Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway

Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway
Legend
Neath and Brecon Railway to Neath Brecon (Watton) Brecon (Free Street) Taff Vale Railway to Cardiff Central Talyllyn Tunnel 674 yd  616 m  Merthyr High Street Talyllyn Junction Maerdy Junction Hereford, Hay & Brecon Rly to Hereford Brandy Junction & Mid Wales Rly to Builth Wells Ynysfach Junction Talybont-on-Usk Y'ch Ironworks Rhydycar Junction Pentir Rhiw Cyfarthfa Junction Cwm Colliery Great Western Railway/ Taff Vale Railway Llwyngelyn Junction to Quakers Yard and Merthyr Railway Heolgerrig Halt Great Western Railway to Aberdare Cyfarthfa Steelworks Cefn Viaduct Cefn Coed Y Cymmer Torpantau Tunnel 666 yd  609 m  Pontsarn Torpantau Pontsarn Viaduct Dolygaer Morlais Junction Pontsticill Dowlais Central Morlais Tunnel 1040 yd  951 m  Pontsticill Junction Pantysgallog Pant Junction Pant Dowlais (High Street) Dowlais Top Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny Rly Dowlais Top Junction (LNWR)   Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny Rly (LNWR) Rhymney Railway to Dowlais Cae Harris to Abergavenny   Fochriw Junction Fochriw Colliery Fochriw Ogilvie Halt Rhymney Railway to Rhymney Ogilvie Colliery Rhymney & Pontlottyn Darran and Deri Abertysswg Groes-Faen Colliery Cwmtysswg Colliery Croes-Faen Halt New Tredegar & Tirphil Bargoed North Junction Cwmsyfiog & Brithdir Bargoed Bargoed South Junction Aberbargoed Junction Rhymney Railway to Caerphilly Aber Bargoed Pengam   Newport, Abergavenny Fleur de Lis platform and Hereford Railway to Aberdare Maesycwmmer Junction Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway to Pontypool   Rhymney Railway to Caerphilly Maesycwmmer Gwernydomen Barry Railway to Barry Junction Fountain Bridge Halt Waterloo (B&MJR) Bedwas White Hart Halt Trethomas Machen Machen Quarry Church Road (B&MJR) Rhiwderin Bassaleg Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway to Alexandra Docks

The Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (B&M) was a railway in Wales running from Brecon, Brecknockshire to east of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. It was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire along with the Taff Vale Railway (TVR) and Great Western Railway (GWR).

The line opened in stages in the 1860s, including the Beacon Tunnel at Torpantau, the highest railway tunnel in Britain, and a 6½ northern approach to the tunnel on a 1:38 gradient. Though it survived through to nationalisation in 1948, it was never profitable and consequently passenger services were withdrawn in 1962. A section of the line is now the Brecon Mountain Railway.

History

In 1836, Sir John Josiah Guest, of the Dowlais iron Works, had written of his proposal to construct a railway linking Dowlais to the valley of the River Usk, and possibly also running into Brecon. The line would have pretty nearly covered the same route as was eventually adopted by the B&M. A similar proposal suggested a line running up the Taf Fawr valley over the Brecon Beacons via Storey Arms and thence to Brecon.

The company was established by a Bill of 1859, financially supported by several prominent Brecon citizens, and the complete route from Brecon to Merthyr Tydfil was authorised the following year. The first section to open was a 6.75 miles (10.86 km) section between Brecon and Talybont-on-Usk in 1863, which reused a section of a horse-drawn tram line. The Beacons tunnel (also known as Torpantau) opened in 1868.^[1] The complicated series of amalgamations (including its originator the Hay Railway,a tram-road worked by horses opened in 1816) can best be appreciated here to explain how the B&M came about. In fact the B&M used the Hay Railway as the basis for its route between Talyllyn and Brecon. This included the tramroad tunnel (see below) at Talyllyn which required widening and deepening to allow the passage of standard gauge trains.

The system eventually came to comprise two sections of lines:

• The Southern section, effectively the consumed Rumney Railway, which linked Bassaleg (where there were connections with the GWR and the London and North Western Railway) and the ironworks town of Rhymney, near the head of the Rhymney Valley. The RR/TVR ran up the same valley in parallel with the B&M, and the wholly separate Rhymney Railway
• The Northern section linked Deri junction by means of running powers over a section of the Rhymney Railway in the Bargoed Rhymney Valley to Pant, Pontsticill and Brecon via a tunnel through the Brecon Beacons. From the tunnel the line descended towards Talybont on a continuous 1-in-37 gradient known as the "Seven-Mile Bank". For southbound trains this presented the steepest continuous ascent on the British railway network.

