144-569: Woodham Brothers Ltd is a trading business, based mainly around activities and premises located within Barry Docks , in Barry , South Wales . It is noted globally for its 1960s activity as a scrapyard (hence its colloquial name of Barry Scrapyard ), where 297 withdrawn British Railways steam locomotives were sent, from which 213 were rescued for the developing railway preservation movement. Established in 1892 as Woodham & Sons by Albert Woodham,
288-639: A tunnel under the English Channel also included plans to upgrade the infrastructure of the Southern Region between London and the Kent coast. The plan assumed that the main railhead for "The Chunnel" would be at Ashford Kent station. To that end, rolling stock on the London to Dover via Ashford services was refurbished and heavier rails were laid to allow for longer trains and increased freight. The 1973 tunnel plan
432-618: A 24-hour security guard team, and a total ban was placed on weekend working parties. As the number of locomotives dropped below 100, the number of wagons coming for scrap also slowed, making it more likely that Woodham's would return to scrapping steam locomotives. Following a meeting of interested parties on 10 February 1979 the Barry Steam Locomotive Action Group was formed with the aim of putting potential purchasers and Woodham Brothers together, as well as funders and financial contributors. BSLAG undertook basic surveys of
576-403: A basin with gates at each end, which served as a lock between the sea entrance and the docks, the dock walls and quays, coal loading equipment and railways to deliver coal from the mines to the docks. A second dock and second entrance lock were added in 1898. The Barry Dock Offices were built in 1897–1900 by the architect Arthur E. Bell. In 1909, about 8,000 women and 10,000 men were employed in
720-500: A complete kit of bits, on the condition that the donor locomotive was not reserved and that no substantial damage was incurred in removing the parts. However, this policy combined with ease of access to the extensive yards resulted in petty pilfering and trophy/memorabilia collection in the early years, to mass criminal activity. Although Woodham's had allowed weekend working parties to access reserved locomotives, by 1981 illegal removal of valuable scrap had got so bad that Woodham's employed
864-470: A consolidation of the railways into four systems that lasted until 1947, when the railways were nationalised. The Barry Railway Company was merged with the Great Western Railway (GWR) the next year. By this time it had tracks covering 68 miles (109 km) of route, and large amounts of equipment. In addition to coal wagons the company ran suburban passenger services. W. Waddell, general manager of
1008-580: A dock at Barry and a new railway to serve it. Barry Sound was a natural choice for the dock site since comparatively little excavation was needed. David Davies and John Cory were spokesmen for the group. Davies, son of a small farmer in Montgomeryshire, was the founder of the Ocean Coal Company. He was the leader of the Rhondda mine owners, and was already experienced in railway construction. Cory
1152-413: A fixed hoist and another hold from the movable hoist. The original tipping hoists were made by Tennant and Walker of Leeds. The design was a compromise between the demand for speed in loading and the cost of breakage of coal delivered into the holds from a height. Barry had a good reputation for the quick turn-around of ships, attributed to the "lavish provision of approach lines and storage sidings", and
1296-445: A holding siding, inspected by British Rail, and then attached to a special train direct to the purchaser's site. However, after some minor incidents involving overheated axle boxes due to a lack of lubrication, BR banned movement by rail from 1976, and all locomotives were thereafter transported out by road to the M4 motorway . The movement of locomotives to the holding sidings for inspection
1440-526: A levy was made. Woodham's set the price for each locomotive at its exact scrap value (each type had an exact metal content breakdown from BR, so this was simply taken and multiplied by that day's scrap rate for each metal component), plus the BR levy; with the sale price completed by the addition of Value Added Tax , initially set at 10% but raised to 15% in 1979. For most of the time that locomotives were being 'rescued' from Barry, it became accepted commercial practice by
