Prototype PhilH's BR Photographs from circa1959

PhilH

Western Thunderer
1 9A33BB © PGH.jpg

Hereford Station August 1962 - 7031 on a London train and station pilot 5970
From Hereford I travelled down the Ross-on-Wye and Gloucester line as far as Fawley. I'm not sure why I didn't travel to Ross-on-Wye, maybe the timetable didn't allow for a convenient return to Hereford. The line from Hereford to Ross-on-Wye passed through 3 tunnels and had several bridges over the meandering River Wye. Fawley was the last station before Ross-on-Wye, although there was a halt in between.


2 9A25BB © PGH.jpg

At Fawley the fireman of 2269 on the Gloucester train looks for the 'right away'.


3 9A28BB © PGH.jpg

View of the station looking towards Hereford. The small goods yard was remote from the station and situated on the other side of the road overbridge.

4 9A27BB © PGH.jpg

The small and rather neat station building​


5 9A26BB © PGH.jpg

Fawley Signal Box was situated part way along the platform​


6 9A29BB © PGH.jpg

6330 passing on a southbound freight. On the extreme left the signalman is returning to his box after exchanging the staff or token. What strikes me about many of the station views at that period is how neat and tidy they were - luggage barrow and trolley neatly parked, no piles of luggage, crates or boxes, no milk churns, no weeds or litter.​


7. fawley Station site from Google.jpg

View of the station site today from Google street view looking south towards Ross-on-Wye from the overbridge.​


8 9A30BB © PGH.jpg

4135 arriving at Fawley on the Hereford train

9 9A31BB © PGH.jpg

4135 after arrival at Hereford​


10 9A32BB © PGH.jpg

and after running round and apparently changing platforms for the return to Gloucester.

The Line between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye was closed in November 1964

 
Last edited:

Mikemill

Western Thunderer
Phil


I like your photographs very much. The quality of your is remarkable, have you printed the images yourself or sent them out.

I started my photographic life as a B&W printer so I know a good print when I see one.


Mike
 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
Phil
I like your photographs very much. The quality of your is remarkable, have you printed the images yourself or sent them out.
I started my photographic life as a B&W printer so I know a good print when I see one.
Mike

Mike,
Thanks for your comments.
The images were all digitally scanned from the black & white negatives or colour slides and then edited in Adobe Photoshop.
Philip
 
Last edited:

PhilH

Western Thunderer
Its some time since the last postings in this topic and in the meantime I've had the long awaited cataract operations in both eyes that have been delayed due to the virus problem, so now I should be able to see better exactly what I'm posting. As a result I wasn't particularly happy with some of the photos previously posted, some tended to be perhaps a bit too dark and with too much contrast, as a fellow member kindly pointed out (Thanks L.... ! ;) ). So I've re-edited many of the photos, not that anyone is going to look at them again but just for my own personal satisfaction. I've also removed a small number which I thought might be of interest at the time but were in retrospect quite plainly cr*p.

The next few postings cover the Central Wales and Mid Wales Lines. As related in an earlier post we travelled down the Central Wales Line in August 1962, but unfortunately I took very few photos on that trip, a rather mixed bag as included in this post. In October 1962 we travelled down the Central Wales Line as far as Builth Road High Level, spent some time there and wandered all over the place taking quite a number of photos, quite unimaginable in these days of Health and Safety, etc; then travelled up the Mid Wales Line to Moat Lane Junction. The last trip was on the final day of service to Brecon on 29th December 1962.


9A17B.jpg

A quick view taken during the stop at Builth Road High Level Station. The footpath ahead leads down to Builth Road Low Level Station on the Mid Wales Line with the tower of the luggage lift on the left. Beyond the lift the timber section before the path drops down marks the location of the overbridge. In the far distance beyond the footway can be seen the small single road loco shed with steam visible from a 2-6-0 standing outside.


9A19B.jpg

Crossing 48706 on a northbound goods train at Garth​


9A20B.jpg

Llandovery Station with a variety of wagons in the yard - 3 steel 16T minerals, a van, a cattle wagon and a tank wagon

9A21B.jpg

Taking water at Llandilo, junction for the line to Carmarthen, with the connecting Carmarthen train on the left. The station has since been given its more appropriate name of Llandeilo after the town it serves. Unfortunately I didn't record the identities of the locos.


9A22B.jpg

5699 at Abercynon. The disc above the front buffer with the lettering "C 02" might give a clue as to what it was doing there ?

 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
The following photos were taken on the October 1962 trip, a rather dull overcast day.


11A02B.jpg

A rather leaky 73034 on the Shrewsbury to Swansea train at Craven Arms and Stokesay (now just Craven Arms), where the Central Wales Line (now Heart of Wales Line) leaves the Shrewsbury to Hereford Line (now Welsh Marches Line)


11A04B.jpg

Knighton Station building with the fireman taking refreshment from tap outside the gents toilet


11A05B.jpg

The opposite platform at Knighton


11A06B.jpg

Approaching Knucklas Viaduct


11A09B.jpg

Llangunllo Station.
The small square building with the hipped roof on the left would appear to have housed the ground frame, judging by the point rodding.