Initially, the only connection to Merthyr Tydfil was by means of a horse-drawn bus from Pant, but, by 1868, a connection with Merthyr had been established by sharing lines with Vale of Neath, London and North Western and Taff Vale railways. This involved the building of nearly seven miles of line from Pontsticill to Merthyr, with an almost continuous descent of 1 in 45-50, two complete reversals of direction and the construction of two viaducts to carry the line over the Taf Fechan at Pontsarn, and the Taf Fawr at Cefn Coed. The Pontsarn viaduct is 455 feet (139 m) long and 92 feet (28 m) height, whilst the Cefn Coed (or Pontycapel) viaduct is 770 feet (230 m) long with a height of 115 feet (35 m).

The section to the north of Pant was primarily a passenger service, serving isolated farms and villages. South of Pant, it was mainly a mineral line and carried coal from the mines down to the Newport Docks.

Tunnels

To develop routes into and through the South Wales landscape, it was forced to construct two tunnels:

• The Torpantau tunnel through the Beacons was 666 yards (609 m) long, and reached by a three mile (5 km) ascent from the Merthyr side. At an elevation of 1,313 feet (400 m), it was the highest railway tunnel above sea level, anywhere in Britain.^[1] Exiting from the tunnel, the line descended for 6½ miles along a 1:38 slope by the side of Glyn Collwyn. The sharp gradient of the approach regularly taxed the capacity of steam engines running along it.^[1]
• A second tunnel was situated at Talyllyn located about 5 miles (8.0 km) to the east of Brecon, just after Talyllyn Junction, (with the Cambrian railway). This tunnel is 674 yards (616 m) long, and was originally built in 1816 for the Hay Railway (see above). Like Torpantau tunnel, it survived long enough to become the oldest in regular use on Britain's railways, although the line had become a freight-only route at its demise.

Later history

The line was used in World War I by intensive coal trains, dubbed 'Jellicoe Specials', from the South Wales Coalfield travelling north towards Scapa Flow via the Mid-Wales Railway for use by warships of the Royal Navy.^[2]

Prior to the two sections of line being linked, the train services had been somewhat unpunctual, with unconnected timetables, and the company acquired the unenviable reputation of operating "slow trains". They became the butt of music-hall jokes.

By 1958, the line was running three services each way on weekdays, increasing to four on Saturdays, taking around 2½ hours to run from Brecon to Newport.^[1] The service had run at a substantial loss for most of its lifetime, and was an obvious target for closure in the Beeching Report. Passenger services were closed from Pontsticill Junction to Merthyr Tydfil in November 1961, with the remainder of services stopping at the end of the 1962.^[3] The line was closed completely after the withdrawal of goods services in 1964.^[1]

Rolling stock

• Locomotives: 35 Several of those were still running post-WWII
• Coaching stock: 69
• Goods vehicles (mainly coal): 629. Collieries also provided some, including Powell Dyffryn. By 1913, the line carried nearly 3.5 million tons a year of coal and 227,000 tons of other minerals.

Officers

Locomotive Superintendents

• J. T. Simpson (1863–1869)
• T. Mason (1869–1873)
• C. Long (1873–1888)
• E. C. Owen (1888–1922)

Post-grouping

The end of the Brecon and Merthyr

The line was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway following the Grouping. The ex-B&M system survived nationalisation into British Railways, but most were eventually closed during the 1960s, with all passenger services ending in December 1962. By 1980 only one short section of 10.5 miles (16.9 km) survived, serving coal traffic to Bedwas Navigation Colliery. With the demise of the coal industry in Britain the section between Bedwas and Machen was closed in 1985. The section between Machen and Bassaleg Junction (with the GWR Ebbw Valley line) remains to serve Hanson's limestone quarry.