1584-406: A marginal improvement in the net rate of fatal incidents compared to the same (non-British Rail) period before nationalisation, which reduced potential passengers' confidence. The British railway industry failed to keep track with the safety regime of its aviation industry, which by the 2000s became its national precedent and contributed to a swift decline in fatalities. As to lines closed during
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#17330927229871728-424: A narrow-gauge (4 ft-8½in) line from Barry to Cogan, joining the line to Cardiff. The Barry Harbour Act 1866 authorised another company to build a 600-yard (550 m) quay extending from where Buttrills Brook entered the old dock near the northwest end of the present No. 1 dock. The act permitted the deepening of Cadoxton River , which entered the sea at Cold Knap , to allow for large ships to reach
1872-408: A narrowing channel from west to east, It was latterly bridged by a hydraulically-operated road/rail swingbridge; this was removed after 1999. Dock walls 46.5 feet (14.2 m) high were built of large limestone blocks at the loading points. The tall hydraulic hoists have since been demolished. The initial plans allowed for loading coal onto vessels from eleven high-level coal tips and four cranes on
2016-599: A pier at the Barry Docks entrance tidal harbour, and were followed by cruises run by the Barry Railway Company. Peter and Alex Campbell of Penarth bought the Barry Railway's Red Funnel Paddle Steamers in 1911. Aside from coal, Barry exported timber and small quantities of pig iron , wood, pulp, silver sand, zinc, and iron ore. A timber business was started in the town in 1888 by J.C. Meggitt of Wolverhampton, and in
2160-670: A priority for scrapping as detailed by British Railways. Woodham's premises which were based at Barry Docks, agreed an extended lease with the British Transport Docks Board , over the former marshalling yards of the almost redundant Barry Docks, close to what were the locomotives works of the former Barry Railway Company close to Barry Island . This allowed them to store large quantities of rolling stock that they had bought from British Railways, before they were scrapped. The 1958 decision resulted in Woodham Brothers winning
2304-464: A result of the 1955 Modernisation Plan the decision was made by the British Railways Board in the late 1950s to: The strategy chosen to replace the steam locomotive fleet initially involved the replacement of steam shunting and branch line locomotives with diesel-electric traction, and the movement of the replaced small steam locomotives to the major railway works for scrapping. In 1958
2448-456: A retired farmer of Barry Island, proposed a Glamorgan Coast Railroad to link Pencoed , Llansannor , Cowbridge and Aberthaw with Barry, and a further line to Cogan , where Penarth Dock and the Grangetown line to Cardiff were already under construction. Thomas proposed building a dock accessed by the railway for export of coal, iron and limestone, and import of hay, grain and vegetables for
2592-404: A sharply curved batter at the base, which makes the toe very strong. The foundations are solid and the backfill is high quality so that the pressure on the walls is minimised. The walls are built of mountain limestone faced with hard red sandstone and rest on solid rock. They are 50 feet (15 m) high, 17 feet (5.2 m) thick at the base just above the curve, and 7 feet (2.1 m) thick at
2736-465: A tender to scrap locomotives, and in 1959 Dai Woodham went to Swindon Works for a week to learn how to scrap steam locomotives: "It was a completely different job from what we were used to." On 25 March 1959, the first batch of engines was despatched from Swindon to Barry: GWR 2-6-0's numbers 5312/60/92/97 and a single 2-6-2T Prairie tank, 3170 a week later. However, on delivery of both scrap rail and rolling stock, Woodham's found that commercially it
2880-430: A third dam extended east across what would be the entrance. The two outer dams completely closed off the site from the sea. The centre dam was built without much difficulty by simply tipping material to form an embankment, although some of the earth sank into the mud, so more had to be added. The western dam caused much more trouble, since it rested on mud that varied in depth to upwards of 40 feet (12 m). The ends of
3024-440: A water surface of 107 acres (43 ha) with 242 acres (98 ha) of adjacent quay roads and lands, and 208 acres (84 ha) of land covered by tide, for a total of 557 acres (225 ha). The cost of the first phase of dock construction was about £850,000, including gates and machinery. The total cost of the first phase was £2 million. No. 2 Dock, to the east of the first dock, was authorised in 1893. Work began in 1894 and
