Rhondda’s TVR engine sheds and their duties, Part One: Treherbert
Part One: Treherbert
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D K Jones offering an introductory overview before turning the spotlight on the largest of the four ex-Taff Vale Railway sheds.
The Taff Vale Railway served both the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach. D K Jones offers an introductory railway overview to the locality before turning the spotlight on the largest of the TVR’s four sheds in the area and the duties covered.
The Rhondda is well known across the world due to the coal mining that took place mainly from 1809 to 1990 when Mardy Colliery in the Rhondda Fach closed, being the last coal mine in the Rhondda valleys. Perhaps less well known is that the Rhondda is in fact split into two separate valleys, the Rhondda Fawr (meaning big Rhondda) and Rhondda Fach (meaning small or little Rhondda). The source of both rivers is high up on the mountain, and the two rivers travel down the two valleys until they reach Porth (meaning gateway) where they converge and continue as one until meeting the River Taff at Pontypridd. Whilst the Rhondda starts at Pontypridd, Porth is technically the start of the Rhondda valleys.
With the expansion of coal production in the 19th century, the transportation of coal remained slow, via canals and roads at first, and it was a natural progression for railways to be constructed. Hereabouts, the prominent company in this aspect was the Taff Vale Railway (TVR), which originally built its line up the Rhondda Fawr to Dinas by 1841, and to Treherbert by August 1856. It then built a line up the Rhondda Fach from 1849, and eventually reached Maerdy by 1889. It is worth noting that in 1913 there were 53 pits working in the two valleys. However, it should be noted that the Taff Vale Railway did not have exclusivity in the Rhondda, as the Ely Valley Railway (leased to the Great Western Railway in 1861 and absorbed in 1903) constructed a line from Llantrisant via Tonyrefail, Penygraig and Gilfach Goch to exploit the coal production at Clydach Vale and its intermediate collieries, and locomotives for this line were provided by Llantrisant shed. The line from Coed Ely to the Rhondda, which was being used as a long siding, eventually closed when Cambrian Colliery ceased production on 31 March 1967.
Returning to the Taff Vale Railway story, the amount of traffic generated by coal production made servicing depots a necessity, and the TVR constructed engine sheds at Treherbert (1866) and Pwllyrhgebog (1863) in the Rhondda Fawr, and Ferndale (1866) in the Rhondda Fach, along with one at Coke Ovens, close to Pontypridd, in 1896. Treherbert, whilst almost at the limit of the Taff Vale Railway line up the Rhondda Fawr, was not the end of the line as it continued past Blaenrhondda, which was the first of the Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway (R&SBR) stations, and through the 3,443 yard Rhondda tunnel via the R&SBR to link up with other rail companies and continue to Swansea via Aberavon. The line to these locations was eventually closed on 26 February 1968 following the closure of Rhondda tunnel. As would be expected in the South Wales valleys, there were quite severe gradients from Pontypridd to Treherbert and from Porth to Maerdy, which tested the skills of enginemen. However, the most severe was the Pwllyrhebog incline, which at its steepest was 1 in 13 and was also cable-worked.
Treherbert
The first engine shed at Treherbert was a stonebuilt semi-roundhouse with seven tracks, the design of which was extremely rare in South Wales. The facilities included a water tank, coal stage and a turntable. By Act of 1921 the TVR was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway from 1 January 1922 and the Treherbert semi-roundhouse was closed by the GWR in June 1931 and demolished to be replaced by a four-road straight shed of brick and asbestos. It was built under the Guarantees & Loan Act of 1929 and included a coal stage with a water tank over, it was provided with a turntable and was sited adjacent to the station. Coded 88F from nationalisation in 1948, the shed was closed by British Railways in March
1965 and subsequently demolished. A nearby site was utilised as a servicing point for dieselmultiple-units and is still in use today.
In Great Western and British Railways (Western Region) steam days the allocation of engines at Treherbert was generally of the 0-6-2T type, which was the well tried and tested design in South Wales. However, during the life of the shed it had an allocation of three TVR
‘H’ class 0-6-0Ts that were used at Pwllyrhebog, a few 0-6-0PTs, 2-6-2Ts and, for a short period, British Railways Standard 2-6-2Ts. Treherbert locomotive allocation: 1 January 1934 0-6-2T: Nos 152, 279, 365, 366, 368, 373, 378, 399, 409, 486, 5601, 5608, 5611, 5615, 5627, 5636, 5639, 5640, 5646, 5659, 5665, 5676, 5680, 5687, 5691, 5695, 5698
On Wednesday, 15 July 1953 the following engines were seen on shed – all 88F, unless shown otherwise.
