Author: James Page
Publisher: David and Charles
ISBN: 0715377345
Price: S/H around £1 to £15 depending on condition
Publication Date: November 1979
Number of pages: 192
Format: Hardback
How Obtained: Purchased
From their maximum extent just after World War 1, a combination of route rationalization, road transport competition and industrial decline led to a contraction of South Wales railways over more than six decades.
Written by James Page, Forgotten Railways: South Wales relates the story of these lines. Published in 1979 by David and Charles, it is a volume in their Forgotten Railways series. Being out of print but readily available second hand qualifies it for our ‘retro review’ series.
Long forgotten railways
Following an introduction to the South Wales historical scene, Page tackles the rural areas around Brecon and Monmouth before diving into the valleys from the jump-off points of Pontypool and Abergavenny. Three chapters deal with coastal urban locations and the lines which fed them from the industrial valleys. Closing sections deal with the area west of Swansea.
A handy feature is a 47-page gazeteer which summarizes the lines, providing information such as Parliamentary Acts, opening and closing dates and what remained of the line at the time of publication. Over 30 black and white photographs are included along with informative maps. What emerges from the book is the sheer amount of effort which was devoted to the construction of South Wales railways over a period of around eighty years.
A building frenzy and inevitable rationalisation
Railway companies spared nothing in Machiavellian moves and counter moves, attempting to build lines to gain the greatest possible advantage over their rivals for the lucrative mineral traffic. Many routes, however, had started to be withdrawn from the mid-1920s following grouping into the Big Four.
The Great Western, for example, quickly removed duplicate lines such as the Barry Railway Extension in the Rhymney Valley. This was closed in 1926 with the impressive Llanbradach Viaduct dismantled in 1937. Many closures took place over a period of decades in a piecemeal manner, with the Beeching Report prompting the ending of many more in the 1960s.
The first ever instance of the granting of running powers?
The material in Page’s book has been covered elsewhere and in more detail. Barrie’s seminal Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: South Wales (see a review here) is a definitive overview covering all lines whether closed or not. Nevertheless, Page’s writing style is very accessible and it has the advantage over the Barrie volume in being suitable for a relaxed read.
Nevertheless, in common with his other volume, Rails in the Valleys (see our review here),Page delivers some interesting insights. For example he points out that the Sirhowy Tramroad’s arrangement with the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company to run trains over its metals from Nine Mile Point into Newport may possibly be the first ever example of the granting of running powers! Inclusion of a comprehensive Gazeteer is particularly welcome, though as the volume is over 40 years old the description of what remains of the railways and the uses to which they are now put is well out of date.
In Summary
A readable history of the railways of South Wales focusing on lines which have closed. The handy gazeteer presents essential historical information. For a more comprehensive history read the volume by Barrie.
The Good
- Covers the history of South Wales railways in an accessible and readable manner
- Delivers some real insights into the historical significance of events
- A handy gazeteer presents concise facts about the history of individual lines
The Not So Good
- Being published in 1979 the situation which is presented as ‘current’ is now long out of date
- Some poor quality maps lacking, for example, a legend.
Outline Contents:
- The South Wales scene
- Brecon
- Monmouth
- Pontypool and Abergavenny
- Newport
- Cardiff and Barry
- Llantrisant and Bridgend
- Port talbot to Swansea
- Swansea to Llanelly
- Carmarthen
- Gazetteer
About the Author: James Page
James Page is one of the best known authorities on the railways of South Wales. He has lived and breathed the subject for decades and has a happy aptitude for citing stories with human background as well as remembering vast array of technical details.
Related reviews
A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Vol.12, South Wales by D.S.M. Barrie
Rails in the Valleys by James Page