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#17330927229873168-539: Is GWR 4900 Class No. 5972 Olton Hall , which was rescued in 1981, restored to working order in 1998, and became a pop culture icon in the 2000s for being a part of the Harry Potter films . Several books have been published about the area, its history, and Dai Woodham's work in railway preservation. 51°23′45″N 3°16′42″W / 51.39583°N 3.27833°W / 51.39583; -3.27833 Barry Docks Barry Docks ( Welsh : Dociau'r Barri )
3312-525: Is 110 feet (34 m) at the highest point. After some construction difficulties it opened in 1900. The VoGR was a branch line connecting the Barry Railway with the Great Western Railway at Bridgend , but its mainline ran to Coity Junction on the Bridgend-Maesteg line. That branch also incorporated a long and a short tunnel, Porthkerry No.1 and Porthkerry No.2. A link from Tynycaeau Junction on
3456-420: Is 3,400 by 1,100 feet (1,040 by 340 m) and covers about 70 acres (28 ha). Its western end is divided into two arms by a projecting mole. No. 1 dock has a full width of 1,600 feet (490 m) at the eastern end, so the largest vessels could swing even when the tips and quays were fully occupied. There was a 700 by 100 feet (213 by 30 m) graving dock (dry-dock) at the northeast corner but, due to
3600-553: Is 647 by 65 feet (197 by 20 m) and opens into the sea to the west of the Basin. It is 60 feet (18 m) deep and can be divided into two locks, using a gate about one-third of the way from the sea entrance. In its day, Lady Windsor was reportedly the largest and deepest lock in the world. Vessels that draw 13 feet (4.0 m) can enter and leave the dock at low water during ordinary spring tides. Vessels that draw 18 feet (5.5 m) can enter at low water 15 days per month. As of 1924,
3744-529: Is a depth of 25 feet (7.6 m) at a distance of 2,100 feet (640 m) from the site of the dock entrance. For most of the 19th century Cardiff was the main port for exporting South Wales coal . Cardiff shipped 998,000 long tons (1,014,000 t; 1,118,000 short tons) of coal in 1859, 1.9 million long tons (1,900,000 t; 2,100,000 short tons) in 1867 and 7.7 million long tons (7,800,000 t; 8,600,000 short tons) of coal in 1889. John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute (1793–1848) had built
3888-576: Is a port facility in the town of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, a few miles southwest of Cardiff on the north shore of the Bristol Channel . The docks were opened in 1889 by David Davies and John Cory as an alternative to the congested and expensive Cardiff Docks to ship coal carried by rail from the South Wales Coalfield . The principal engineer was John Wolfe Barry , assisted by Thomas Forster Brown and Henry Marc Brunel , son of
4032-426: Is known for its tidal range . During normal spring tides there is a range in water level of 36 feet (11 m), and during normal neap tides a range of 19.5 feet (5.9 m), but tides can peak at around 43 feet (13 m). When this happens, seawater flows into Barry Docks over the top surface of the hollow sections of the lock gates, and flows back over them as the tide falls. At low water during spring tides, there
4176-510: Is now the Dock Office building of the Vale of Glamorgan Council . The dock entrance is on the east side of Barry Island, which protects it from winds from the west and southwest. Two rubble breakwaters with six-ton stone blocks on the seaward side protect the entrance from winds from other directions. Given the height of the tides, the breakwaters are substantial structures, 46 feet (14 m) high at
4320-407: Is supplied at 80 lbs. per square inch by twenty-five Lancashire boilers, 28 feet long by 7 feet diameter. The pressure-pumps are of the differential-ram principle, and maintain a pressure in the mains of 750 lbs. per square inch. The whole of the docks, coal-tips, sidings, etc., are lighted by electricity. Battery Hill pumphouse at Barry Island was demolished after 1945, but the main part of
4464-636: The Barry Ten , were taken on by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and stored in 'scrapyard' condition. All under the care of the Barry Tourist Railway , eight locomotives are still in Barry only a few hundred yards away from where they were removed, while two are under restoration at different locations around the country. GWR 4575 Class No. 5553 was the last steam engine to leave Woodham Brothers, in January 1990 for
