a look at Devil’s bridge terminus on 31/08/1937 with two trains in the station. A view from the train recalls the spectacular scenery of the VOR. Freight traffic was light, but three wagons are seen at Aberystwyth in 1934. The nearest is ex Hafan Railway bolster wagon 8513, The far wagon, 34110, was one of six 5T open wagons built in 1906. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.
Vale of Rheidol Railway from 1930s to 1960s SET BW-2 12 6x4 Black+White Prints
VOR No 7, one of two new engines built by the GWR in 1923, is at the old Rheidol shed on the harbour branch in 1934 with 1906 MRC&WCo open No 34111 and a rebuilt ex Hafan Tramway end-door loco coal wagon. No 7, now named Owain Glyndwr, enters Devil’s Bridge in the 1950s. The same engine is seen in 1934 ready to leave Devil’s Bridge, the leading coach being brake third No 4995, the centre door of which had been blanked off to provide for a first class section but 1st class was abolished by the GWR in 1923 on the VOR. The second and third coaches are two of the four 1923 open observation cars provided by the GWR. No 8, Llywelwn departs from Devil’s Bridge in the late fifties. No 9 Prince of Wales blows off at the second VOR station in Aberwstwyth on 30-08-1960. Photos of the Rheidol engines with the GWR shirt button emblem seem rare. Although slightly blurred, the shot of 1213 approaching Devil’s Bridge on 31/08/1937 is of great interest. We see Aberystwyth station on 14/06/1950 with the Cambrian/GW train shed to the standard gauge to the left, and the standard gauge loco shed which later housed the NG engines in the distance. Three new 4-w passenger brake vans replaced the original VOR vans in 1938 taking the same numbers and being mounted on the old underframed. W135W is seen at Devil’s Bridge on 3/09/1960. An interior shot of coach 4143 taken on 3/09/1960, shows the internal arrangements of the centre door-less compartment. 4148 is the nearest of four coaches on the harbour branch in 1934. It is an all third and retains all seven doors. The second coach, 4150 was converted from a closed coach in the early 1900s with waist high timber sides and the roof supported on steel end stanchions and tubular posts. Most elevated views of Devil’s Bridge show the frontage of the station. Our next view shows the back of the goods shed. We look from the train during the early part of the climb on 14/06/1950. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.
========================================================
Vale of Rheidol Railway from 1930s to 1960s SET BW-3 11 6x4 Black+White Prints
No 7 is ready to depart from the second VOR station at Aberwstwyth past the car and coach park on 14 June 1950, the engine still with the number 7 on the buffer beam in GWR style. Up trains usually took water at Aberffrwd which was at the foot of the unbroken 1 in 50 climb to Devil’s Bridge as No 7 is doing in 1950. The signals are worked from an open ground frame to the right of the water tank in the distance. No 8 basks in the sun at the old VOR loco sheds in 1934. No 7 had no front handrails;No 8 had curved ends as here and No 9 had handrail knobs. The handrails show it is No 8 Llywelyn in the sidings at Devil’s Bridge on 30 August 1960. No 9 Prince of Wales, in lined BR green, is about to depart from Aberystwyth station in 1960 with Park Ave in the background. As one of the train crew sits on a coach footboard smoking a pipe, the same engine, as GWR 1213, sits at Devil’s Bridge with shirt button emblem on 31/08/1937. We take a look at one of the original VRR axlebox covers on open wagon 34111 back in 1934. Original series brake van No 137 with planked body is in full GWR livery with the arms of London and Bristol in 1934. Coach W4998W, seen at Devil’s Bridge on 14-6-1950 is in bedraggled BR carmine and cream. It is a 1938 replacement for one of the 1923 observation coaches. Train movements at Devil’s Bridge are controlled from a five lever ground frame, a notice prohibiting unauthorised persons from working it. The run round cross-over at the end of the loop is controlled by hand levers. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.
Vale of Rheidol Railway from 1930s to 1960s SET BW-4 11 6x4 Black+White Prints
The proximity of the standard gauge station to the VOR terminal is apparent in this study of No 7, which is ready to depart from Aberystwyth on 14-06-1950. No 7, Owain Glyndwr, is depicted in the deep rock cutting at the throat of Devil’s Bridge station in the late fifties. No 8 is at Aberystwyth station on 21-08-1937 Surprisingly the steam heat hose which was missing in 1934 has been refitted! No 8 Llywelyn, in lined BR green, is next to the goods shed at Devil’s Bridge on 20-08-1960. No 9 Prince of Wales has arrived at Devil’s bridge in the fifties. No 9 runs round at Devil’s Bridge in 1950, prior to naming. The other original engine, VOR No 1, became GWR 1212 in 1923 and was only slightly modernised. Winter services ended in 1931 and it was withdrawn in 1932 and is on the dump at Swindon where it survived until 1935. The starting signal is off for No 7 with an Up train at Aberffrwd in June 1950. Observation car 4151 was rebuilt in the early 1900s with mesh sides to waist height and one half height and one planked end. It was surely the minimum possible coach. It is seen at Aberystwyth in 1934. We see van W135W and the corrugate iron goods shed and station offices at Devils Bridge in 1960. Coach W4144W is one of the 1938 all-thirds and is seen in the late fifties. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.