Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR: Section 42, Rhymney Valley – Retro Review

We humans are visually oriented beings. Sometimes, no matter how many words you use, things become so much clearer with a diagram. This is never more true than with railways and their layout.

Rhymney Valley by R.A. Cooke is Section 42 of his series Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR. It was self published by the author in 1985. Lightmoor Press is currently computerising and republishing the track plans, but as yet Section 42 is not among them. Though out of print, used copies are available to purchase.

We have reviewed the Track Plans from the neighbouring LNWR lines in the Sirhowy Valley and Dowlais in an earlier post. Many of the comments and observations relating to that volume are relevant to this review, which can be found at Track Layout Diagrams: Section 41, LNWR Dowlais and Sirhowy Valley lines.

All the Rhymney Valley but only part of the Rhymney Railway

This volume contains 57 pages of track diagrams covering the Rhymney Valley. Some locations have diagrams spread across multiple pages which show the layout at different points in time. Slower paced or less drastic changes are simply noted on a single diagram.

Including valley colliery railways and Rhymney Ironworks

Prefacing the detailed location diagrams is a page showing a handy overall map of the area. Also useful for researchers is the index which lists every site included in the maps.

Just like the others in this series, the diagrams are compiled from painstaking research work involving a number of sources including British Rail documents and the Signalling Records Society. Many private lines such as the extensive NCB networks are included along with the Rhymney Ironworks as it existed in 1875. Cooke, however, shows only the major ironworks standard gauge lines since the extensive network of densely packed tramroads defeated even his dedication!

Showing the organic growth and decline of railways

One fascinating aspect of the book is to see, the railway system expand over decades only to shrink again from the middle of the twentieth century. Two sequences of maps in particular demonstrate this organic evolution.

Bargoed  illustraes the way in which the station (which the Rhymney shared with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway) and associated junctions, colliery sidings and goods facilities mushroomed until 1920 from when it was drastically pruned in the 1970 diagram. Demonstrating a similar but earlier sequence of expansion and contraction is New Tredegar and Tirphil covered in four diagrams from 1885 to 1920.

In Summary

The Track Layout Diagrams series is superbly researched and detailed. While necessarily specialized in nature the books will also appeal to local and industrial historians along with modellers of South Wales railways.

Outline Contents

• Rhymney Lower — Bassaleg (B & M Rly)
• Rhymney Bridge (exc) — Hengoed (exc) (Rhym Rly)
• New Tredeger Colly Branch
• Bargoed S Jcn — Aberbargoed Jcn
• Bargoed Pits Branch
• Fleur de Lis Jcn — Maesycwmmer Jcn
• Caerphilly (exc) — Machen

Related reviews

Track Layout Diagrams: Section 41, L.N.W.R. Dowlais and Sirhowy Lines by R.A. Cooke
Railways and Industey on the Brecon and Merthyr – Bassaleg to Bargoed by John Hodge and Ray Caston