11A11B.jpg

Llanbister Road - the signal cabin at the Shrewsbury end of the station


11A12B.jpg

73034 at Llandrindod Wells


11A14B.jpg

73034 at Builth Road High Level Station


11A15B.jpg

Just for good measure the opposite side, the bridge over the Mid Wales Line is in the foreground


11A16B.jpg


11A17B.jpg

73034 leaving Builth Road High Level

 

simond

Western Thunderer
Phil

would you (anyone?) know what the wooden structure in the 6' is between the loco and the bridge girder in the 9th photo?

not noticed such a thing before.

very much enjoying your photos

thx
Simon
 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
Phil
would you (anyone?) know what the wooden structure in the 6' is between the loco and the bridge girder in the 9th photo?
not noticed such a thing before.
very much enjoying your photos
thx
Simon

Simon,
No idea, but whatever it covers (electric cables ?) continues alongside the bridge girder in the foreground but not beyond it, so if its cables they may drop down the bridge abutment (i.e. on the Swansea end of the bridge) to the Mid Wales Line platform below. There is a narrow road underbridge on the high level station side of the Mid Wales Line underbridge with a wide brick pillar and the luggage lift between the two, the "hump" would be partly over that. I've had a look under that bridge from the road (Google street view) but there's no clues there and I think the bridge may have been replaced anyway as its now narrower than the original bridge and takes only a single track.
 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
11A23B.jpg

The goods shed and signal box at the Shrewsbury end of Builth Road High Level Station.
The good shed still remains - or it did when Google surveyed the area

11A24B.jpg

Builth Road High Level Station, view towards Swansea.
The large station building is now private residential accommodation with just a bus type shelter for passengers on the one remaining platform.​


11A26B.jpg

48730 on a southbound goods train at Builth Road High Level

11A19B.jpg

46511 at Builth Road Loco Shed​



11A25B.jpg

48470 in the sidings connecting the Central Wales Line to the Mid Wales Line. Judging by the stock in the sidings here it seems there was some transfer of freight traffic from the Mid Wales Line to Swansea via the Central Wales Line.​


11A21B.jpg

Builth Road Low Level Signal Box​


11A22B.jpg

Signals at the junction of the connecting line to the Mid Wales Line​


11A27B.jpg

Builth Road Low Level Station, looking north towards Moat Lane Junction.
The station building is now a pub, appropriately named the Cambrian Arms, with a car park occupying the filled in platform area.​


11A28B.jpg

Train from Brecon approaching Builth Road Low Level

11A30B.jpg

46514 on the northbound train at Builth Road Low Level Station

 

PhilH

Western Thunderer


11A31B.jpg

Rhayader Signal Box


11A32B.jpg

View from the northbound train approaching Marteg Tunnel


11A33B.jpg

46514 crossing 46520 on a southbound train at Pantydwr


11A34B.jpg

46520 leaving Pantydwr on the Brecon train


11A35B.jpg

Llanidloes Station


11A36B.jpg

Moat Lane Junction - the main Cambrian Line platforms. The Mid Wales Line platform was on the far side of the station building.
46523 at left and 78002 on an Aberystwyth train at right.

 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
The last trip on The Central Wales and Mid Wales Lines was on Saturday 29th December 1962, which I believe was the last day of scheduled passenger services for the three remaining lines to Brecon (officially closed on 31st December). We travelled overnight via Crewe and Shrewsbury, down the Central Wales Line, arriving at Builth Road in the early hours. For some reason we stopped off at Builth Wells, maybe for breakfast; then down the Mid Wales Line to Brecon; down the Newport Line as far as Pentir Rhiw; then returned north up the full length of the Mid Wales Line to Moat Lane Junction.


1220B.jpg

Builth Wells Station with a Brecon train approaching.​


1221B.jpg

Three Cocks Junction with the Mid Wales Line to Moat Lane Junction on the left, the line to Hereford on the right.

1222B.jpg

46508 approaching Three Cocks Junction on a Hereford to Brecon train​


1224B.jpg

Brecon Station with 46508 on the left next to the signal box​


1225B.jpg

Brecon Station with 4679 on a Newport train​


1227BB.jpg

4679 at Talyllyn Junction Station​


1228B.jpg


1229B.jpg


1230B.jpg

2251 Class 0-6-0 arriving at Talyllyn Junction with one wagon and a brakevan​


1234B.jpg

Pentir Rhiw, which was as far as we could go down the Newport line. An additional pannier tank had been added to assist 4679 with the southbound train up the bank to Torpantau as it waits in the loop to cross a northbound Brecon train. Tal-y-Bont Reservoir is on the left in the valley below.
 