0-6-0PT: Nos 8460, 8465, 8489, 9470
0-6-2T: Nos 352, 366, 368, 378, 399, 5611, 5613,
5676, 5691, 5695
2-6-2T: No 4162
0-6-0PT: Nos 8419, 9425
2-6-2T: Nos 4124, 4126, 4177 (all 88A), 82032 0-6-2T: Nos 5668, 5678, 5688, 5691, 5693, 6629 (87B)
Key: 87B Duffryn Yard; 88A Cathays
Operations
The main work for the shed was to provide motive power for moving coal – there were 31 freight turns – from the numerous collieries and for transporting it to the various distribution sidings and to the docks for export. The pick-up points down the
Rhondda Fawr included Blaenrhondda, Fernhill, Tydraw, Bute-Merthyr, Abergorki, Cwmparc, Maendy, Gelli, Llwynypia, Naval, Dinas, Hafod, Gyfeillion, Tymawr, Maritime and Penrhiw, before passing through Pontypridd, when hopefully the fireman could build his fire up for a non-stop run to its destination. Other duties included the quite intense passenger services of 28 turns (and with an increase during the summer timetable period) to Cardiff, Penarth and Barry, as well as a service west to Swansea. As with most South Wales valleys’ sheds, other work included colliery and chapel outings to Barry Island, Porthcawl and Aberavon Beach, along with specials to Ninian Park and Cardiff Arms Park for football and rugby matches respectively. Generally, the passenger turns were TA, TB, TD, and TH in the Cardiff direction, while TG worked to the west (see later). I have accessed various British Railways era documentation to offer a fuller backdrop to the operational range and requirements of the shed, although the practices were mostly long-standing.
‘No departure from the booked workings can be made without the authority of the Controller. It will be the duty of the Train Controllers to keep in touch with all points and control the workings, generally ensuring that traffic from collieries, works, and junctions are promptly cleared and worked efficiently, such as maximum capacity of trains, unnecessary shunting, and avoidance of overtime.’
In the winter of 1957/58 Treherbert shed was responsible for the following mineral and freight workings on weekdays; in all there were about 17 target workings. Standard timetable abbreviations are used here, such as MX (Mondays excepted) and SX (Saturdays excepted), MO (Mondays only), and weekdays were considered to be Monday to Saturday.
T3: 1.10am MX – off shed at 1.02am – Work
Treherbert Van Sidings to Briton Ferry
T1: 10.30am – off shed at 10.22am – Work
Treherbert Van Sidings for local trips
T16: 3.00pm – off shed 2.52pm – Work
Treherbert Van Sidings to Radyr Junction
T17: 4.20pm – off shed 4.12pm – Work
Treherbert Van Sidings to Cadoxton
T18: 6.45pm SX – off shed 6.37pm – Work
Treherbert Van Sidings to Radyr Junction
T20: 9.05pm – off shed 8.50pm – Work
Treherbert Goods Yard to Stormstown Junction
T22: 11.00pm – off shed 10.52pm – Work
Treherbert Van Sidings to Briton Ferry
T24:v10.35pm SX – off shed 10.20pm – Work
Treherbert Goods Yard to Radyr Junction
Shunting engine duties by the early 1960s:
TP1: 6.40am – off shed 6.32am – Blaenrhondda
branch trips; eight hours
TP3: 7.50am – off shed 5.27am – Work Treherbert to Blaenycwm trips and banking as required; double turn
TP4: 5.00am – off shed 4.50am – Shunting stations in Rhondda Valley, one hour earlier MO; double turn
TP4R: Similar duties to TP4
TP6: 6.25am – off shed 6.12am – Shunting
stations in Rhondda Valley
TP7: 3.10pm SX – off shed 3.02pm –
Blaenrhondda branch trips
In regard to targets, it is interesting to note that in the early days of diesel-multipleunit working, certainly around March 1958, some of them carried the traditional target letters. By the late 1950s Treherbert shed had lost most of its steam-hauled passenger turns due to the introduction of diesel-multipleunits, but the mass of industrial installations still active in the vicinity and the relative late coming of dieselised goods services resulted in the need for a steam allocation through to 1965. Internal documents such as the Sectional Appendix included specific instructions that had to be adhered to by all staff to ensure maximum safety, and these examples were pertinent to the Treherbert operation.