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4608-613: The Bluebell and Steyning lines and also those secondary and branch lines in the area which were later dieselized such as the Marshlink and Oxted-Uckfield lines. This plan was, however, overtaken by the Transport Act 1947 which brought about the creation of British Railways . The first new scheme to be adopted by the Southern Region was implemented in two Phases. Owing to restricted clearances, existing electric stock could not be used on
4752-497: The British Transport Commission reappraised the speed of the programme, and the decision was taken to accelerate the disposal of the steam fleet. Although the capacity of the locomotive works was considerable, as a result of the 1958 acceleration the amount of storage and technical scrapping capability of the works became stretched. The British Railways Board decided to out-source via tender to selected scrap merchants
4896-514: The Cardiff Docks , which remained in the possession of his son. Other coal mine owners had no choice but to use these docks and the Taff Vale Railway to export their product under terms dictated by Bute. They complained about delays and congestion at the port, and said that Bute was charging extortionate fees. A scheme to build a dock at Barry dated back as early as 1865, when John Thomas,
5040-700: The InterCity brand. British Rail built a fleet of electric units to operate Bournemouth services from Waterloo in the 1980s, with Mark 3 bodies and plug doors. These Class 442 (5-WES) units later transferred to the Brighton Main Line in 2008 on Gatwick Express services from Victoria, run by the Southern franchise , before returning to South Western Railway in 2019. The last slam door units ran in mainline operations in November 2005. New safety regulations prohibiting
5184-689: The Isle of Wight , and some areas of Dorset , Wiltshire and Berkshire . There was also an unelectrified service to parts of Devon and Cornwall , deep in what was largely Western Region territory, known colloquially as "The Withered Arm" . The Southern Region also assumed operating responsibility for the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (although the provision of motive power fell to the London Midland Region). There were three operating divisions: Eastern, Central and Western which correspond approximately to
5328-590: The Oxted line , the Hastings line and the North Downs line . Isle of Wight railway lines used elderly steam engines cascaded from the mainland for many years, but in 1966 the Southern Region acquired some redundant "Standard" tube stock from London Transport that varied build dates between 1923 and 1934. Most of the lines in the island had been closed in the 1950s and early 1960s, but the remaining route from Ryde to Shanklin
5472-555: The Penarth dock station. The railway had two long tunnels and four huge viaducts of steel and masonry. The viaducts at Llanbradach , Penyrheol , Penrhos and Walnut Tree , on the line from Tynycaeau Junction to Barry Junction (B&M) on the former Newport & Brecon Railway, have all since been demolished. The Porthkerry Viaduct was built for the Vale of Glamorgan Railway (VoGR) and still stands. The stone structure has sixteen arches and
5616-508: The River Thames , where the subsoil was largely unsuitable for tunnelling and the mainline railways had extensive networks in place before the underground railways were developed. London Underground's services were advanced over Southern Region (and other) tracks, either through dual-running or by ceding BR tracks to LUL. The LUL service to Wimbledon for instance slowly replaced the former Southern Region service. Tramlink , however, took over
5760-624: The West Croydon to Wimbledon Line in 2000. The Waterloo & City line (nicknamed 'The Drain' by both staff and users), British Rail's only "Tube" service, was given over to London Underground upon the Privatisation of British Rail in 1994. The Southern Railway had adopted a plan to convert all lines east of Portsmouth to third rail electric traction in November 1946, to be completed by 1955. This plan would have included several branch and secondary lines that were subsequently closed such as
5904-784: The West Somerset Railway . The last member of the Barry 10 GWR 2800 Class No. 2861 left the yard in May 2013 for the Llangollen Railway . A total of 213 locomotives were 'rescued' from Woodham's yard and many have been restored from 1968 to 1990. By March 2019, 151 ex-Barry locomotives had been restored to working order (the 149th, 150th, and 151st, being BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80097, GWR 6959 Class No. 6989 Wightwick Hall , and BR Standard Class 9F No. 92134 respectively ), although many of these have since been withdrawn for overhaul and are out of use or awaiting further work. In
