Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
Encyclopedia
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was a railway company operating between 1860 and 1958 between the towns of Merthyr Tydfil
, Tredegar
and Abergavenny
through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire
and Monmouthshire
in south east Wales
.
By 1805, a total 24 miles (38.6 km) stretch of tramline had been laid to transport coal and iron ore to Newport Docks
, laid jointly by Tredegar Iron Company and Monmouthshire Canal. Pulled by teams of horses, in 1829 Chief Engineer Thomas Ellis was authorised to purchase a steam locomotive from the Stephenson Company. Built at Tredegar Works, it made its maiden trip on 17 December 1829.
the major local ironmaster
, mineowner and industrialist who was elected as the company's first Chairman.
Incorporated under an Act of Parliament ratified in August 1859, it was originally envisioned that the railway would be built and commence operations within five years. Finance was provided through the sales of shares, providing initial working capital of £150,000, with 7,500 shares of £20.00 per share.
The official start of construction started in June 1860, at what was to become Abergavenny Brecon Road station, when Crawshay Bailey's wife dug the first turf. A year later Chief Engineer John Gardner was put forward to provide expectant investors with the first annual report in the summer of 1861. He gave a typically optimistic and upbeat report detailing how the road and railway bridges along the track route were under construction and nearing completion in the lower Abergavenny section, how cuttings were being excavated and embankments established between Abergavenny and Brynmawr
. Rail had been laid where possible and an engine mounted on the tracks to further facilitate the speedy transport of construction materials to the section being laid, with work at this point focusing on the embankment between the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
, the River Usk
and the trackbed at Gilwern
.
However the Engineer's report kept the focus off the balance sheet, for the company's account went into overdraft in late 1861 and the London and North Western Railway
Company came in to take over the whole project. Under their management and resources the line was duly completed and operational between Abergavenny and Brynmawr by September 1862. This achievement had necessitated a brand new iron bridge over the River Usk, with a further seven bridges and two tunnels each of a quarter of a mile long. This section alone was amongst the steepest stretches of railway in Great Britain, climbing over 1,000 feet from the valley floor to Brynmawr station. The gradient was surveyed and recorded as 1 : 34 (2.94%) over the steepest section of track, a three-mile stretch. The early sceptics and doubters had voiced their concerns and seen some of the most difficult terrain conquered by inspiring Victorian
engineering
, skilled labour and vision and leadership.
Chief Engineer, John Gardner was called upon to oversee the widening of all the railway viaduct
s, the boring of two brand new rail tunnels, the laying of all the additional track and to carry out all necessary strengthening and support works.
Once this work was completed the railway operated at a level unforeseen at its inception. However, due to its steep and almost constant inclines, it was an expensive railway to run, costing much more per mile than many local, level tracks.
, the post-war nationalised conglomerate, with an eye on these costs and the possible costs associated with continued maintenance and repairs of the aging trackbed and engineering works after a century of use, announced that it would be closing the line. The saving would be £60,000 per annum.
The last public service ran on Saturday June 4, 1958, the very last train running was the 08.30 a.m. Abergavenny Junction to Merthyr station, hauled by an GWR pannier tank locomotive, with the down train being the 08.30 a.m. Merthyr to Abergavenny, also drawn by pannier.
On Sunday 5 June 1958 a special was laid on that summer evening, after dark, steaming uphill from Abergavenny to Merthyr to commemorate the closing of the line. The train driver was Mr. G.E. Lewis, his fireman Mr. D. Hinton and the train's guard was Mr. Hubert James, of Abergavenny. Crowds had gathered at viewpoints at the trackside along the entire route, with large crowds at Brynmawr station. The train then completed the journey to Merthyr and turned around for the return leg complete with whistle-up's at every station on the very last run, householders along the route turning their kitchen and bedroom lights on and off to signal the trains passing and the passing of an era for this particular stretch of line.
north west of Abergavenny
, passing through the villages of Llanfoist
, Govilon
, Gilwern
, gradually rising up the Clydach Gorge
in Clydach to the outskirts of Brynmawr.
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
, Tredegar
Tredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
and Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
and Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
in south east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Background
The railway was created through the need to transport raw materials to and products from the iron works of the Tredegar Iron Company. Developments included:- Rassa Railroad: a tramway built in 1794 to connect the Sirhowy Ironworks to the Beaufort Ironworks, and connected them to several limestone quarries at Trevil.
- Llanhiledd Tramroad: from Crumlin (low level) north to Ebbw Vale.
- Monmouthshire Canal Tramway: from Newport to Crumlin (low level).
- Sirhowy Tramroad: From Holy Bush to Nine Mile point, which then connected to the Monmouthshire Canal Tramway.
By 1805, a total 24 miles (38.6 km) stretch of tramline had been laid to transport coal and iron ore to Newport Docks
Newport Docks
Newport Docks is the collective name for a series of docks in the city of Newport, South Wales.-Background:Newport was a small fishing port and market town until the coming of the industrial age at the beginning of the 19th century...
, laid jointly by Tredegar Iron Company and Monmouthshire Canal. Pulled by teams of horses, in 1829 Chief Engineer Thomas Ellis was authorised to purchase a steam locomotive from the Stephenson Company. Built at Tredegar Works, it made its maiden trip on 17 December 1829.
Incorporation
The need to improve infrastructure and connect with other systems brought about the need to incorporate the railway as a separate entity. The project was driven forward by Crawshay BaileyCrawshay Bailey
Crawshay Bailey was an English industrialist who became one of the great iron-masters of Wales.-Early life:Bailey was born in 1789 in Great Wenham, Suffolk, the son of John Bailey, of Wakefield and his wife Susannah...
the major local ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
, mineowner and industrialist who was elected as the company's first Chairman.
