The Rhymney Railway was virtually a single stretch of main line, some fifty miles in length, by which the
Rhymney ValleyThe Rhymney Valley is a valley encompassing the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tirphil, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney, and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly, in south-east Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining and iron industries.-Geography:Created as a...
was connected to the docks at
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in the county of
GlamorganGlamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
,
South WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
History
The aim of the railway was to gain access to the large iron works and collieries at the extreme north of the Valley. Short extensions, connecting with other railways, gave the Rhymney routes to take its (largely mineral) traffic to the
MidlandsThe Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and the North of England, or opened up connections to collieries and iron works. Some of those routes were worked jointly with other companies, particularly the
London and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR).
Growth of the railway
The original incorporation was in 1854, and the railway was opened in various sections as follows:
- Rhymney
Rhymney is a town and a community located in the county borough of Caerphilly in south-east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Along with the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is designated as the 'Upper Rhymney Valley' by the local...
to HengoedHengoed ) is a village on the west side of the Rhymney Valley - between Ystrad Mynach to the South and Cefn Hengoed to the North. Across the valley it looks towards Maesycwmmer...
, January 1858
- Hengoed - Walnut Tree Junction, February 1858
- line into Cardiff 1864
- Rhymney - Nantybwch, giving access to the LNWR. This section was worked jointly by the two companies April 1871
- Ystrad Mynach
Ystrad Mynach is a town in the County Borough of Caerphilly, previously within the ancient traditional county of Glamorgan, Wales, and is 5 miles north of Caerphilly town. It has a population of around 13,500 and stands in the Rhymney Valley . Before the Industrial Revolution and the coming of coal...
- Penallta Junction, giving access to the Great Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and the AberdareAberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
Valley, April 1871
- Taff - Bargoed
Bargoed is a town in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly and straddles ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council,...
giving access to the DowlaisDowlais is a village and community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. As of 2001, it has a population of 6646.Dowlais is notable within Wales and Britain for its historic association with ironworking; once employing, through the Dowlais Iron Company, roughly 5,000 people, the works...
Iron Works. Nine miles in length, with a gradient of 1:40, it had heavy usage. In 1911 the Rhymney conveyed over 300,000 tons of iron and iron ore per annum over this route. Opened January 1 1876
- Quaker's Yard - Cyfarthfa, authorised 1882
- Aber branch, 1890
- Ystrad Mynach - Cylla Valley, 1895
The Rhymney owned 120 locomotives in 1911. By then the total mileage of the Rhymney was over 61 miles; a further 16 miles of 'foreign' track was also worked over. Over two million tons of freight had been carried.
- Details above taken from The Railway Year Book 1912 (The Railway Publishing Company Ltd)
The first workshops for the railway were in
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, opening in 1857 but, as their work increased, there was insufficient room for expansion, and
Caerphilly railway worksCaerphilly railway works in Caerphilly in the county of Glamorgan was the only main railway works in WalesIt was built for the Rhymney Railway in 1899 and taken over by the Great Western Railway at amalgamation in 1923....
was opened in 1899.
Merging
Although the Rhymney was nominally independent until absorption in the
Great Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
on 1 January 1922, the same managing director, in 1917, took over control of the line and the
Taff Vale RailwayThe Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
and the
Cardiff RailwayThe Cardiff Railway came into being from the need to service Bute Docks, so as to provide facilities for the traffic to and from the Docks. The railway was only 11 miles in length, a fact which belied its importance, since it provided both the Taff Vale Railway and the Rhymney Railway, inter alia,...
, making them to all and intents and purposes one undertaking.
Main Line
- Cardiff Queen Street
Cardiff Queen Street railway station is Wales' second busiest railway station in Cardiff, Wales. It is one of 20 stations in the city and two in the city centre, the other being Cardiff Central...
- Heath High Level
- Llanishen
Llanishen railway station is a railway station serving the areas of Llanishen and Lisvane in Cardiff, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network.-External links:...
- Cefn On Halt (now replaced by nearby Lisvane and Thornhill railway station
Lisvane and Thornhill railway station is a railway station serving the Lisvane and Thornhill areas of north Cardiff. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network....
)
- here is the Caerphilly tunnel 1.1 miles (1.77 km) in length
- Caerphilly
Caerphilly railway station is a railway station serving the town of Caerphilly, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network. The station is located at Station Road in the South of the town. Facilities include a small shop and a Ticket Kiosk. A self-service Ticket...
- Aber
Aber railway station is a railway station serving the town of Caerphilly, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line 13 km north of Cardiff Central on the Valley Lines network....
- Llanbradach
Llanbradach railway station is a railway station serving the village of Llanbradach, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network.-External links:...
- Ystrad Mynach
Ystrad Mynach railway station is a railway station serving the town of Ystrad Mynach, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network.There is a dedicated rail linc bus that links with the train...
- Hengoed
Hengoed railway station is the name of an operational National Rail station situated in Hengoed on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network.The current station was initially named Hengoed & Maesycwmerr when opened by the Rhymney Railway in 1858...
- Pengam
Pengam railway station is situated in Pengam on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network in South Wales. The train service is 4 trains per hour south to Cardiff Central and onwards to Penarth. Northwards there are 3 trains an hour terminating at Bargoed with one train per hour continuing to...
- Gilfach Fargoed
Gilfach Fargoed railway station is a railway station serving the village of Gilfach, in Caerphilly county borough, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network....
