1411

ABOVE: (Item 2557) Penmaenmawr 07.32, empty wagons (03.05 ex-Doncaster Decoy

y) arrive; Up P1 is below. BELOW: On the Through Road, looking west, P1 bottom left.





PREVIOUS: The train is split between the central loading hopper pinch point. B

BELOW: Running round both portions, Penmaenmawr station is upper right.

BELOW: After rejoining the two portions and propelling the train back toward

ds the end of line, the first wagon is being loaded - looking west to Chester.

BELOW: Loading at the pinch point, top left is the signal box, mid-right is the cripple road with buffer stops.

BELOW: The 'Stop and Telephone' sign at the exit from the sidings is very faded…

BELOW: The (Bangor) end of line, the train continues to load. The G

Great Orme (Llandudno) is upper left and the main road is the A55.

BELOW: The loaded wagons depart (11.49 to Tuebrook Sidings). All photos

s by our roving Fort William photographer, Nick Jones on Thur 6 Oct 2022.

2561] Craven Arms: (BLN 1404.1721) Construction of the footbridge to replace Wistanstow Footpath
No50 line crossing on the Shrewsbury side of of the road level crossing was well under way in late Oct.

2562] Aber (Caerphilly) meets its Waterloo: (BLN 1384.2407) Following the Aug 2021 emergency
repairs, this station is TCP (temporarily closed to passengers) from Mon 10 Oct until Mon 21 Nov 2022
inclusive for further essential platform maintenance and resurfacing works. The platforms are closed
to the public during this period so are unavailable to Dancing Queens etc. Aber had 228,000 recorded
passengers in 2019-20 and 15,712 in 2020-21. Interestingly replacement buses are only provided after
20.30 Mon-Thur when they cover Caerphilly (excl) to Rhymney due to electrification works. This is
probably on the basis that it is only ¾ mile from Caerphilly station and saves Money Money Money.
The amended Working Timetable shows 'unadvertised stops' but big signs remind drivers not to stop.

2563] Abergony: (TRACKmaps 3 p30C 2018) Approaching Abergavenny from the south, the crossing rail of
the first facing points in the Up Main (23m 32ch) to the Up Goods Loop had been plain lined by 15 Oct.

2564] The Narrow Gauge in Pembrokeshire by Martin Connop Price Part 8, Royal Naval Mines Depot,
Milford Haven: (BLN 1410.2422) Pembroke Dock on the south side of Milford Haven was once noted
for its naval dockyard, opened in 1814, which built many Royal Navy warships and auxiliary vessels.
Various squadrons of the fleet regularly visited the Haven and, on Armistice Day in Nov 1918, some
warships were allowed to fire star shells to celebrate the end of the conflict. Although it was decided
to close the dockyard in 1922, the link with the Royal Navy was not entirely severed. The former
shipbreaking yard of TW Ward, adjoining Castle Pill, Milford Haven, was sold to the Crown in 1934 for
redevelopment as a Royal Naval Mines Depot. The land adjoining the waterway to the east of Castle
Pill already carried a standard gauge railway, of complex history, known as the 'Milford Haven Estate
Railway' which, by 1883, continued out to a pier at Newton Noyes, initially intended for transatlantic
business. Sadly hopes for this project were not fulfilled, and for years the pier (map) was little used.
Once the Admiralty was involved though, the rail served pier became a positive asset and was soon
extended and adapted for the safe shipment of mines and munitions. [BLN is a mine of information.]

Construction of the Mines Depot began almost as soon as the land was acquired. In addition to several
buildings, a major aspect of the work was the need to drive numerous tunnels into the hillside above
the Haven, primarily to create secure working areas and munitions magazines. It is known that the
contractors employed had the use of three 2ft gauge 4-wheel Hibberd petrol locomotives, which were
removed at the end of the contract. The Depot was provided not only with a standard gauge railway
but also metre gauge track, primarily for use in and around the magazines and underground areas.

As is the way with most such sites, very little is known of railway activity around the Mines Depot but
the standard gauge system had an allocation of at least nine diesel locomotives and. for a couple of
years, improbably, two ancient LNER Class Y9 0-4-0 saddle tanks of North British Railway origin. On the
metre gauge, six small battery locomotives were employed in the early days. From 1941 there were
two diesels, with another added before the end of WWII. In the 1960s three further diesels arrived.
It was surely some measure of the depot's importance that two more were introduced as late as 1983.

