Rhymney Bridge railway station

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
Rhymney Bridge station, 1951
LocationLlechrhyd, Caerphilly
Wales
Coordinates51.7778°N 3.2987°W / 51.7778; -3.2987
Grid referenceSO104095
Platforms3
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyNantybwch and Rhymney Joint
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway and Rhymney Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway and Great Western Railway
Key dates
2 October 1871 (1871-10-02)Opened for Rhymney Railway services
1 January 1873Start of L&NWR services
21 September 1953Withdrawal of Rhymney services
22 November 1954Withdrawal of goods facilities
6 January 1958 (1958-01-06)Final closure

History

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 GWR 6959 No. 7912 Little Linford Hall 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

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

Notes
  1. Conolly (2004), p. 8, section A5.
  2. Tasker (1986), p. 18.
  3. Awdry (1990), p. 93.
  4. Hall (2009), p. 63.
  5. Tasker (1986), p. 21.
  6. Quick (2009), p. 330.
  7. Butt (1995), p. 197.
  8. Edge (2002), fig. XX.
  9. Edge (2002), fig. 98.
  10. Edge (2002), fig. 94.
  11. Edge (2002), figs. 95 and 98.
  12. Hall (2009), p. 67.
  13. Edge (2002), figs. 94 and 95.
  14. Edge (2002), figs. 94 and 96.
  15. Hall (2009), p. 68.
  16. Tasker (1986), p. 139.
  17. Edge (2002), fig. 96.
  18. Page (1988), p. 155.
  19. Clinker (1988), p. 115.
  20. Edge (2002), fig. 65.
  21. Tasker (1986), p. 140.
  22. Quick (2009), p. 386.
  23. Clinker (1988), p. 137.
  24. Butt (1995), p. 234.
  25. Hall (2009), p. 69.
  26. Tasker (1986), p. 141.

Sources
  • 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. (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.
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Edge, David (September 2002). Abergavenny to Merthyr including the Ebbw Vale Branch. Country Railway Routes. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-915.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hall, Mike (2009). Lost Railways of South Wales. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-172-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Page, James (1988) [1979]. South Wales. Forgotten Railways. 8. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-946537-44-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway and 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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