Last edited:

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Lovely shots. It looks bloomin' cold, so you must have been keen Phil. By coincidence, I am currently watching an Online video called Bewdley to Blaenau at breakfast time about these routes. The houses that Pentir Rhiw station was built to serve are under the reservior.
 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
The next posts cover a rather varied selection of photos in the Oswestry Area.


1138B.jpg

45699 GALATEA approaches Gobowen station on a Shrewsbury to Chester train in October 1962 shortly before transfer of the line to the London Midland Region in 1963.


LF126BB.jpg

At the north end of Oswestry Station c1959 the auto train which worked the shuttle service to connect with the Shrewsbury to Chester line at Gobowen stands in the bay platform on the left with 7810 on a Whitchurch train on the right.


1120B.jpg

With my camera's fixed shutter speed of 1/60th sec photos of moving trains were usually fairly unsuccessful, but for what its worth this is 1458 on the Oswestry to Gobowen auto train shortly after leaving Oswestry in October 1962


1118B.jpg

Likewise 7329 leaving Oswestry on a Whitchurch train - at least you can read the smokebox numberplate although everything else is a blur !


1111B.jpg

7812 on a Whitchurch train at Oswestry in October 1962


1113AB.jpg

1432 at the rear of Oswestry Shed

 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
The following Locos were in store at the rear of Oswestry Shed in October 1962:


1114B.jpg

7428 - the "GWR" lettering was in yellow chalk !
According to UKRail it was withdrawn from Oswestry at the end of that month and disposed of to Cashmores, Great Bridge in June 1964.


1116B.jpg

5421 had been withdrawn at the end of the previous month (30/9/1962) and was disposed of to Cashmores in September 1964.


1115B.jpg

2251 - later transferred to Templecombe where it was withdrawn in December 1963


1117B.jpg

3200 - likewise transferred to Templecombe but not withdrawn until January 1965

 

PhilH

Western Thunderer


1121B.jpg

In October 1962 I made a trip to Llanfyllin, 46502 awaits departure on the two coach train at Oswestry.


1122B.jpg

46502 at Llanfyllin


1124B.jpg

On the return journey I stopped off at Pant, a charming little station I thought, as 46502 departs for Oswestry. The darker patch in the platform marks the location of a tunnel under the station, which was once occupied by a narrow gauge tramway from quarries on the left to the canal just below the station on the right.


1125B.jpg


1126B.jpg


1127B.jpg


1128B.jpg

If you visit this spot today its hard to imagine that there was once a railway line and a station here, apart from the "Station Road" name of the nearby road.

 

PhilH

Western Thunderer


LF124BB.jpg
A southbound goods train at Llanymynech c1959. A rather poor photo but interesting as it shows the wagon works behind the station. I'm not sure whether the works did wagon repairs or just breaking up wagons for scrap. In the foreground condemned wagons for scrapping are stored in the former Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway platform lines. In the left distance is the limeworks chimney, now restored and preserved along with the limeworks site and remains of the tramway system - well worth a visit for anyone interested in industrial archaeology.
The following four photos taken in October 1962 show condemned wagons stored in the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway sidings:


1131B.jpg

Ex GWR 20T Permanent Way Construction hopper wagon No.60043 lettered "Return to Llynclys Junction"


1134B.jpg

Ex LMS 12T van No.M160732 built Wolverton 1924


1135B.jpg

Ex GWR 12T vans Nos.W104791 and W105481


1136B.jpg

Ex GWR 8T cattle wagon No.W106580 and 10T 8 plank open No.S11073


1137B.jpg

The body of auto coach No.210 at the back of the station yard


1132B.jpg

7801 at Llanymynech on a 2 coach northbound train October 1962. The Shropshire & Montogomeryshire Railway station building is on the extreme left.

 

Lyndhurstman

Western Thunderer
A southbound goods train at Llanymynech c1959. A rather poor photo but interesting as it shows the wagon works behind the station. I'm not sure whether the works did wagon repairs or just breaking up wagons for scrap. In the foreground condemned wagons for scrapping are stored in the former Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway platform lines. In the left distance is the limeworks chimney, now restored and preserved along with the limeworks site and remains of the tramway system - well worth a visit for anyone interested in industrial archaeology.
The following four photos taken in October 1962 show condemned wagons stored in the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway sidings:


Ex GWR 20T Permanent Way Construction hopper wagon No.60043 lettered "Return to Llynclys Junction"


Ex LMS 12T van No.M160732 built Wolverton 1924


Ex GWR 12T vans Nos.W104791 and W105481


View attachment 145058

Ex GWR 8T cattle wagon No.W106580 and 10T 8 plank open No.S11073


The body of auto coach No.210 at the back of the station yard


7801 at Llanymynech on a 2 coach northbound train October 1962. The Shropshire & Montogomeryshire Railway station building is on the extreme left.

As with all, some lovely shots here.The appearance of the condemned SR 8 plank with cupboard doors is a very welcome coincidence; I have one to paint for Watkin’s Wharf, and this will do nicely as a template.

Cheers

Jan
 
Top