NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 38
Dowlais Cae Harris
Michael L. Roach
In Parts 26, 29 and 32 I described a day trip from Plymouth to travel the cross-country route from Pontypool Road to Neath for the last time, but not on the last day of passenger services; including visits to stations at Crumlin and Nelson & Llancaiach. Nelson was the junction station for the steeply graded branch to Dowlais Cae Harris. Dowlais once had several railway stations which I hope to cover one day, but it has not had any standard gauge railways for many many years. Residents wishing to get on a train will travel two miles downhill all the way to the centre of Merthyr Tydfil. Together Dowlais and Merthyr were once far larger and more important than Cardiff because of three major industries – iron ore extraction, coal mining and iron making.
The line from Nelson to Dowlais was 9½ miles long and steeply graded with long lengths at 1 in 40/42. The summit was at Cwmbargoed Station where in the exchange sidings alongside were always many mineral wagons waiting to be loaded with coal or waiting to depart. There were very few houses at Cwmbargoed as it was a bleak place on a par with Princetown but with none of the facilities that Princetown has to offer. On first sight I thought it strange that Cwmbargoed should have a luggage label printed for it but the people who lived there would have wanted their luggage returned when they went on holiday. As my train approached Cae Harris Station it passed the engine shed; a sub-shed of Merthyr Shed. For the last few years the shed only had one class of steam engine working from it and that was Collet's 1924 design 0-6-2 tank numbered 5600 and 6600 upwards. They were used on both the passenger and coal trains and were ideal for the steep gradients; and in all the photos I have seen every one was facing north without exception. The shed received a new coaling plant in 1958.
Iron has been used for thousands of years but only in small quantities for implements and weapons. The technology reached Britain about 450BC. Iron smelting took off in the eighteenth century with the invention of the blast furnace able to make larger quantities with sites in South Wales at Blaenavon, Merthyr and Dowlais among others. Founded in 1759 the Dowlais Ironworks became the largest in the world with 18 blast furnaces at its peak in 1845. It was the first works to make steel in 1865 and became famous after making the iron used to make the rail track for the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened 200 years ago this year. The works closed in 1987.
Dowlais had a lot of railways and several railway stations of which Cae Harris was one of the most convenient being a short distance off the main road through the town. This was the turnpike road from Merthyr to Abergavenny, later the A465, but now bypassed by The Heads of The Valley Road. A little further east up the main road was the other main station called Dowlais High Street built on an embankment where the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny line crossed the main road. Although Cae Harris was a terminal station for passengers one line in the adjacent goods yard continued north between the houses and crossed the main road on the level to reach all the industrial works to the north. The gap in the houses can be still be seen and on the opposite side of High Street someone has thoughtfully laid a short length of track to remind residents of their heritage. Dowlais now has no standard gauge railways, but it does have a narrow gauge railway in the shape of the Brecon Mountain Railway whose southern terminus is at Pant on the edge of Dowlais.
Until very recently coal was extracted in a huge area of open-cast workings to the south of Dowlais and to the east of Merthyr. The coal was washed and graded and loaded into rail wagons at Cwmbargoed which had the first passenger station 2¾ miles out of Dowlais Cae Harris. Cwmbargoed continued dispatching coal trains until 2024.
My first trip on the line was on Saturday 10 December 1960 on a day trip. I travelled up from Cardiff General in a dmu to Merthyr and then took a return trip to Hirwaun in auto-coach 194 hauled/propelled by pannier 6416 of Merthyr Shed. On returning to Merthyr Station I walked the two miles uphill to Dowlais Cae Harris Station where I bought an ordinary return to Ystrad Mynach. The outward and return trips were hauled by 5696 with two coaches; and for those interested in GW coaches they were numbered W6816W and W6817W. At Dowlais I/we walked downhill to Merthyr to catch a 6-car dmu back to Cardiff, where I was staying; but my friend Charles Fennamore who was with me that day then had to travel back to Ogmore Vale by train and bus. Many of the Valley lines had been dieselised two years earlier and this day was part of a plan to travel all the remaining steam operated lines before they were either dieselised or closed to passengers. In all I made four visits to Cae Harris. Most of the below photos come from the visit on 11 April 1964 with some from an earlier visit on 3 September 1962.
The line from Nelson to Dowlais was 9½ miles long and steeply graded with long lengths at 1 in 40/42. The summit was at Cwmbargoed Station where in the exchange sidings alongside were always many mineral wagons waiting to be loaded with coal or waiting to depart. There were very few houses at Cwmbargoed as it was a bleak place on a par with Princetown but with none of the facilities that Princetown has to offer. On first sight I thought it strange that Cwmbargoed should have a luggage label printed for it but the people who lived there would have wanted their luggage returned when they went on holiday. As my train approached Cae Harris Station it passed the engine shed; a sub-shed of Merthyr Shed. For the last few years the shed only had one class of steam engine working from it and that was Collet's 1924 design 0-6-2 tank numbered 5600 and 6600 upwards. They were used on both the passenger and coal trains and were ideal for the steep gradients; and in all the photos I have seen every one was facing north without exception. The shed received a new coaling plant in 1958.
Iron has been used for thousands of years but only in small quantities for implements and weapons. The technology reached Britain about 450BC. Iron smelting took off in the eighteenth century with the invention of the blast furnace able to make larger quantities with sites in South Wales at Blaenavon, Merthyr and Dowlais among others. Founded in 1759 the Dowlais Ironworks became the largest in the world with 18 blast furnaces at its peak in 1845. It was the first works to make steel in 1865 and became famous after making the iron used to make the rail track for the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened 200 years ago this year. The works closed in 1987.