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6048-719: The Western Region and the Southern's luxury trains, including the Atlantic Coast Express and the Brighton Belle , ceased in the 1960s and 70s. The Snow Hill tunnel between Blackfriars and Farringdon closed in the 1960s, then later reopened as part of the earliest proposals of the Thameslink Programme . At the same time, Holborn Viaduct in central London closed in 1990, replaced with City Thameslink occupying
6192-478: The 1890s gypsum, railway sleepers, flints, and rice began to be exported. The Barry Company made a considerable effort to attract firms to the dock area, but with limited success. Although J. Arthur Rank, a milling company which produced flour and animal stuffs, was established in 1906 on the dockside, an attempt by the Barry Company in 1910 and 1911 to make an agreement with Lord Ashby St. Ledger to open up land on
6336-639: The 1950s and 1960s, but some Southern Railway-style units survived until the mid-1990s. By that time, much of the Region's slam door fleet reached the end of its design life of 35–40 years and was replaced by more reliable sliding- and plug-door stock - much of it after privatisation (mainly using Electrostar and Desiro trains) - although BR started to replace inner suburban trains from the 1970s. A fleet of diesel-electric multiple units , also known by enthusiasts as "Thumpers" because of their distinctive engines, ran on non- or partly-electrified routes. These include
6480-694: The Barry Dock & Railway Company was renamed the Barry Railway Company . The chairman was Lord Windsor , who owned much of the land. David Davies was deputy chairman and responsible for running the company. 3,000 ships used the dock in 1899, taking 7 million long tons (7,100,000 t) of coal. In 1903 the docks shipped 9 million long tons (9,100,000 t). Only 10% of the coal went to other ports in Britain and Ireland. Most went overseas for use in steam engines. The main export markets were France,
6624-535: The Barry Railway Co and what is now the Vale of Glamorgan Council Civil Office building, one north of the now removed 'New cut' swingbridge and south of the former Graving Dock Junction & level crossing, one at the cross-link road from Cadoxton to the Bendricks, north of No.2 dock and one at the foot of the steps of the former shortened and later removed Clive Rd, Barry Island footbridge to No.1 dock. Their function
6768-465: The Barry, became assistant to the chief of the GWR docks department. The acquisition made the GWR the world's largest dock owner. With ports in Barry, Cardiff, Swansea , Newport , Penarth and Port Talbot the GWR shipped over 50 million long tons (51,000,000 t) each year, three-quarters of which was South Wales coal. There was a short boom in 1923, after which GWR made heavy investments in adapting
6912-429: The Basin can act as a lock, with the water level adjusted according to the rising tide. This enables wide-beamed vessels to leave the basin before high water and to enter the basin after high water. In its twilight years of vessel movements, the Basin sea locks were only used for vessels of 'above normal' beam, as its entrance was wider than Lady Windsor Lock at 80 feet wide. The walls of the basin are vertical apart from
7056-469: The Bendricks building (referred to as the "Sully hydraulic engine house" in R.A.COOKE'S section 44b GWR track diagrams) lived on until just after the Millennium. Ironically, with the nationalisation of the former 'big four' railway groups to become British Railways (BR) in 1947, the Barry Railway initials survive on one of the gables at Barry Island railway station and the initials BR appeared in white bricks on
7200-521: The Cadoxton-Pontypridd mainline, to join the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at Dyffryn Isaf (Barry Junction) in the eastern Rhymney Valley, was authorised in 1898 and opened in 1905. By then, the railway had been extended to 47 miles (76 km) of route. The dock layout that was originally planned – including the site of the basin entrance and passage – was adjusted as the work progressed to ensure that
7344-533: The Cardiff docks, and ships had been built to match the spacing so they could be loaded at two positions simultaneously. The coal tipping cranes, (referred to as coal-tips, hoists or 'staiths' by the Barry Railway Co) were elevated well above water level. After being weighed, a loaded wagon, which would hold about 10 long tons (10 t) of coal, was pulled from the weighbridge onto a raisable or lowerable cradle at