Up trains for Tydraw and Blaenrhondda Colliery branches:
Up trains with thirty wagons or more for Tydraw and Blaenrhondda, instead of stopping at Rhondda and Swansea Bay Junction up home signal for the engine to be detached and run around its train, providing the signal is lowered, it must draw up to the main points so that the brake van will pass clear of the points leading from the up line to Bute Merthyr Colliery. Having come to a stand, the driver must await a signal from the guard before uncoupling the engine to run around. The Guard must secure the train before giving the driver the signal to uncouple and run around.
Propelling vehicles between R&SB Junction and Blaenrhondda stations:
Freight traffic, not exceeding five vehicles, may be propelled over the down line between R&SB Junction and Blaenrhondda. When it is necessary to propel vehicles into one of the down line sidings which is already occupied, the engine vehicles must be brought to a stand at the home signal, the points then to be set for the sidings to allow the traffic to be detached.
Running on wrong line between R&SB Junction and Blaenrhondda Junction signal boxes:
If necessary, an engine or engine and vehicles may run down the up line or up the down line between R&SB Junction and Blaenrhondda Signal Boxes. The guard or shunter in charge must communicate with the signalman and when authority is given for the movement will give the necessary hand signals to the driver.
Messrs T.C. Jones & Company’s Sidings, Cwmparc: These sidings are situated on the down side of the line and are connected by the up main by means of a trailing connection worked from Cwmparc Signal Box. WR engines are authorised to travel into one of the two sidings at the south end of the weighbridge but must proceed cautiously over the latter. Stopboards have been provided indicating the points to which WR engines may travel on the sidings north of the weighbridge.
Ynyswen Gound Frame:
This ground frame is situated on the down side of the down main line and works a trailing connection leading to Messrs. Polikoff ’s factory. There are two dead-end sidings for the exchange of traffic for the factory leading off the trailing connection to the down main line. Inward traffic must be detached in the sidings nearer to the down main line and outwards traffic picked up from the adjoining siding. Between these sidings and the firm’s premises the wagons will be transferred by means of a capstan.
Working of Trains R&SB Junction to Fernhill branch: Freight trains from R&SB Junction and Treherbert for the Fernhill Branch must be worked forward with a brake van next to the engine and to the rear of the train.
Llwynypia Upper Junction:
While wagons are being propelled into the Llwynypia Colliery Sidings, known as ‘The Gullet’, great care should be exercised as the radius of the curve is very tight.
Pitwood and other traffic for Naval Colliery: Guards of up trains having pitwood or other traffic for Naval Colliery Sidings must place the same on the sidings known as Naval Colliery Bridge Sidings and NOT in the empty road sidings.
Working of down trains, Pwllyrhebog signal box: Light engines, engines and vans, and freight trains consisting of less than 15 wagons must not be allowed to draw forward and stand at the down relief starting signal but must be held at the down home signal until permission for the train to enter the section has been received from the box in advance.
Assisting passenger trains in the rear in clear weather:
Treherbert to Blaencwm, distance 1 mile 56 chains, ruling gradient 1 in 54. When a passenger train booked to stop at Blaenrhondda requires assistance between Treherbert and Blaencwm the assisting engine must be coupled to the rear of the train between Treherbert and Blaenrhondda but then uncoupled at the latter and then assist to Blaencwm uncoupled. Trains not booked to stop at Blaenrhondda can be assisted in the rear from Treherbert to Blaencwm uncoupled.
Great Western Trust Collection
A mid- to late-1950s view of the south-east facing dead-end shed at Treherbert, the fleet of Collett ‘5600’ class 0-6-2Ts within conforming to the usual practice whereby engines worked chimney-first up the valley. There was a turntable provided, which is out of view to the left of the photographer between the shed and the main running line, and any crew booking on to travel west, beyond ex-TVR metals through Rhondda tunnel on the Rhondda & Swansea Bay route, would doubtless prefer to use the turntable, unless their journey was not a lengthy one. Sited immediately east of Treherbert station, looking beyond the shed we can just see the terrace housing on Cwmsaerbren Street, off Station Street.