According to the historian DJ Davies, the Mines Depot became active in 1940 and promptly became
Britain's principal production plant for sea mines. From June 1940, it aimed to turn out 230 Mark IV
mines a day, 1,300 'R' mines a week, and 250 huge 'A' mines a month. In the early years of the war its
principal objective was the laying of huge minefields in home waters, the Western Approaches and the
Bay of Biscay. Accordingly minelayers regularly called at Newton Noyes to collect these lethal cargoes
and continued to do so for the duration of the hostilities. The minelayer as a distinct category of
warship was phased out by about 1960 but a number of other vessels had the capacity to lay mines
and for many years the Royal Navy continued to maintain a (declining) number of minehunters.
Even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Mines Depot activity was reduced and in the 1980s
most of the standard gauge locomotives were moved away. After 1983 only the two most modern
metre gauge diesels remained in use and even these were phased out by 1988. Presumably thereafter
road transport sufficed for the depot's needs, until the entire site was closed down in 1991. Adapted
for BLN from RCHS Journal of Jul 2020 by kind permission of author and editor (still to be continued!).

ABOVE: 1956 map; Milford Haven station is top left, the standard gauge line to Newton Noyes Pier
(bottom right) can be traced. Needless to say, the Mines Depot itself and metre gauge are not shown.

2565] Gaer Jn/Ebbw Jn - Ebbw Vale: (BLN 1407.2093) The line was closed Sat 22 - Sun 30 Oct inclusive
to coincide with the ... er … ENGLISH half term week (a week before most Welsh schools - oops!).
It was to renew over ½km of track at Crosskeys, replace an underbridge at (appropriately) Newbridge
and construct platform extensions and new Up platforms at Llanhilleth and Newbridge. These are all
OOU until commissioning. Replacement buses ran Ebbw Vale Town branch stations to Cardiff Central
only; Newport passengers could use rail tickets on Stagecoach buses passing Newport station to Pye
Corner, Rogerstone, Risca and Crosskeys stations (or stops close by). Newport to Crosskeys seems to
be first 'in line' for train cancellations and has been observed operating with 1-car Class 153/9 DMUs.

2566] Onllwyn/Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE): (BLN 1410.2437) Momentum is gathering.
As part of its initial development, GCRE proposes to construct 14 sidings on the former washery site as
(yet more!) storage for TfW stock, which will of course require complete remodelling of the layout.
It intends to purchase from NR the land area currently leased to Celtic Energy, including Onllwyn Road
overbridge and further land immediately west which is currently part of the national network. It is in
separate discussions with Celtic Energy to purchase the Onllwyn Washery site. As a result, the NR
boundary will retreat 31ch southwards from 10m 10ch to 9m 59ch. GCRE had invited prospective
supply chain partners and suppliers to a business event at Cardiff City Hall on 2 Nov to advise them
about contracts expected to be worth in the region of £250M.

2567] TfW Loco haulage: (BLNs 1379.1768 & 1392.142) The additional ex-Grand Central coaches have
been on test runs over the North Wales Coast ready for the Dec timetable change. The SSuX service
shows Class 67+Mk4 sets diagrammed for a 05.36 Swansea to Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) and 16.30
return plus six Cardiff Central (CDF) to MAN and five return workings balanced by a 22.30 ECS MAN to
Crewe which forms the 04.54 service from there to CDF next day (four diagrams). The existing three
CDF to Holyhead services each way (two diagrams) are unchanged but even this still suffers Class 150
and 175 substitutions quite often, so it remains to be seen what actually happens in Dec! (CARS)

2568] Neath & Brecon Jn - Cwmgwrach: (BLN 1348.870) (TRACKmaps 3 p23B 2018) This 'mothballed'
branch has effectively been put OOU by the installation of a 'temporary' stop block at 41m 11ch (from
Pontypool Road via Aberdare - if only!), reducing its length to just 6ch! A spate of recent railway crime
… (scrap thieves cut 100m of rail into 2m lengths for removal near Clyne Level Crossing (37m 34ch) in
early Oct) has prompted this. Repairs, if the branch was ever to be reactivated, are put at £42,700.

BELOW: (Item 2569) The south portal of the former double track Gelli Tu

unnel on looking towards Treherbert. (Nick Jones again, 22 Feb 2002.)

2569] Cymmer Afan - Blaengwynfi: (BLN 1362.2928) In Feb 2021, Neath Port Talbot Council received a
request for filming in the 166yd Gelli Tunnel on this section of the Rhondda & Swansea Bay line.
CA 13 Jun 1960, traffic was diverted via the parallel GWR Abergwynfi branch and a new connection
44ch east of the tunnel. Despite owning it, the Council had no records of the tunnel (!), so arranged an
inspection. This found it was unsafe for public access as parts had collapsed. The condition of the
brickwork section at the north end of the tunnel was good but the remainder was of masonry in a
poor state which would require substantial work. The filming request was therefore declined and an
emergency closure imposed with palisade fencing at each end. The council has now voted to continue
this but, although not listed, it regards the tunnel as a 'heritage' structure and a feasibility study for its
future use may now be carried out with options to be submitted within the next 12 months.