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#17330927229877488-500: The GWR ports were 55% of the 1923 peak and import volumes were 63% of the 1923 peak. The next year GWR "temporarily" closed the port of Penarth. During World War II (1939–45) the Barry Docks were used to import war material. A ring of barrage balloons protected the docks. One was located on the mole and another beside the Barry Island Station. The US Army built a large camp in the spring of 1942 to house troops that serviced
7632-916: The Isle of Wight's lines were closed in the 1950s. The Beeching Axe severely cut route mileages of most regions but the Southern escaped major losses in the London area due to high passenger numbers on its frequent suburban services. The Axe did, however, close some country routes including the Cuckoo Line , the Cranleigh Line , the Steyning Line , the New Romney branch line and the Bexhill West Branch Line , plus goods yards including Deptford Wharf and Falcon Lane. The lines in Devon and Cornwall were reclassified to
7776-498: The London suburbs) was electrified in 1967 and included the services from London Waterloo station to Southampton and Bournemouth. Electrification was extended all the way to Weymouth in 1988. Existing electric stock could not be used on the line between Tonbridge and Hastings because of restricted clearances in four tunnels along the route. In 1986, the Hastings Line was electrified with single tracks through tunnels, enabling
7920-654: The Mediterranean, the Black Sea, West Africa and South America. Smokeless Welsh coal exported from Barry Docks was in great demand by the Royal Navy at their stations all over the world. In 1896 a spur line was built to a new railway station on the Barry Island, which quickly developed as a day trip resort with eating places, shops, and in 1912 a funfair with rides. P & A Campbell started to operate paddleboat cruises from
8064-640: The Plymouth Estate trustees, major landowners in Glamorgan who advocated the building of the railway from Barry to Cogan. They proposed the Penarth, Sully and Cadoxton Railway Bill, which was approved by Parliament as the Penarth Extension Railway Act in 1876. They extended the line privately, opening it on 20 February 1878. In 1883 a group of mine owners applied for parliamentary permission to build
8208-503: The Waterfront development in the 1990s, this has been filled in. This commercial graving dock was capable of handling the largest vessels of the day. In 1893, to the east of this, there was a timber pond of 24 acres (9.7 ha) connected to the No.1 dock by a short channel almost parallel with the then dry-dock. This link was later severed and part of its length converted to another dry-dock, with
8352-518: The autumn of 1965 was the last year that mass-scrapping of steam locomotives occurred at Woodham Brothers. Dai Woodham continued to purchase steam locomotives until the end of steam, bringing total purchases by August 1968 to 297 locomotives, including four Austerity saddle tanks acquired from the Longmoor Military Railway , of which 217 then remained at the Barry scrapyard. The scrapyard continued to purchase withdrawn steam locomotives until
8496-724: The caisson was floated and taken into the basin by a tug, and the tide could flow freely through the entrance. The ceremonial opening by Mrs Lewis Davis of Ferndale and David Davies, with 2,000 guests, took place on 18 July 1889. The first vessel, SS Arno , sailed into the dock shortly after the ribbon was cut. Six tips were ready for the opening, and loaded coal into six ships. In the first phase 5,000,000 cubic yards (3,800,000 m ) had been excavated. 200,000 cubic yards (150,000 m ) of rubble masonry, 10,000 cubic yards (7,600 m ) of brickwork, 110,000 cubic feet (3,100 m ) of ashlar , mostly granite, and 220,000 cubic feet (6,200 m ) of timber work had been used. The docks had
8640-469: The channel leading to the lock was dredged to 13 feet (4.0 m). Ships generally use Lady Windsor Lock, whilst the Basin serves as an alternative for large-beamed vessels or in cases where the Lady Windsor lock gates are being repaired. Some 200 acres (81 ha) in total between the island and the mainland were used for docks, quays, sidings and other facilities. The No.1 dock, the first dock built,
8784-430: The chute and down the sides of the cone at its angle of repose. Coal trimmers in the hold would level the coal. The empty wagon would be winched off the cradle and run down onto a second weighbridge to calculate the tare and then run down a gradient of 1 in 70 to the 'empties' siding. Local hydraulic capstans were included to rope-haul wagons to and from the cradle as necessary. The empty wagons would then be shunted to
