Railways in the Sirhowy Valley – Retro Review

Almost every railway history book published since the 1980s which deals in some way with the Sirhowy Valley, references W.W. Tasker’s Railways in the Sirhowy Valley. But how does it stand up today?

Tasker wrote a number of books on the Gwent lines but his Railways in the Sirhowy Valley is one of the best known. Originally written in 1978 with an enlarged edition appearing in 1992 it was Volume 113 of the Locomotion Papers by the Oakwood Press.

Not just the Sirhowy Railway, but the tramroad too!

Stenlake Publishing took over Oakwood Press in 2016 and the book is currently out of print. However, Stenlake are reporting that they are hoping to bring a number of titles back into print, though it is unclear whether this is one of them. Like all books reviewed in our Retro review series, second hand copies are readily available at reasonable prices. For this review I am using the 1992 enlarged edition.

Railways in the Sirhowy Valley was the first book to focus on the line since Barrie and Lee’s 1940 The Sirhowy Valley and its Railways, a bound collection of four magazine articles (see our review).  Similar to this and later works on the Sirhowy valley, Tasker’s book falls into two distinct parts. The first three chapters deal with the tramroad era starting with its construction in the early years of the 19^th century. The growth of Tredegar with its ironworks is covered, before a chapter on the conversion of the tramroad into a modern railway in the 1860s.

The next four chapters deal with various facets of the Sirhowy Railway following its absorption by the LNWR in 1876, through LMS and finally BR days. These include passenger and freight traffic, incidents, staffing and locomotives. A final chapter deals with the Panllwyn tramroad and an appendix deals with the Hall’s Road line. Other appendices include a list of collieries and a short bibliography.

A book of two very different halves

The division between the tramroad era and the later railway period is more than a chronological one and marks a significant stylistic difference. The tramroad material is dealt with in an academic manner and leans on the work of Barrie and Lee. It contains a number of interesting illustrations, including excerpts from the original Acts of Parliament, engravings and tramroad plans. The material is well ordered and apart from being a little sketchy in places, is a worthwhile read.

The second part of the book, however, is far less useful as a historical account, relying on personal and family recollection and photos. While this is entertaining and valuable, it can be misleading as to the relative importance of activity on the Sirhowy railway. In fairness, the author makes this clear in the introduction.

In Summary

For a personal view of the 20^th century railway era with interesting anecdotes  this book is an entertaining read. For those wanting a more substantial historical account, recent works by Michael Lewis and John Hodge are to be preferred.

Outline Contents

• The Tramroad is Built
• The Town of Tredegar
• Conversion to a Railway
• Passenger and Freight Traffic 1876 Onwards
• Incidents
• Officers and Staff and Some Signalling Notes
• Locomotive Miscellany
• The Penllwyn Tramroad
• Appendices

Related reviews

Memoirs of the Sirhowy Branch: 1868 – 1960 by W.W. Tasker
Sirhowy Valley Line by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith
Railways amd Industry in the Sirhowy Valley by John Hodge
The Sirhowy Valley and its Railways by D.S.M. Barrie and Charles E. Lee