Dowlais had a lot of railways and several railway stations of which Cae Harris was one of the most convenient being a short distance off the main road through the town. This was the turnpike road from Merthyr to Abergavenny, later the A465, but now bypassed by The Heads of The Valley Road. A little further east up the main road was the other main station called Dowlais High Street built on an embankment where the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny line crossed the main road. Although Cae Harris was a terminal station for passengers one line in the adjacent goods yard continued north between the houses and crossed the main road on the level to reach all the industrial works to the north. The gap in the houses can be still be seen and on the opposite side of High Street someone has thoughtfully laid a short length of track to remind residents of their heritage. Dowlais now has no standard gauge railways, but it does have a narrow gauge railway in the shape of the Brecon Mountain Railway whose southern terminus is at Pant on the edge of Dowlais.
Until very recently coal was extracted in a huge area of open-cast workings to the south of Dowlais and to the east of Merthyr. The coal was washed and graded and loaded into rail wagons at Cwmbargoed which had the first passenger station 2¾ miles out of Dowlais Cae Harris. Cwmbargoed continued dispatching coal trains until 2024.
My first trip on the line was on Saturday 10 December 1960 on a day trip. I travelled up from Cardiff General in a dmu to Merthyr and then took a return trip to Hirwaun in auto-coach 194 hauled/propelled by pannier 6416 of Merthyr Shed. On returning to Merthyr Station I walked the two miles uphill to Dowlais Cae Harris Station where I bought an ordinary return to Ystrad Mynach. The outward and return trips were hauled by 5696 with two coaches; and for those interested in GW coaches they were numbered W6816W and W6817W. At Dowlais I/we walked downhill to Merthyr to catch a 6-car dmu back to Cardiff, where I was staying; but my friend Charles Fennamore who was with me that day then had to travel back to Ogmore Vale by train and bus. Many of the Valley lines had been dieselised two years earlier and this day was part of a plan to travel all the remaining steam operated lines before they were either dieselised or closed to passengers. In all I made four visits to Cae Harris. Most of the below photos come from the visit on 11 April 1964 with some from an earlier visit on 3 September 1962.
5696 stands in the sidings at Cwmbargoed with a rake of 20-ton coal wagons taken from the train. Note the precast concrete signal post. The houses on the horizon are some of the very very few in the area. 11 April 1964. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
My train has arrived at the buffer stops at Dowlais Cae Harris at 10.10am on 11.04.1964. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5677 runs around its two coaches outside Cae Harris Station over a double-slip point. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5677 is ready to depart on the 11.32am to Ystrad Mynach. On the left is 5605 which had just arrived LE from Cwmbargoed where I saw it earlier. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
There were at least three sets of coaches on the branch. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Cae Harris station buildings seen on 3 September 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The approach to Cae Harris station was on a sharp curve at the bottom of a steep gradient. Here we see that the area to the south of the town was pock marked by waste heaps. The engine shed was a sub-shed of 88D Merthyr Shed and closed in December 1964. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5655 outside the station. These powerful 0-6-2 tanks were rated 5MT by British Railways. All 200 in the class were withdrawn between 1962 and 1966 and 9 were preserved. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5666 departs for Nelson at 4.15pm on 3 September 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Cover of the pamphlet introducing improved diesel services on 15 September 1958. Some services had been dieselised earlier that year. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Map of the lines operated by DMU in September 1958. It was a little optimistic to include the line to Dowlais Top as I think there was just one train per day operated by DMU. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
- Don't miss this one! -
David Thomas presents:
The railways of East Cornwall
Prior to Dr. Beeching
Saturday April 12th
Join us for an interesting talk from David Thomas this coming Saturday, in the Memorial Hall at Redruth Methodist Church. The show commences at 1830. Admission is free for members, or £3 for non-members.
We hope to see you there!
David Thomas presents:
The railways of East Cornwall
Prior to Dr. Beeching
Saturday April 12th
Join us for an interesting talk from David Thomas this coming Saturday, in the Memorial Hall at Redruth Methodist Church. The show commences at 1830. Admission is free for members, or £3 for non-members.
We hope to see you there!
Largin Clay
Jon Hird
66127 leads 9 JIA's ex-Par Harbour over Largin Viaduct running as 6C10 on 10.04.2025. Copyright Jon Hird.
Boscarne Meandering
Andrew & Diane Jones
Dear Jon, Keith and Roger, please find attached 3 photographs at Boscarne Junction, today Thursday 10th April 2025.
Locomotive 5552 heads the 11.15 service to Bodmin General with a well loaded and spirited performance up the grade on an Easter special.
If only this weather would last !!
Very best wishes Andrew and Diane
Locomotive 5552 heads the 11.15 service to Bodmin General with a well loaded and spirited performance up the grade on an Easter special.
If only this weather would last !!
Very best wishes Andrew and Diane
5552 arrives at Boscarne Junction from Bodmin General. 10.04.2025, copyright Andrew & Diane Jones.
The Boscarne Junction Ground Frame with 5552 in the background awaiting departure. 10.04.2025, copyright Andrew & Diane Jones.
With a special Easter-themed headboard, 5552 departs Boscarne Junction with the 1115 service to Bodmin General on 10.04.2025. Copyright Andrew & Diane Jones.