Author: R.A Cooke
Publisher: Self Published
Price: Originally £3.90. Copies currently for sale at about £13 – £15
Publication: 1986
Number of pages: 46
Format: Softcover
How Obtained: Purchased
The subject of this review demonstrates that you do not necessarily require extensive text or photographs for a book to be interesting! As such it is one of the more unusual reviews.
LNWR Dowlais and Sirhowy Lines by R.A. Cooke is Section 41 of the series Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR. My copy is the 2nd edition, self published by the author in 1986. The series documents the track layout at stations, junctions and industrial facilities across the region. Although currently out of print, the publishers, Lightmoor Press are in the process of reprinting the series, though this volume is yet to appear.
Track layout diagrams in great detail
While the South East Wales region was overwhelmingly dominated by the Great Western, other companies such as the LNWR managed to infiltrate the area with strategically located lines. One of these was the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny line, which is covered by almost half (eighteen) of the total number of forty-one diagrams in the book. Included in this figure are some of the shorter branches to, for example, Ebbw Vale High Level. These are followed by sets of diagrams detailing the longer branches of Brynmawr to Blaenavon High Level, the Sirhowy Valley branch and Ynysddu.
The book is clearly the result of painstaking research from multiple sources including British Rail and the Signalling Records Society. Absolutely no effort has been spared to ensure the greatest possible accuracy.
Lineside structures and industrial installations
The diagrams also include the major lineside structures including station building and platforms, engine sheds, goods, signal boxes, tunnels and so on. Particularly fascinating are the maps of collieries, iron and steelworks with intricate and extensive systems of densely packed track.
Of course, the railway system evolved over many decades and some locations are covered by multiple diagrams showing the layout at different points in time. Additional notes indicate the way it has changed between those timepoints. Nevertheless, identifying exactly when an alteration was made to track configuration is not always possible. Mapping private and industrial systems (including tramroads) increases the complexity of the task, but make the diagrams much more interesting and useful.
Practical and filled with ideas for modellers
One difficulty with the book is the lack of a legend explaining symbols on the diagrams. This means that the various black and white triangles, for example, are a bit of a mystery.
As the diagrams are not anchored to modern day topographical maps they are of little use to anyone trying to trace the routes. Local historians, however, will find much of use in these pages. They are particularly helpful in dating photographs or other accounts based on the absence or presence of track and lineside features at certain dates. It also will appeal to railway modellers looking for ideas to break away from cliched track plans.
In Summary
This is, of course, a very specialized book. The amount of effort which has gone into creating this self-published series is extraordinary and the result is both useful and visually stimulating.
The Good
- Extraordinary attention to detail and factual accuracy.
- Comprehensive coverage of the LNWR lines under consideration.
- Great historical resource for researchers and modellers alike.
The Not So Good
- Lacking a legend to explain diagram symbols.
Outline Contents
- Introduction
- Dowlais Central – Abergavenny Jct
- Cwmbargoed Branch
- Dowlais Yop Junction
- Ebbw Vale H.L. Branch
- Brynmawr to Blaenavon H.L
- Milfraen Branch
- Varteg Hill Branch
- Nantybwch – Risca
- Ynysddu Branch
Related reviews
The Sirhowy Valley and its Railways by D.S. Barrie and Charles Lee
Railways and Industry in the Sirhowy Valley by John Hodge
Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR: Section 42, Rhymney Valley by R.A. Cooke