- Bargoed
Bargoed railway station serves the town of Bargoed in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney branch of the Valley Lines network...
- Brithdir
Brithdir railway station is a railway station serving the village of Brithdir near New Tredegar, South Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line 30 km north of Cardiff Central which is part of the Valley Lines network...
- Tirphil (New Tredegar)
- Pontlottyn
Pontlottyn railway station is a railway station serving the village of Pontlottyn, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network. The station generally enjoys an hourly train service to Cardiff , although it has additional trains in the peak hours, but a reduced service...
- Rhymney
Rhymney railway station serves the town of Rhymney in Wales. Situated on the Valley Lines network north of Cardiff Central, it is the terminus of the Rhymney Line....
- Rhymney Bridge (joint station with LNWR)
- Nantybwch (also joint station with LNWR)
Branch lines
From south to north these were:
- Caerphilly - Taffs Well
Taffs Well railway station is a railway station serving the village of Taff's Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, as well as neighbouring Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff. It is located on the Merthyr Line and the Rhondda Line...
connecting with the Taff Vale RailwayThe Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
Openeed 1858
- Senghenydd
Senghenydd is a town in the Aber Valley, roughly four miles north-west of the town of Caerphilly and is within the county borough of Caerphilly, Wales. It is traditionally within the county of Glamorgan...
branch: with intermediate stations serving:
- From Ystrad Mynach a spur connected with the GWR; from Treharris on that line there was a Rhymney Railway line direct to Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
over the Taff-Bargoed Joint Line undertaking
- Deri
Deri is a village in Caerphilly County Borough, Wales. Deri along with Pentwyn and Fochriw make up the community of Darran Valley. The village grew around the Industrial Age to serve the collieries of Fochriw, Pencarreg and Groesfaen.-Sport:...
branch connecting at Deri Junction with the Brecon and Merthyr RailwayThe Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
All of those branches have since been closed.
Officers
Cornelius Lundie, from the outset of the line and for more than 40 years, was General Manager, Traffic Manager and Superintendent of the line. Upon his retirement in 1904, the Rhymney did a spring cleaning, which notably included the scrapping of his favourite engine, which he had been preserving for a number of years.
Locomotive Superintendents
- Thomas Clements (1858–1862)
- Matthew Mordue (1862–1863)
- John Kendall (1863–1869)
- John Canty (1869–1884)
- Richard Jenkins (1884–1906)
- C. T. Hurry Riches (1906–1922)
C. T. Hurry Riches was the son of
Tom Hurry RichesTom Hurry Riches was a British engineer who became the Locomotive Superintendent of the Taff Vale Railway in October 1873, and held the post until his death. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest locomotive superintendent in Britain....
, Locomotive Superintendent of the
Taff Vale RailwayThe Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
(1873–1910). Kendall had an unfortunately short career with the Rhymney, which was cut short when he visited the
Brecon and Merthyr RailwayThe Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
to examine a new engine of theirs on 10 June 1869. It overturned at Maesycwmmer, killing him and his B&MR counterpart, J.T. Simpson.
Early locomotives
The early locomotives were tender engines, whether for passenger or goods:
- 0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
Vulcan FoundryVulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
1857: inside frames; freight
- 2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
Vulcan Foundry 1858, 1861: passenger locomotives
- 0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
KitsonKitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
1859-1868: double frames, outside cranks; freight
- 0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
ST 1872 onwards: various builders. All Rhymney locomotives from then were of this type.
- Notes taken from The Railway Magazine February 1923
Later locomotives
- Rhymney Railway A class
The Rhymney Railway A class were 0-6-2T tank locomotives introduced into traffic in 1910 and designed by the railway's engineer Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank engines, and weighed 64 tons and were 35' 9" in length....
0-6-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
T
- Rhymney Railway B class 0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
WT
- Rhymney Railway I class 0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
ST
- Rhymney Railway K class 0-6-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
ST
- Rhymney Railway L class 2-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
ST
- Rhymney Railway L1 class 0-6-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
ST
- Rhymney Railway M class
The Rhymney Railway M class was a class of 0-6-2T tank locomotive introduced into traffic on the Rhymney Railway in 1904. These were substantial sized tank engines, and weighed 66 tons and were in length....
0-6-2T
- Rhymney Railway P class
The Rhymney Railway P class was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive introduced into traffic in 1909 designed by the Rhymney Railway's engineer C. T. Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank locomotives, weighed 60tons and were in length.There were initially three locos in the class...
0-6-2T
- Rhymney Railway R class
The Rhymney R class was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive introduced into traffic in 1907 designed by the railway's engineer Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank locomotives, and weighed 67 tons and were 37 feet in length.There were initially three locos in the class augmented to five...
0-6-2T
- Rhymney Railway S class
The Rhymney s class was a class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive introduced into traffic in 1908 designed by the railway's engineer Hurry Riches. There were initially four locos in the class. A further 4 ‘S1’ locomotives with a larger boiler and higher tractive effort were built in 1920.- External links...
0-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T
- Rhymney Railway S1 class 0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T
Today
The "main" line is now largely in use as the
Rhymney LineThe Rhymney Line is a commuter rail line running from Central Cardiff through the Rhymney valley via Heath and Llanishen in the north of the city, to Caerphilly, Bargoed and Rhymney.-History:...
. Evening trains traditionally stop closer and closer to Cardiff as the night wears on. For example, the last trains typically only go as far as Ystrad Mynach station.
External links