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#17330927229878928-442: The company for preservation groups to pay a deposit for a particular locomotive, which was then protected/reserved until the group could pay for the locomotive in full and arrange transport. Initially, locomotives were both mostly complete and able to move easily, although British Rail only allowed them to be towed by one of their own diesels, accompanied by a brake van to act as extra braking. Purchased locomotives were hence moved to
9072-637: The company was based at Thomson Street, Barry. The company bought old rope, dunnage wood and scrap metal from the ships, boats and marine businesses which used the newly created Barry Docks, which it then resold or scrapped. Albert retired in 1947, when his youngest son, Dai , was demobbed from the British Army after World War II . Dai renamed the business Woodham Brothers Ltd in 1953, creating four lines of business under four separate companies, which between them employed 200 people: Woodham Brothers, Woodham Transport, Woodham Marine and Woodham Metals. As
9216-488: The completion of large-scale electrification. Consequently, the Southern Region was the last region in Britain to regularly use steam on high speed expresses and to have steam operated branch lines. Steam traction over the region finally ended in July 1967, to be replaced by a combination of multiple units and locomotives . The region had ordered large fleets of slam-door electric multiple unit rolling stock with Mark 1 bodies in
9360-464: The construction site. In the summer and autumn the work continued day and night, with the site lit by electricity and Wells lights . The civil engineer John Wolfe Barry reported that the docks were nearing completion in September 1888. A caisson was built at the sea face of the entrance within the temporary stone dam, fitting against the quoins of the entrance. The stone dam was removed before all
9504-409: The construction workers that would be used by the dockworkers after the docks had been opened. Labourers and shopkeepers began to flood into the area. Before construction could start, the site of the dock and quays, covering 200 acres (81 ha), had to be clear of water. Three dams were built from the island to the mainland. The centre dam divided the dock area in half, another was further west and
9648-415: The dam permanently linked Barry Island to the mainland. The eastern dam was made of piers of masonry with marl foundations, backed up with earth, leaving four 15 feet (4.6 m) openings through which the tide flowed. It included a temporary stone dam where the entrance to the docks would be built. In March 1886 the openings in the eastern dam were quickly closed with planks, backed with concrete. Later
9792-475: The dam to form a sluice, with a flap on the outside that was closed at high tide and opened as the tide receded. By this means the west part of the works were drained to the level of the pipe, and the remaining water was pumped out at an average rate of 150,000 US gallons (570,000 L; 120,000 imp gal) per hour by a Cornish beam engine brought down from the Severn Tunnel works. The causeway along
9936-432: The dam were formed by tipping earth from wagons run out from the mainland and the island. In the centre, the earth sank into the deep mud and slid away with it. A viaduct of timber piles was built across the gap, to carry loaded trucks from which the earth was thrown out. As the ends approached each other, the tide current was too fast. The contractor twice tried to close the gap with earth at low-water neap tide, but each time
10080-406: The deepest part, and 200 feet (61 m) wide at the base. There is a 350 feet (110 m) gap between the breakwaters, from which a dredged channel of 1,455 feet (443 m) leads to the dock basin entrance. The channel has a least depth of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in), with a depth of 14 metres (46 ft) at spring tides and 12 metres (39 ft) at neap tides. At high-water spring tides
10224-445: The depth of water at the entrance to the basin is 38 feet (12 m). At high-water neap tides it is 29 feet (8.8 m). The Barry Docks West Breakwater Light, a white cast-iron tower at the head of the west breakwater, was built in 1890. The tower is 30 feet (9.1 m) high and the focal plane is 40 feet (12 m) high. The light is still operational as a navigation aid. There are several moorings for yachts and small craft on
