Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: South Wales – Retro Review

Partly as a consequence of the valley geography of South Wales, smaller railway companies retained their independence for longer than other areas of Britain. This encourages a narrower focus on individual lines which means broader historical patterns can sometimes get overlooked.

Weaving the rich story of the individual pre-grouping railways into a coherent narrative is one of the strengths of A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 12, South Wales by D.S.M Barrie. The book was first published in 1980 by Thomas and Lochar. However, for this review I am using the 1994 Second Edition which was a substantial revision of the original by Peter E. Baughan using Barrie’s notes following his death.

A Comprehensive History of the Railways of South Wales

The opening two chapters present an introduction to the region and outlines the emergence of the canal and tramroad system. This was prior to the introduction of modern edge railways using rolling stock with flanged wheels in the 1840s-50s. 

The geography of South Wales with its well-defined areas including a distinct linear north-south valleys region, lends itself to a local approach. Consequently, Derek Barrie devotes the next eight chapters to detailing the nineteenth century evolution of the system in a progression from East Monmouthshire to the South West of Pembrokeshire. The final two chapters deal with the twentieth century, with the original First Edition end point of 1980 being followed by an update chapter bringing the story into the 1990s.

The Story of Two Centuries: Revolution, Rivalry and Capacity

The scope of the book is impressive with an excellent command of detail. For example, the author not only describes the railways which were built, but also many which were proposed but never materialised. The result illustrates the almost Machiavellian moves and counter moves of companies desperate to gain the greatest possible advantage over their rivals.

However, Barrie also has an eye on the broader socio-economic picture. At one point he shrewdly observes that while the early tramroads were revolutionary, they had little effect on improving to the lives of ordinary people compared with the later railways. Another way of viewing South Wales railway history is through available capacity. The author draws attention to the initial undercapacity at the start of the nineteenth century which drove the manic phase of rapid development leading to overcapacity and inevitable rationalisation by the middle of the twentieth century.

By its nature, any historical work presents an interpretation of its primary and secondary sources. One criticism of the book is that it rarely connects the text to the material in the bibliography. This inevitably makes it more difficult for the reader to pursue interesting points or check Barrie’s conclusions.

In Summary

The complex history of railway development in South Wales means it is easy to get tangled in intricate detail. Nevertheless, Barrie’s book manages to balance necessary historical detail while providing a broad narrative. It is both enjoyable and highly informative.

Outline Contents

• The South Wales Railway Scene
• Evolution of the System
• Eastern Monmouthshire (Gwent)
• Eastern Monmouthshire – Enter the LNWR
• Western Monmouthshire (Gwent)
• Cardiff: The Protagonists
• The Cardiff Valleys
• Westward from Cardiff
• Neath and Swansea
• The South West Corner
• The Twentieth Century I – 1900 – 1980
• The Twentieth Century II – Towards the New Millennium

About the Author: D.S.M. Barrie

Derek Barrie was a former Fleet Street journalist brought into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1932 to organize public relations and publicity Amongst his extensive writings, he was the Author of several Oakwood Press histories of railways in South Wales. He eventually rose to become the General Manager of the Eastern Region.

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