ABOVE: 1960/61 map Cymmer stations are lower left with the line to Maesteg and Bridgend heading
south in tunnel. The famous almost two mile Rhondda Tunnel goes off top right corner to Treherbert.

The Abergwynfi branch terminus is right and Gelli Tunnel (see item above) is arrowed.

1411 MINOR RAILWAYS (Peter Scott) minor-railways-news@branchline.uk

MR200] MINOR RAILWAYS - 34th EDITION - 2022 SUPPLEMENT No3

NEW ENTRIES

15 DORSET

Poole Park Railway, Parkstone Road, Poole

10¼" O 660yds SZ025912 (Line reopened 02/09/22)

18 HAMPSHIRE

Brickworks Miniature Railway, Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum, Swanwick

7¼" D 280yds SU500098 ♣ 01489 576248

(New line opened 14/08/22, replacing previous line on site)

♣ = Limited operation (less than one day per week, typically one or two Sundays per month)
 = Operates on special events or occasions only

OTHER AMENDMENTS

16 Bentley Miniature Railway Amend layout to: C. (Layout at Glynbourne Wood amended c2020)
16 Audley End Miniature Railway

Amend layout to: B (Station return loop no longer covered in passenger service)
16 Barnards Miniature Railway Amend  to: 01277 811262
18 Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum

Delete entry (Line closed and replaced by a new line, which opened 14/08/22. See above)
20 Stockholes Farm Miniature Railway

Delete entry (Public open days ceased. Last open day was 26/08/19)
27 John F Kennedy Aboretum Miniature Railway Delete entry (Line out of use. Last ran c2017)
29 Garw Valley Miniature Railway Amend length to: 104yds

(Line repositioned between 27/05/19 & 26/08/19)
30 Rhiw Valley Light Railway Delete entry (Line closed. Last ran 02/10/22) © Peter Scott Oct 2022

MR201] Stockholes Farm Miniature Railway, Lincolnshire (MR p20) (BLN 1124.MR228): Since the
pandemic, this private very complex 7¼" gauge railway no longer has any public running due to
reducing volunteer numbers (down to eight), unpredictable numbers attending and no insurance for
carrying the public. The final public running day was Bank Holiday Monday 26 August 2019, pre-Covid.
The railway remains operational and is available for pre-arranged party visits. [It is a target for a
Society visit on Sunday 8 January 2023, the day after our next Scunthorpe steelworks railtour nearby.]

MR202] Threlkeld Quarry Railway, Cumbria (MR p14) (BLN 1233.MR64): The Threlkeld Quarry &
Mining Museum is in an old microgranite quarry just south of the main A66 road, three miles east of
Keswick. It is well signposted. The museum can be reached by Stagecoach bus X4 from Penrith railway
station. This stops about a mile away in Threlkeld village on the other side of the A66. But it is a bit of
an uphill slog from there. The Museum is open from the start of the Easter Holidays until the end of
October half term, but not Mondays in term time. Trains normally run every day the museum is open.

Timetables and motive power vary. Santa specials also operate later in the year. The 2ft gauge railway
is just under half a mile long and takes passengers up from a platform below the museum building to
the top of the quarry. The gradient is 1 in 20 in places. The engine then runs round and riders may
disembark to watch. Our member visited on Sunday 18 September during a working weekend for the
Vintage Excavator Trust, also based at the quarry. To cope with the numbers of visitors, an enhanced
steam hauled service was in operation, with trains every 30 minutes. A rake of six open carriages,
three covered and three uncovered, was hauled by 0-4-0ST 'Sir Tom'. This saddle tank loco was built
by Bagnall of Stafford (works No2135) in 1925 and worked at British Insulated Callender's Cables in
Kent until 1968. After laying idle for over 30 years, it arrived at Threlkeld in 2001, and has undergone
complete restoration. The railway also has a Hunslet 50hp 0-4-0 DM and a Ruston 48 DL diesel engine.