An 1898 Railway Clearing House map shows the Rhondda valleys west of Pontypridd, as served by the Taff Vale Railway, which the Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway met beyond Treherbert. Other TVR routes are along Cwm Rhondda Fach, branching north from Porth, and a short route west of Tonypandy that was goods-only and included the Pwllyrhebog incline to reach Clydach Vale Colliery. The number of collieries needing to be served in the area is evident, but the TVR did not have a monopoly on moving coal by rail in these parts as the GWR had reached the high ground west of Tonypandy to also serve Clydach Vale Colliery.
D Chandler Collection/Kidderminster Railway Museum
Served from Eirw Branch Junction, Hafod – the branch appearing at the bottom right of this view – Cymmer Colliery was immediately south of Porth station, albeit on the opposite side of the Rhondda River, this north-west facing view being circa 1900. Note the private owner wagons branded ‘Insole’, the mineral rights here being leased by George Insole and his son James from September 1844, and by 1855 New Cymmer pit was added alongside. Tragically, on 15 July 1856 an explosion killed 114 of the 160 men and boys working underground. Damning evidence of poor working conditions was presented in court and the jury initially returned a verdict of manslaughter against the manager and four other officials, but all were subsequently acquitted. Investment in the 1870s saw the New Pit shaft deepened and wooden headgear replaced. Steam coal was produced here, while the nearby Cymmer Upper produced house and coking coal, the workforce at these pits in 1896 being 1,411 and 182 men respectively, but collectively speaking a count in 1918, with the needs of war pressing, saw more than 2,500 workers at Cymmer Old pits, Cymmer New, Cymmer No 2, and Cymmer Upper, the latter by then justifying just 24 men for maintenance. Production ceased in 1939, but until 1983 some pumping infrastructure remained here to safeguard Lewis Merthyr Colliery.
Author’s Collection
Opened on 4 February 1861, Porth Junction station is seen in June 1922. The lines going straight ahead lead up the valley towards Treherbert and Rhondda tunnel, whilst the pointwork diverging to the right just ahead of the signal box in the distance, as well as the platform to the far right, were for the branch up the Rhondda Fach to Maerdy.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
By the date of this photograph, Saturday, 16 April 1960, most passenger workings from Treherbert through the Rhondda tunnel into the Afan Valley were worked by diesel-multiple-units, this view recording a pair of three-car suburban units emerging from the tunnel and entering Blaengwynfi station on the former Rhondda & Swansea Bay section of line. The train is the 2.30pm service from Treherbert to Swansea (High Street). This bleak location boasted two lines, the other unseen in the foreground – it was the Bridgend & Abergwnfi route that served Avon Colliery, not far out of view to the right, until regular traffic ceased from there at the end of September 1969. The condition of Rhondda tunnel, the third longest in Wales, was such that trains ceased to use if after 26 February 1968, although it was not officially closed until 14 December 1970, which is when Treherbert officially became a terminus. Subsequently, the Rhondda Tunnel Society was formed in 2014 and the long-term aim is to reopen the tunnel as a cycle path, an inspection in 2018 revealing that 95% of the structure is in good condition.
L W Perkins/Kidderminster Railway Museum
On Sunday, 5 July 1936 the Treherbert shed yard is graced by two of the three ‘H’ class 0-6-0Ts, Nos 794 and 793, the latter looking particularly clean, and notably resplendent with a GWR shirt button logo on its side tanks. Ordinarily two of these engines would be outstationed at Pwllyrhebog at any time, with each working for a month on location and then spending about two weeks at Treherbert. Presumably, this visit coincides with a changeover, so one will be gone when work resumes on Monday. The coaling stage/water tower is impressive and provides a backdrop but it is rather overshadowed by the high ground to the north. The houses seen beyond No 793 are in Treherbert itself, the Rhondda River running between these and the engine shed.