The line today

Partial resurrection of the Brecon and Merthyr

In 1980 a private company, the Brecon Mountain Railway, began to build a narrow-gauge steam-hauled tourist line on the existing 5.5-mile (8.9 km) trackbed from Pant through Pontsticill to Dol-y-gaer. The initial section of 1.75 miles (2.82 km) from Pant to Pontsticill opened in June 1980. Passenger services extended to Torpantau in 2014.^[4][5]

Only one B&MR coach has survived into the present day; coach No.111 stands in a private residence.^[6] Only one goods wagon is known to still exist today; privately owned No.197 is currently at the Severn Valley Railway.^[7]

No locomotives are known to be preserved to the present day.

National Cycle Network

Some sections of the route have become part of the National Cycle Network. These routes are NCN 4 (Celtic Trail) between Machen and Trethomas, NCN 469 between Bargoed and Fochriw and NCN 8 (Taff Trail) between Torpantau and Talybont Reservoir. The section between Bedwas and Maesycwmmer is being considered to become part of NCN 468.

References

Citations

Sources

Further reading'

• The Brecon and Merthyr Railway, by D S M Barrie. Oakwood Press, 1957–1980
• A Brief History of Merthyr Tydfil, by Joseph Gross. Starling Press, 1980
• The Early History of the Old South Wales Iron Works, John Lloyd, 1906

External links

• Historical notes including maps of system
• Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway
• The Brecon Mountain Railway
• Brecon and Merthyr Railway Company on the Cardiffrail Website
• Alan George's The Photographic History Of Merthyr Tydfil

Historic Welsh railway companies Great Western Railway Aberdare Railway Aberdare Valley Railway Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Alexandra Docks and Railway Bala and Dolgelly Railway Bala and Festiniog Railway Barry Dock and Railway Barry Railway Blaenavon Tramroad Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Brecon and Merthyr Railway Bridgend Bristol and South Wales Union Railway Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway Cambrian Railways Cardiff Railway Cardiff and Ogmore Carmarthen and Cardigan Carmarthenshire Railway Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway Corris Railway Corwen and Bala Railway Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway Ely Valley Railway Ely Valley Extension Railway Gwendraeth Valleys Railway Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway Kington Tramway Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway Llancaiach Branch Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Llanidloes and Newtown Railway Llangollen and Corwen Railway Llangurig branch Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway Llynvi and Ogmore Railway Maerdy Branch Manchester and Milford Railway Mawddwy Railway Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway Mid-Wales Railway Monmouth and Hereford Railway Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway Neath and Brecon Railway Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Newtown and Machynlleth Railway North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway North Wales Mineral Railway Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway Oswestry and Newtown Railway Pembroke and Tenby Railway Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway Port Talbot Railway Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Rhymney Railway Rumney Railway Ross and Monmouth Railway Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway South Wales Railway Taff Vale Railway Tanat Valley Light Railway Vale of Glamorgan Railway Vale of Llangollen Railway Vale of Neath Railway Vale of Rheidol Railway Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway West Midland Railway Whitland and Cardigan Railway Wye Valley Railway Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway London and North Western Railway Anglesey Central Railway Bangor and Carnarvon Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway Carnarvonshire Railway Central Wales Railway Central Wales Extension Railway Chester and Holyhead Railway Chester & Connah's Quay Railway Conway and Llanrwst Railway Knighton Railway Llanelly Railway Red Wharf Bay Sirhowy Railway Swansea and Carmarthen Railway Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction Railway Vale of Clwyd Railway Joint lines Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway Quaker’s Yard and Merthyr Railway Taff Bargoed Railway Buckley Railway North Wales and Liverpool Railway Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Vale of Towy Railway Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway Wrexham and Minera Railway Independent lines Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad Fairbourne Railway Ffestiniog Railway Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Glyn Valley Tramway Hay Railway Kinmel Camp Railway Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway Snowdon Mountain Railway Swansea and Mumbles Railway Talyllyn Railway Van Railway Welsh Highland Railway Industrial railways Bailey's Tramroad Beaufort Ironworks Tramway Bryn Oer Tramway Buckley Tramroad Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway Cedryn Quarry Tramway Cowlyd Tramway Crawshay's Private Railway Crickheath Tramway Croesor Tramway Deeside Tramway Dinorwic Railway Dowlais Railway Eigiau Tramway Elan Valley Railway Gorseddau Junction And Portmadoc Railway Gorseddau Tramway Hendre-Ddu Tramway Kerry Tramway Little Ormes Head Quarry tramway Morda Tramway Nantlle Tramway Padarn Railway Penrhyn Quarry Railway Penydarren Tramway Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways Rhiwbach Tramway Saundersfoot Railway Trefor Quarry railway Tremadoc Tramway