On its return journey the train stopped midway at a covered spot by the workshop. Passengers were
invited to disembark to watch crane demonstrations and enjoy bacon butties, cake and hot drinks,
should they so wish. The railway boasts a complex layout, which would make any all-lines tour both
challenging and rewarding. At the base station, there is a run round loop, a shed and a couple of
sidings. Two steep overgrown tracks, disconnected from the rest, lie beyond. On the other side of the
main running line, just before the platform, a spur branches down to the left towards a lower level,
which is an extension to a new station. Halfway up the hill, a track leads off the main line to the
workshop area where various roads can be reached after reversal. To add to the complexity, various
sidings are at the top of the quarry where the engine runs round. Tickets are sold at the main museum
building by the car park. Normally £7.50, they give the bearer admission to the museum and one
return trip on the railway. However, with this being a special event day, the price was increased to £10
but gave unlimited rides. Our member took full advantage. An attractive card ticket was issued and
subsequently punched. This was about the size of a credit card with a colour picture of the train.

MR203] South Tynedale Railway, Cumbria (BLN 1410.MR191): A member comments that the Railway
also cancelled services on 20 August and 1 & 2 October with very little notice. Given that they want
people to book, rather than turn up on spec, these cancellations do not exactly encourage people to
commit when other non-refundable expenses may be incurred. It would be interesting to see how the
volunteer situation is next year, but members may want to think carefully before committing to visit
themselves while the current situation persists. [Or perhaps volunteer to help if possible? - BLN Ed.]

MR204] Donegal Railway Heritage Centre, County Donegal (BLN 1389.MR214): The Centre now has a
7¼" gauge railway, which carried its first passengers on 9 August 2022 according to their Facebook
page. Indeed, our Chairman and Jenny Williamson visited and had a ride on the railway on 25 August!
It is probably best described as semi-permanent or even peripatetic. There was going to be a big 'do'
at the Heritage Centre that evening. The railway outside the engine shed was going to be lifted in
advance, to remove any H&S concerns, but the engine shed seemed to be a permanent fixture.
Train rides are available when the Heritage Centre is open 'when there are sufficient staff to cover'.
The track from engine shed to beyond the point work was not in use, as the train has a habit of
derailing on the point, which it duly did when it was drawn out for our Chairman to ride on!

ABOVE: (Item MR 202) 'Sir Tom' on a train at Threkeld Quarry. (Peter Zemroch. 18 Sep 2022.)

BELOW/NEXT: The Railway has connected the points laid in Apr (by Martyn Brailsford and Barrow Hill P'Way team)
in the middle shed headshunt up to the Boiler Shop. The last panel into it is expected to be dual gauge 2ft/2'6''



BELOW: Martyn and his gang spent the weekend of 16/17 Oct at Threlkeld la
The plan over the winter, when the site closes to the public, is to lay track ov
terminal station. The first right hand point, built a few years ago, is ready to b
museum, entrance and car park north of the station site. Travel further into the

aying track panels from the grey box van seen to just before the gate (right).
ver the entrance road and in late Apr a gang will return to start on the new
be installed when the extension reaches the station. The aim is to have a new
e site will be then by train or on foot. (All Martyn Brailsford, 16/17 Oct 2022.)

BELOW: (Item MR204) Donegal Railway Heritage Centre, rare track on the new

w temporary 7¼'' gauge line and the shed; those coach bodies really do slope!

BELOW: To boldly go where no BLS member has (probably) gone before…, our C

Chairman rides 16 days after it opened. (Both Jenny Williamson, 25 Aug 2022.)

BELOW: (Item MR206) Rhiw Valley Light Railway; 'Jack' in the glorious setting

g of this railway, sadly, on its final day of operation. (Peter Scott, 2 Oct 2022.)

BELOW: (Item MR208) Strawberry Line Miniature Railway; 40135 with a full tr

rain passes lightly loaded Peak D70 in 5'' gauge days. (Paul Udey, 18 Jun 2009.)

BELOW: An impressive line up of steam and battery powered diesel outline

e locos at the Strawberry Line's Bath Road MPD. (Paul Udey, 18 Jun 2009.)





PREVIOUS, ABOVE & FOLLOWING TWO PAGES (Item MR 210) The Mease Valley Light Railway, a
substantial new 4-road shed for this new 12¼'' gauge line at Statfold Barn. (All Alan Portess, 11 Sep 2022.)

X.205] BELOW: A 6 May 1989 Society visit to Saltburn Miniature Railway with 13 members,
when the station was on the other (north) side of Skelton Beck (stream). The loco, 'Prince Charles',
is propelling back from the station loop to the end of line in true to BLS tradition. (Angus McDougall.)

BELOW: The Mease Valley Light Railway again, away from the turntable two tracks are set in a mass of concrete.

BELOW: To be continued…. The head of steel is currently the other side of the (far) bridleway, the
nearer road is an internal one. Please will our members visiting report on developments here?

