Rhymney Bridge railway station was a station on the London and North Western Railway's Heads of the Valleys line serving the village of Llechrhyd in the Welsh county of Glamorganshire.[1]
Rhymney Bridge | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rhymney Bridge station, 1951 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Llechrhyd, Caerphilly Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°46′40″N 3°17′55″W / 51.7778°N 3.2987°W |
| Grid reference | SO104095 |
| Platforms | 3 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Nantybwch and Rhymney Joint |
| Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway and Rhymney Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway and Great Western Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 2 October 1871 | Opened for Rhymney Railway services |
| 1 January 1873 | Start of L&NWR services |
| 21 September 1953 | Withdrawal of Rhymney services |
| 22 November 1954 | Withdrawal of goods facilities |
| 6 January 1958 | Final closure |
History edit
The first section of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway from Abergavenny to Brynmawr was opened on 29 September 1862.[2] The line was leased and operated by the London and North Western Railway (L&NWR) which acquired the smaller railway company on 30 June 1866.[3][4] On 1 March 1864, the line was extended from Brynmawr to Nantybwch.[5] A further 3-mile (4.8 km) extension to Rhymney Bridge through to Rhymney was jointly constructed by the L&NWR and the Rhymney Railway; the section to Rhymney Bridge was double-track whilst the Rhymney portion was single-track.[5] The joint line came into operation on 5 September 1871 when the junction was opened; the L&NWR had running powers over the Rhymney's line to Cardiff Docks.[5]
The station, which was at first known as Rumney Bridge,[6] opened to Rhymney services on 2 October 1871 and to L&NWR services on 1 January 1873.[6][7] It took its name from the bridge over the River Rhymney which was situated a short distance to the south-east; the nearest settlement was the village of Llechrhyd.[8] The station had three platform faces[9] and, as with the junction at Nantybwch, the signal box stood in the "V" of an island platform.[10] The two platforms serving the Abergavenny and Merthyr line had no passenger accommodation, although a brick station building stood on the Merthyr platform.[11] This structure has been described as "resembling a peasant's dwelling from the bleak wastes of northern China".[12] Rhymney Bridge itself was situated in a desolate location, with scant protection from the inclement weather provided by a weather-boarded footbridge linking the platforms.[13] The Rhymney branch platform was situated at a lower level to the main line platforms and was skirted by two goods loops which were useful for slow-moving goods trains.[14]
As a result of decline in the local industry and the costs of working the line between Abergavenny and Merthyr,[15] passenger services ended on 4 January 1958.[16] Services on the Rhymney branch had ceased on 23 September 1953[17][18] and goods facilities were withdrawn from Rhymney Bridge on 22 November 1954.[19] The last public service over the Merthyr line was an SLS railtour on 5 January 1958 hauled by LNWR 0-8-0 49121 and L&NWR Coal Tank No. 58926.[16][20] At Rhymney Bridge, a laurel wreath was placed on the smokebox door of No. 58926.[15][21] Official closure came on 6 January.[22][23][24]
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dowlais Top Line and station closed |
London and North Western Railway Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway |
Nantybwch Line and station closed | ||
| Terminus | London and North Western Railway and Rhymney Railway Nantybwch and Rhymney Joint Line |
Rhymney Line closed, station open |
Present edit
The site of the station has been lost under the A465 road.[9][25][26] The branch to Rhymney has been obliterated by the A469 road.[9]
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ Conolly (2004), p. 8, section A5.
- ^ Tasker (1986), p. 18.
- ^ Awdry (1990), p. 93.
- ^ Hall (2009), p. 63.
- ^ a b c Tasker (1986), p. 21.
- ^ a b Quick (2009), p. 330.
- ^ Butt (1995), p. 197.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. XX.
- ^ a b c Edge (2002), fig. 98.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 94.
- ^ Edge (2002), figs. 95 and 98.
- ^ Hall (2009), p. 67.
- ^ Edge (2002), figs. 94 and 95.
- ^ Edge (2002), figs. 94 and 96.
- ^ a b Hall (2009), p. 68.
- ^ a b Tasker (1986), p. 139.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 96.
- ^ Page (1988), p. 155.
- ^ Clinker (1988), p. 115.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 65.
- ^ Tasker (1986), p. 140.
- ^ Quick (2009), p. 386.
- ^ Clinker (1988), p. 137.
- ^ Butt (1995), p. 234.
- ^ Hall (2009), p. 69.
- ^ Tasker (1986), p. 141.
Sources edit
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- Clinker, C. R. (1988) [1978]. Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1980 (2nd ed.). Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 978-0-905466-91-0. OCLC 655703233.
- Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
- Edge, David (September 2002). Abergavenny to Merthyr including the Ebbw Vale Branch. Country Railway Routes. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-915.
- Hall, Mike (2009). Lost Railways of South Wales. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-172-2.
- Page, James (1988) [1979]. South Wales. Forgotten Railways. Vol. 8. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-946537-44-5.
- Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
- Tasker, W.W. (1986). The Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny Railway and branches. Poole: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-86093-339-7.