Incorporated under an Act of Parliament ratified in August 1859, it was originally envisioned that the railway would be built and commence operations within five years. Finance was provided through the sales of shares, providing initial working capital of £150,000, with 7,500 shares of £20.00 per share.
Construction
The project, under Chief Engineer John Gardner, consisted of three parts:- The formal railway engineering of the existing sections, up from tramway to full Her Majesty's Railway InspectorateHer Majesty's Railway InspectorateEstablished in 1840, HM Railway Inspectorate was the British organisation responsible for overseeing safety on Britain's railways and tramways...
standards - The drive north from Trevil to Abergavenny
- The drive south from Nantybwch to Merthyr, which would prove to be the biggest civil engineering and hence cost challenge to the company
The official start of construction started in June 1860, at what was to become Abergavenny Brecon Road station, when Crawshay Bailey's wife dug the first turf. A year later Chief Engineer John Gardner was put forward to provide expectant investors with the first annual report in the summer of 1861. He gave a typically optimistic and upbeat report detailing how the road and railway bridges along the track route were under construction and nearing completion in the lower Abergavenny section, how cuttings were being excavated and embankments established between Abergavenny and Brynmawr
Brynmawr
Brynmawr is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys...
. Rail had been laid where possible and an engine mounted on the tracks to further facilitate the speedy transport of construction materials to the section being laid, with work at this point focusing on the embankment between the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to...
, the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
and the trackbed at Gilwern
Gilwern
Gilwern is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales. The name is translated from the Welsh language as "the nook near the alder grove". It is within the Llanelly parish ward of Monmouthshire County Council, west of market town of Abergavenny.-Attractions:...
.
However the Engineer's report kept the focus off the balance sheet, for the company's account went into overdraft in late 1861 and the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
Company came in to take over the whole project. Under their management and resources the line was duly completed and operational between Abergavenny and Brynmawr by September 1862. This achievement had necessitated a brand new iron bridge over the River Usk, with a further seven bridges and two tunnels each of a quarter of a mile long. This section alone was amongst the steepest stretches of railway in Great Britain, climbing over 1,000 feet from the valley floor to Brynmawr station. The gradient was surveyed and recorded as 1 : 34 (2.94%) over the steepest section of track, a three-mile stretch. The early sceptics and doubters had voiced their concerns and seen some of the most difficult terrain conquered by inspiring Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, skilled labour and vision and leadership.
Operations
In 1869, after seven more years, the railway was completed to Merthyr Tydfil station, in 1869. Only at this late stage that the railway was able to approach running at optimum operational effectiveness and traffic, both freight and passenger, was sufficient to enable the company to envisage dualling the line to maximise traffic both ways.Chief Engineer, John Gardner was called upon to oversee the widening of all the railway viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
s, the boring of two brand new rail tunnels, the laying of all the additional track and to carry out all necessary strengthening and support works.
Once this work was completed the railway operated at a level unforeseen at its inception. However, due to its steep and almost constant inclines, it was an expensive railway to run, costing much more per mile than many local, level tracks.
Closure
In 1957 British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, the post-war nationalised conglomerate, with an eye on these costs and the possible costs associated with continued maintenance and repairs of the aging trackbed and engineering works after a century of use, announced that it would be closing the line. The saving would be £60,000 per annum.
The last public service ran on Saturday June 4, 1958, the very last train running was the 08.30 a.m. Abergavenny Junction to Merthyr station, hauled by an GWR pannier tank locomotive, with the down train being the 08.30 a.m. Merthyr to Abergavenny, also drawn by pannier.
On Sunday 5 June 1958 a special was laid on that summer evening, after dark, steaming uphill from Abergavenny to Merthyr to commemorate the closing of the line. The train driver was Mr. G.E. Lewis, his fireman Mr. D. Hinton and the train's guard was Mr. Hubert James, of Abergavenny. Crowds had gathered at viewpoints at the trackside along the entire route, with large crowds at Brynmawr station. The train then completed the journey to Merthyr and turned around for the return leg complete with whistle-up's at every station on the very last run, householders along the route turning their kitchen and bedroom lights on and off to signal the trains passing and the passing of an era for this particular stretch of line.
Present
Today most of the old trackbed is a cycleway and waymarked walk through the valley of the River UskRiver Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
north west of Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, passing through the villages of Llanfoist
Llanfoist
Llanfoist is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales at , very near Abergavenny.The name of the village derives from St. Fwyst, an early Christian Welsh Saint.-Attractions:...
, Govilon
Govilon
Govilon is a small Welsh village located between Llanfoist and Gilwern near Abergavenny in north Monmouthshire.- Attractions :The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal passes through the village and . The village has views overlooking the valley of the River Usk and up to the heights of the southern...
, Gilwern
Gilwern
Gilwern is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales. The name is translated from the Welsh language as "the nook near the alder grove". It is within the Llanelly parish ward of Monmouthshire County Council, west of market town of Abergavenny.-Attractions:...
, gradually rising up the Clydach Gorge
Clydach Gorge
The Clydach Gorge is a steep-sided valley in south-east Wales down which the River Clydach flows to the River Usk. It runs for 5.6km from the vicinity of Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent eastwards and northeastwards to Gilwern in Monmouthshire...
in Clydach to the outskirts of Brynmawr.