MR205] Aln Valley Railway, Northumberland (MR p9): (TRACKmaps 2 p23D 2020) This railway was
visited by a party of six during a Railway Ramblers (RR) North East Area long weekend of activities on
Saturday 13 August. This day was in the printed timetable leaflet as a diesel day with five round trips
from Lionheart station to Greenrigg Halt (opened 16 April 2022). However, it turned out to have a
service worked by steam loco No20 'Jennifer', a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T of 1942 (from Llangollen on
3 July 2021 according to the Industrial Railway Society). The train was two corridor coaches plus a
brakevan and ran to the steam operating day schedule of four round trips between 11.00 and 15.40.
The 13.45 departure was quite well loaded with some 25 passengers, leaving somewhat late because a
volunteer acting as 'Meeter and Greeter' at a barrier on the approach to the Café cum Ticket Building
insisted on giving his spiel to each set of prospective passengers. Meanwhile the train guard prowled
the platform, flag in hand, as he waited for those reported to be intending to catch that train.
Thin Edmondson sized card tickets were issued and date stamped, slowly, by the booking desk man.

Departure from the nearer side of the two platform Lionheart station was thus delayed, but the ten
minute running time is generous enough that the 20 minutes allowed at Greenrigg gives plenty of
viewing and photographing time while the loco runs round. A well surfaced gravel foot and cycle path
now follows the single track on its south side, there being enough room on the once double track
formation, including over Cawledge Viaduct across a deep wooded valley. The new Halt, midway in the
two miles to Alnmouth, has a rounding loop with a platform on the north side track; also a rather odd
short east facing bay with no obvious passenger purpose nor operational need. [It is understood to be
for a refreshment coach - MR Ed.] The track ends in a short headshunt just east of the platform, the
buffer stop of which is directly beneath Greenrigg Lane overbridge. Exit from the platform is by a
sloping path eastwards up to the lane, with a similar ramp on the south side of the bridge at the end
of the parallel walking route. Passengers have the option of a single fare at £2 less than the return rate
and a scenic walk the other way. A spur footpath from the south side ramp is surfaced down to
beneath the bridge, adjacent to the buffer stop. Although it does not feature on the interpretation
board of local permissive paths on the Lane by the bridge, it is possible to proceed on a beaten track
through the vegetation in the cutting eastwards, for about ¾ mile, right to a locked Network Rail gate
just short of the convergence of the disused formation with the electrified East Coast Main Line.

The RR party noted that on some parts of this trackbed, through cutting, edge of woodland and then
around hillside, the clearly double track formation only had the northern half (sufficient for a single
track line) separately fenced. The walk there and back was completed with plenty of time to be back at
Greenrigg to catch the last return train of the day (also well loaded) at 15.30. The 7¼" gauge miniature
railway at Lionheart was noted to be running, but was not patronised (see BLN 1408.MR169).

MR206] Rhiw Valley Light Railway, Powys (MR p30) (BLNs 1263.MR148 & 1409.2331): This 15" gauge
railway held its final ever open day on Sunday 2 October 2022. Adult admission was £6 which allowed
unlimited riding with no tickets being issued. The open day was very well attended, mostly (at least in
the morning) by camera wielding enthusiasts. Both the railway's steam locomotives took turns on
hauling trains around the one mile circuit - one clockwise, the other anticlockwise. While the train was
out the other locomotive was turned on the triangle. At least two enthusiasts were noted taking cab
rides during this procedure to cover the station avoiding side of the triangle! [Fortunately Kev Adlam
arranged a very good all track tour on 26 May 2012 - advertised in BLN 1157.] At work were: 0-4-0
'Jack' (Rhiw/TMA 2003) and 0-6-2T 'Powys' (SL20 1973). Stabled outside the carriage shed was 4wPH
'Monty' (Jaco/Brunning 1989). The train was formed of three enclosed coaches (two bogie, one 4w)
and a guards van. The railway is set in lovely rural location near Manafon, running out around fields
adjacent to the River Rhiw. The railway was conceived in the late 1960s by its founder Jack Woodroffe,
an ex-professional musician who spent most of his working life in the retail musical instruments
business. Jack was a great enthusiast and built many railways in gauges ranging from OO to 15" gauge.

MR207] Severn Valley Railway, Shropshire (MR p7): On Thursday 29 September a member visited for
the Autumn Diesel Gala, which extended until Sunday 2 October. The gala ticket cost £34 (Thursday
and Sunday), although slightly more on the intervening days with later evening services. [-continued…]





PREVIOUS, BELOW & NEXT: (Item MR211) Saltburn Cliff Railway/Tramway/Fu

unicular (All Martin Crompton, 24 Aug 2022, some taken through dirty glass.)









BELOW: Carefully controlling and balancing the amount of water going into the