Great Western Trust Collection
An undated view of the turntable in use at Treherbert’s semi-roundhouse records one of the trio of Kitson & Co-built ‘H’ class 0-6-0Ts completed in 1884 for use on Pwllyrebog incline, Treherbert being its home shed. Originally Taff Vale Railway Nos 141-143 and then GWR Nos 792-794, their railway was just 1¾ miles long, but 1 in 13 at worst and 1 in 30 at best. The steepest part of the climb was cable assisted, with the locomotive at the downhill end of trains, empties to Clydach Vale Colliery (or a light engine) counter-balancing downhill trains of loaded coal. To the left, within the shed the fitting staff have a handy trolley in use ahead of a Hurry Riches 0-6-2T that is yet to be re-boilered by the GWR, although that process proved fairly lengthy, running in various forms but beginning in earnest in 1924 and continuing well beyond the demolition of Treherbert semi-roundhouse in 1931. Surprisingly, given limited room, a singleline ran between the semi-roundhouse and the large brewery structure that provides a backdrop, this line acting as a loop serving Lady Margaret Colliery.
Courtesy Eddie Lyons
Treherbert c. 1932
The new four-road brick- and asbestos-built engine shed for Treherbert was on a new site to the south/east of the station and was served via a headshunt. Engine shed design had come a long way since the semi-roundhouse of 1866, the provision of an elevated coal stage removing much hard labour, and layouts were created for efficiency, albeit with a dead end shed a certain amount of forethought was required in regard to the stabling of engines and their ability to be accessed when required. This view represents the site when new and includes the location of the sand house, the position of two water columns, the boiler house and the offices.
L W Perkins/Kidderminster Railway Museum H C Casserley
A glimpse inside Treherbert shed allows us to appreciate the full-length smoke ventilation system designed to improve the working atmosphere for shed staff and locomotive crews, although all is quiet and smoke free as this is a Sunday shed visit on 23 July 1939. Centre stage is Hurry Riches-designed ‘O4’ class 0-6-2T No 302, his last design and one of 41 of these mixed traffic engines. Doubtless it was felt to be a worthy photographic subject as it was not yet adorned with a Standard No 3 boiler, and in this instance it would never receive one; 37 of the class did. New as Taff Vale Railway No 104 in July 1908 – Beyer, Peacock & Co Ltd Works No 5101 – this locomotive would serve until April 1948.
Murk hanging over Treherbert on 4 May 1951 aids what would ordinarily be a view into the sun, the subject being ‘A’ class 0-6-2T No 366 branded ‘BRITISH RAILWAYS’, complete with the backdrop provided by the pithead of Lady Margaret Colliery. John Cameron succeeded Hurry Riches as TVR locomotive superintendent in 1912 and the class ‘A’ was his mixed traffic contribution, albeit best suited to passenger work. Completed as Vulcan Foundry Works No 3183, it entered Taff Vale stock in August 1916 as No 132, becoming No 366 as a Great Western asset. The engine is seen with a Standard No 10 boiler – its first was gained in March 1929 – and it became a regular fixture at Treherbert, this view being recorded between duties at its home shed. The class would lose work to the BR Standard ‘3MT’ 2-6-2Ts from 1953, the demise of No 366 in October 1955 being fairly typical for the class.
H C Casserley
Facing south on shed we find TVR ‘A’ class 0-6-2T No 366 (originally Taff Vale Railway No 132) being watered on 27 June 1938. The 58 examples of this John Cameron-designed class were built by four different manufacturers, this example being Vulcan Foundry Works No 3183 of August 1916, albeit this view is with the Caerphilly Works addition of a Standard No 10 boiler to improve steaming, a change of March 1929. A smaller bore of cylinders was another modification, from 18½in x 26in stroke to 17½in, and at the same time the boiler pressure was raised to 200psi. Built as passenger engines, they boasted 5ft 3in coupled wheels, this particular example, at home in this view, serving in this form through to its withdrawal in October 1955.
H C Casserley/John Hodge Collection
Regular operations saw Treherbert locomotives routinely covering a broad area, such as Barry to the south and Swansea to the west. The work was varied, so to reflect this our photographic coverage is hereafter in date order, starting with the last summer of the GWR, and thus offering an additional perspective to the natural comings and goings of later years, and indeed the losses to modernisation. Long-term Treherbert engine, ex-TVR ‘A’ class 0-6-2T No 368 is seen at Swansea (High Street) station while adorned with Treherbert target TG ready to work a passenger service back to Treherbert via the Rhondda & Swansea Bay route and Rhondda tunnel on Tuesday, 8 July 1947. Completed by R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co Ltd (Works No 3395) as TVR No 134, in the rebuilt guise seen here, this 0-6-2T would serve until October 1956.
