Authors: David Edge (Editor, Vic Mitchell)
Publisher: Middleton Press
ISBN: 9781901706918
Price: £18.95
Publication Date: 1st September 2002 (Reprinted October 2016)
Number of pages: 96
Format: Hardback
How Obtained: Purchased
Opened in 1862, the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny (MTA) Railway was one of three routes which cut across the South Wales Valleys from east to west. Also known as the Heads of the Valley line, it was one of the most expensive and impressive railways ever built with huge operational and scenic interest.
Abergavenny to Merthyr by David Edge focuses attention on the line in the 1950s during the final years before closure to passengers in 1958 and goods the following year. It was published in September 2002 and reprinted in October 2016 by Middleton Press as part of their Country Railway Routes series. The book is still available new.
The Abergavenny to Merthyr line in later years
Opening sections provide geographical and historic background to the railway including a gradient profile! A brief history charts the major changes of ownership from the independent construction phase through to the LNWR first leasing then absorbing the line. The book follows a familiar format by focussing on locations of interest starting from Abergavenny Junction and terminating at Merthyr. Major down-valley junctions such as the Ebbw (the branch itself is also included with its own maps and photographs) and Sirhowy are featured along with the halts, villages, and towns of the Clydach Gorge and valley tops. Finally, the book closes with a later 1979 picture of a Class 116 DMU outside the rebuilt Merthyr High Street station, long after the MTA had closed.
Each location is placed in context using Ordnance Survey maps from the early years of the 20th Century. The black and white photographs largely show the line when it was operated by British Railways after nationalisation in 1948, though there are some images which date from when the line was in the hands of the LMS after the 1923 grouping.
A line of extreme conditions prompting unique solutions
The MTA was possibly the most heavily engineered of the three routes into South Wales, taking its total length into consideration. After leaving Govilon from the Abergavenny direction the line climbed relentlessly for 7 miles across bridges, viaducts and rock ledges on gradients up to 1 in 38. From Brynmawr the line rarely dipped below 1200ft above sea level and the weather was frequently inclement.
Consequently, this led to operational restrictions such as limits on the weight of coal trains heading downhill! It also led to the LMS introducing specialized locomotives such as the huge Beames 0-8-4-T to handle the slopes. However, its tendency to straighten track curves made it very unpopular with maintenance crews.
In common with other Middleton books (see our Sirhowy Valley Line review) the contents page is ordered alphabetically by location rather than conventionally by page number. Since the page also contains a clear map of the line, you can quickly find the photographs based on alphabetical order. Each photograph is sequentially numbered which take the place of conventional page numbers. Maps are identified by roman numerals.
In Summary
Reading this book is very pleasurable with the unusual but effective structure making it easy to follow the context. Undoubtedly. other books cover the line details and earlier history in more depth, but to get an overview of the line, this fits the bill very well.
The Good
- Well written in an entertaining and readable manner.
- The unique image numbering and structure of the book makes cross-referencing easy
- Good use of maps from the first part of the 20th century which place the photographic information in context
The Not So Good
- Some photographs are of lower quality which may be a consequence of poor reproduction
- Some more images of freight workings would give a more balanced view of the line operation
- A few typos evident in the annotations
Outline Contents
- Abergavenny Brecon Road
- Abergavenny Junction
- Beaufort
- Brynmawr
- Cefn Coed
- Clydach
- Dowlais High Street
- Ebbw Vale
- Ebbw Vale Junction
- Gelli Felen Halt
- Gilwern Halt
- Heolgerrig Halt
- Merthyr
- Morlais Junction
- Nantybwch
- Pantysgallog
- Pontsarn
- Rhymney Bridge
- Trevil Halt
About the Author: David Edge
David Edge has enjoyed steam railways since infancy and saw the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny line being dismantled in childhood. This prompted a lifelong fascination and detailed study of the route. A former railway guard and school safety adviser, he has presented many illustrated talks to schools and societies.
(From Middleton Press)
Related reviews
Monmouthshire’s Lost Railways by Peter Dale
Steam in South Wales, Vol 4: Monmouthshire by Michael Hale
The Origins of the LMS in South Wales by Gwyn Briwnant-Jones and Denis Dunstone