NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 116
Great Western Sheepdogs
Michael L. Roach
Who would have thought that the GWR had sheepdogs on the books, but they certainly did in the 1920s and 1930s, and the dogs did an important job. Anyone who has lived in the Valleys of South Wales or travelled through them regularly will know that the Welsh mountain sheep know no boundaries. It is obvious that the Welsh sheep know nothing about “hefting” which is the ability of Lake District Herdwick sheep to graze the hillsides and keep together in flocks without any physical boundaries to constrain them. The sheep in the Welsh Valleys wander wherever they spot a piece of fresh grass. This is particularly true at the top end of the Valleys where it opens out to unfenced open moorland. If we take one particular village as an example. Fochriw had a station on the Newport to Brecon line which closed to passengers at the end of 1962. Fochriw was almost exactly half way from Newport to Brecon at an elevation of 1,140 feet above sea level in open moorland. The line continued to climb for just over a mile to its first summit after almost continuous climbing for 24½ miles from Newport to a level of 1,296 feet above sea level in bleak, barren moorland. This is sheep country with Wales reputed to have more sheep than people. The sheep wandered through Fochriw regularly in 1962, and probably still do. If the pedestrian gate to the passenger station was left open the sheep would wander in, walk along the platform and out onto the track, to sample the grass on the sides of the cuttings and embankments.
It was the job of the permanent way men to deal with the intruders, and in this they were ably assisted by their trusty dogs. The Great Western had 25 sheep dogs on the books in Wales in the 1930s following a tradition started by the Welsh pre-grouping railway companies. The scans of the original article, which appeared in the GWR Magazine for February 1937, are attached and the author describes just how dumb the sheep were and how extremely bright the dogs were even down to their track-awareness role. Animals on the railway line have always been a problem for railway management despite generally good fencing and the line being walked daily in those days. Just before the Somerset and Dorset closed in 1966 I was coming down the Southern main line from Yeovil Junction sitting in the first compartment of the first coach when the D800-class diesel hauling the train hit a cow at speed. It was a frightening experience as the ballast was thrown up against the underside of the coach, and luckily the engine was not derailed.
Of course it was not only animals that trespassed on the railway line but also people, and not just those with malicious intent, but in some places as a good alternative to walking along the road which was probably just as dangerous. In South Wales there were well-known hotspots where the line was used more like a public footpath by the locals. These were probably on remote freight-only lines, far from officialdom, where the route was only seeing one or two freight trains a day; the fencing was poor; and there was easy access through gates to footpath crossings or long-closed passenger halts.
It was the job of the permanent way men to deal with the intruders, and in this they were ably assisted by their trusty dogs. The Great Western had 25 sheep dogs on the books in Wales in the 1930s following a tradition started by the Welsh pre-grouping railway companies. The scans of the original article, which appeared in the GWR Magazine for February 1937, are attached and the author describes just how dumb the sheep were and how extremely bright the dogs were even down to their track-awareness role. Animals on the railway line have always been a problem for railway management despite generally good fencing and the line being walked daily in those days. Just before the Somerset and Dorset closed in 1966 I was coming down the Southern main line from Yeovil Junction sitting in the first compartment of the first coach when the D800-class diesel hauling the train hit a cow at speed. It was a frightening experience as the ballast was thrown up against the underside of the coach, and luckily the engine was not derailed.
Of course it was not only animals that trespassed on the railway line but also people, and not just those with malicious intent, but in some places as a good alternative to walking along the road which was probably just as dangerous. In South Wales there were well-known hotspots where the line was used more like a public footpath by the locals. These were probably on remote freight-only lines, far from officialdom, where the route was only seeing one or two freight trains a day; the fencing was poor; and there was easy access through gates to footpath crossings or long-closed passenger halts.
Fochriw Station looking north on the morning of 3 September 1962 showing the staggered platforms and the open moorland alongside the station. To the left (west) were 3 streets of Victorian terraced houses with a further 7 streets to the south. They had been built to house the workers at the colliery (1853-1924) which was a very short distance to the west of the village. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Mike - the GWR certainly dabbled in all sorts of pioneering ideas!
For more of Michaels articles, please click here.
For more of Michaels articles, please click here.
Paignton Station Fire
Clive Smith
A fire broke out on the platform at Paignton station on Monday 21st July around 05.45 and after a swift response by the fire brigade it was largely put out by 08.30 bar a few hotspots. The station covered footbridge with wooden floorboards was badly damaged and on the instructions of the fire brigade the upside platform roof was partly demolished by a demolition company who were working at a building opposite.
For a news report (Devon Live) and photos, click here.
Here are a couple of my photos of the station in 2020 and very recently last month.
For a news report (Devon Live) and photos, click here.
Here are a couple of my photos of the station in 2020 and very recently last month.
Pacer 143618 at Paignton on 7th December 2020 with the 15.24 to Exmouth. Copyright Clive Smith.
Hastings DEMUs 1013 & 201001 leave Paignton with the 1Z23 15:30 Paignton to Hastings "English Riviera Express" on the 20th June 2026. Copyright Clive Smith.
How very sad to see such a historic structure claimed by fire. Many thanks for the article and photos Clive, and a big well-done to the fire crews who attended.
A hot half hour at
St. Austell
Steve Clark
With chores complete, I set off to bag 5Z13 and 1S53 at my Local but arrived in time for 2E11 which was also a Class 175. 175111 arrives at St. Austell on 2E11 10.50 Penzance to Plymouth. 20.07.2026, copyright Steve Clark.
175001 and 175006 on the 5Z13 Crew Training run. 20.07.2026, copyright Steve Clark.
222025 on the 1S53 11.15 Penzance to Edinburgh. 20.07.2026, copyright Steve Clark.
Many thanks Steve, some colourful photos.
Tuesdays Clay
Jon Hird
66759 passes by a sad-looking St. Blazey yard with the midday Goonbarrow - Fowey clay. 21.07.2026, copyright Jon Hird.
After a 15 minute (ish) pause at Par to allow various GWR services to pass by, 6G09 is seen on the mainline with 66759 about to pass beneath Treesmill roadbridge. 21.07.2026, copyright Jon Hird.
Swindon Scenes
Ken Mumford
Unit 158749 crosses onto the Down Main as 2M24 en route back to Westbury. 21.07.2026, copyright Ken Mumford.
IET unit 800311 slows down for its stop at platform 3 with 1A16 [Bristol (Temple Meads] Paddington - on time. 21.07.2026, copyright Ken Mumford.
66309 with an Engineers' train - Hinksey Sidings to Wootton Bassett Junction. RTT stated that it stopped in the Swindon East Loop BUT my photos shows it coming direct along the Main Line! Indeed RTT states that it passed Highworth Junction 8 Early,and it should have been in Swindon East Loop from 1218 to 1231 but RTT has it passing Swindon Station 24 EARLY as a result. However maybe the two non-stop westbound trains made sense when there was at least one train cancellation [not enough crews] and a track inspection in the London area + a train needed checking among some reasons for the disruptions that then happened on the Swindon-Didcot-Reading-Paddington line. 21.07.2026, copyright Ken Mumford.
Many thanks Ken, another sunny day in Swindon.
July 1976
Part 22
Roger Winnen
Drump Road Redruth. 24.07.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.
Drump Road Redruth. The Harris Bacon factory can be seen far left in this photograph. 24.07.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.