Philip J Kelley
Another Sunday shed visit, on 1 April 1961, and resident within Treherbert shed are Collett ‘5600’ class 0-6-2Ts Nos 5693, 5691, 5668 and 5678. Taking a tip from 0-6-2T success with the pre-grouping valleys’ locomotives, Charles Collett opted to build 200 of his own variant from 1924, as well as variously modifying the earlier designs to aid standardisation. It can be noted that all four of these locomotives enjoyed lengthy spells on the Treherbert books, No 5693, the nearest locomotive, seemingly spent its whole career here – more than 36 years (January 1927 through to January 1963).
Author’s Collection
A 1953 view records Treherbert-based ‘5600’ class 0-6-2T No 5691 waiting patiently for permission to enter colliery sidings, probably off the main line at Cwmparc, just south of Treorchy. The mineral branch served both Dare Colliery, which dated back to 1870 and became part of the Ocean Coal Co Ltd, and Parc Colliery, and with a 1955 amalgamation the name ‘Parc & Dare’ was born. The engine was a long-term 88F resident before leaving for Abercynon (88E) in February 1963, and it was eventually withdrawn from Radyr (88B) shed in June 1965, its demise coming around the same time as that of the Parc & Dare complex.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
Long term Treherbert 0-6-2T No 5693 approaches Waterhall Junction with special working No 6. Leaving Pontypridd at 2pm, it was heading for Ninian Park Halt where its excited passengers would disgorge and make their way to the nearby stadium to see Cardiff City play Charlton Athletic on Saturday, 12 March 1955. With a 4-3 score line to the home side, it would be a noisy return trip. Waterhall Junction is south of Radyr in the Taff vale, where the Llantrisant No 1 branch joined from the west – its demise came on 28 September 1964 with the end of workings over the 4½ mile section of line from Creigiau Quarry.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
The ex- Barry Railway somersault signal is off as the doyen of the BR Standard ‘3MT’ 2-6-2Ts, No 82000, heads away from Barry Island with the 11.30am stopping passenger to Treherbert, target TC, on Sunday, 16 May 1954. In the background is the scenic railway, which was the star attraction at the funfair. The two cyclists and the milk float epitomise the sparse road traffic of the day. This particular locomotive was new to Tyseley in April 1952 but appeared in South Wales in the four-week period to 8 August 1953, at Barry, and became a Treherbert asset about two months later.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
Saturday, 12 May 1956 brought a stranger in the camp, GWR ‘Dean Goods’ 0-6-0 No 2538 from Oswestry. It is seen approaching Treherbert from the north with a returning Gloucestershire Railway Society special. The tour ticket states ‘Gloucester Central to Neath General and back – out via Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport High Street, Risca, Aberbeeg and Merthyr’, and
‘return via Treherbert, Pontypridd, Caerphilly, St Fagans, Cardiff General, and Newport High Street.’ This was possibly the first and last time a tender engine had worked in the Rhondda Valley since TVR days. To the right is a former TVR composite coach built by the Cravens Railway Carriage & Wagon Co of Darnall, Sheffield in 1921; it is parked in the goods yard immediately north of the station. The train has just passed Rhondda & Swansea Bay Junction, where the TVR’s Rhondda Fawr branch heads due north while the R&SB took a sweeping route to its east before curving west and crossing the aforementioned TVR goods branch.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
On the same day, Treherbert shed turn TD was in the hands of ‘5600’ class 0-6-2T No 5688 seen approaching Llwynypia, climbing the 1 in 165 gradient, with the 3.45pm Barry Island to Treherbert stopping passenger train. These workings could be quite challenging to locomotive crews, especially the fireman, as there were 22 stops on the route.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
Less than five miles into its return journey, Treherbert-based Collett ‘5101’ class 2-6-2T No 5159 accelerates away from Dinas Powis station with the 10.30am Barry Island to Treherbert stopping passenger train, target TA. The writing was on the wall for this 1930-built engine as it would be withdrawn from Treherbert (88F) in mid-April 1956 and broken up at Swindon Works about a month later.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
Another of the 0-6-0PTs designed by F W Hawksworth, No 8460 of Treherbert shed, is working turn T13. It has picked up loaded mineral wagons from Lewis Merthyr Colliery at Trehafod and is heading up the valley past the signal box and station at Dinas Rhondda on the middle road, which was a feature of the valley, again on Saturday, 12 May 1956. The final destination of the train is unknown. The engine had arrived at Treherbert in March 1953 and it would be moved on to Radyr shed in June 1958. Lewis Merthyr is recalled for its Bertie and Trefor pits and would bring coal to the surface until 1958, when merged with Tymawr. Retained for the supply of materials for its sister pit, that role continued through to June 1983 and thus enabled the pithead gear to survive into preservation as part of the Rhondda Heritage Park.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
Another less common sight in the Rhondda were pannier tanks as the dominant allocation at the local sheds were 0-6-2Ts, but another view from Saturday, 12 May 1956 records Hawksworth 0-6-0PT No 8419 working turn TP6 from Treherbert shed. It is passing the signal box at Tonypandy & Trealaw with a class ‘J’ freight and has just passed the erstwhile site of the junction for the, by then long lost, Pwllyrhebog branch. Seen from Bridge Road, it will pass through Tonypandy & Trealaw station almost immediately and reach Porth in a little less than two miles. This locomotive was built by W G Bagnall & Co Ltd and entered traffic from 30 April 1950, albeit its years proved short, less than ten, due to the rapid drive towards modernisation and the loss of much traditional trip work.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
The shed cleaners at Treherbert have left their mark on Collett ‘5600’ class 0-6-2T No 5691 as it passes Maindy Halt on the outskirts of Cardiff, on turn TD, which is a five-coach ‘stopper’ from Barry Island on Saturday, 25 May 1957. Maindy Bridge Signal Box is visible to the left. Curiously, the halt in this view – previously known as Maindy North Road Halt – was only established on the up side, up hereabouts being up the valley, which was not very handy for anyone wanting to travel the 1¼ miles south from here to Cardiff (Queen Street).
S Rickard/J & J Collection
In very clean condition and carrying Treherbert’s T16 target, Collett ‘5600’ class 0-6-2T No 5687 is approaching Pentyrch Crossing near Taffs Well with the 7.10pm Radyr Junction to Gelli Colliery class ‘K’ mineral empties on Friday, 10 July 1959. New from Swindon Works in January 1927, post-war this locomotive saw action from Cardiff Cathays, Cardiff East Dock and Radyr sheds before reaching Treherbert in the summer of 1958; its time there lasted until December 1962. Whilst the engine survived until December 1963, Gelli Colliery was not so fortunate as it ceased production in January 1962.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
The early days of diesel-multiple-unit working saw some perpetuating the carrying of targets. A Barry Island to Treherbert working, TB, is shown leaving Taffs Well on Monday, 10 March 1958. In the distance can be seen the magnificent Walnut Tree viaduct on the Penrhos branch, which was constructed by the Barry Railway in 1901, taken out of use in 1967 and dismantled in 1969.
Author’s Collection
Viewed from the footbridge at Treherbert station, the fingerboards show the destinations to Swansea and Barry Island in 1960. To the right is the relatively new fuelling and servicing point for diesel-multiple-units, not far from the wider site of the first engine shed, and behind these sidings are the remains of Lady Margaret Colliery, which was in production until the early 1940s. The signal box at the far end of the island helps locate the spur to the second engine shed, which itself goes unseen behind a simmering steam locomotive and nearby housing. The mountain of colliery waste beyond the box is on the site of Ynysfeio Colliery, which by 1945 was only retained as a pumping station.
S Rickard/J & J Collection
At Treforest Junction the main TVR line continued to Cardiff whilst a line also diverged to Tonteg Junction and then on to ex-Barry Railway metals. Treherbert-allocated Collett 0-6-2T No 5607 is climbing the 1 in 69 bank from Treforest Junction to Tonteg Junction with an excursion from the Rhondda Valleys to Barry Island on 1 August 1960. In the right background the TVR lines to Cardiff can be seen. By this date the diesel-multiple-unit fleet was restricting steam operations to goods work, but an excursion has proved to be another matter.
W Potter/Kidderminster Railway Museum
The eastern flank of Treherbert shed, including the lengthy row of offices, is recorded on 14 October 1962. A locomotive lurks within the shed, but the steam operations are drawing to a close. Without a crowded yard, the pit on the coal road is clear to see, along with two steel-bodied mineral wagons. For a time yet, visitors could happen upon steam and diesels in use together, but once the diesel-units were joined by English Electric ‘Type 3’ Co-Cos the days of steam, and of this shed, were limited and soon over. Redundant in March 1965, in 2021 the site is occupied by Everest Ltd.