10368-521: The docks have since become industrial estates such as the Atlantic Trading Estate . The area around the first dock, now called The Waterfront , has been redeveloped for residential and commercial use. The second dock is still active and generally handles chemicals and timber. Barry is situated on the north shore of the Bristol Channel , a few miles southwest of Cardiff. Before the docks were created, Barry Sound lay between Barry Island and
10512-580: The docks road level crossing (Wimborne Rd) from Cadoxton to the Bendricks. This is a single line rail freight link from Network Rail's Cadoxton station to the No.2 docks quays and southside rail infrastructure. It includes a 180° curve from northwest to the southeast side of the dock, this now being the only rail access to the entire docks area. It serves remaining sidings for the Sully Moors industrial complex, Dow Corning silicone plant, and intermodal rail freight traffic (2017). There are vertical walls where
10656-410: The docks to import West Indian bananas from 1959 until the 1980s. From 1957, many obsolete railway wagons were scrapped and cut up at the former West Pond site between Barry and Barry Island. From 1959, many steam locomotives were withdrawn from service and stored on sidings beside West Pond sidings area and more than 200 of them were recovered by enthusiasts for conservation or restoration. Parts of
10800-406: The docks. The 517 Port Battalion, with about 1,000 men in four companies, had moved to Hayes Lane Camp in Barry by September 1943. Three companies worked at the Barry docks, discharging cargo, while the fourth moved to Cardiff. The Americans imported vast amounts of food through the Cardiff and Barry Docks to feed their troops. The quantity and quality of the imported food caused some resentment from
10944-486: The docks. By 1913, the docks were the busiest coal port in the world, exporting 11.05 million long tons (11,230,000 t; 12,380,000 short tons) at their peak. Coal exports declined after World War I (1914–1918). Strikes and the Great Depression of the 1930s caused further problems. The docks proved useful during World War II (1939–1945); they were nationalised soon after the war ended. The Geest company used
11088-455: The earlier types of diesels ahead of the remaining steam locomotive stock. British Rail Class 21 No. D6122 was the last of its class to survive, arriving in August 1968 and cut up by Woodhams in 1980 because no one wanted to buy it. After Dai Woodham announced that he was going to retire, a concerted effort was made to clear the remaining hulks. One result of this was that ten locomotives, known as
11232-517: The early 1970s, Dai Woodham started building what are now called the Romily Units at the Woodham Road site on No.2 Dock, Barry Docks, for the purpose of giving local business-people access to cheap industrial units. By 1987 he had managed to build up the site to contain 23 industrial units to rent, ranging in size from to 2,488 to 4,145 sq ft (231.1 to 385.1 m), with access to the docks,
11376-597: The eastern dock area towards Sully to host steel manufacturers from the Midlands proved fruitless. In 1909 between 8,000 and 10,000 men were employed in the docks. The town had a population of about 33,000, almost all of them dockworkers, their families, or tradesmen and others supplying their needs. In 1913, Cardiff lost its title as the largest port in the world for coal exports when Barry shipped 11.05 million long tons (11,230,000 t) compared to Cardiff's 10.6 million long tons (10,800,000 t). The trade in 1913
11520-459: The end of steam with the last ones to enter the yard including LMS 8Fs No. 48151 and No. 48305, LNER B1 No. 61264 , BR Class 4 Moguls No. 76077/79/ 84 , and BR 9F No. 92212. All of them eventually left the scrapyard. The rows of redundant steam locomotives were a picturesque sight for holidaymakers travelling to Barry Island, and became a centre for pilgrimage for steam enthusiasts from the emerging steam railway preservation movement. While there
11664-399: The famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel . The docks occupy the former sound between Barry Island and the mainland. The contractors built dams to connect each end of the island to the mainland, drained or pumped the water from the site and excavated it. They used the material to level the area around the docks and for the core of breakwaters to protect the entrance. The works included
11808-424: The fixed and movable tips were installed, and between the tips the north wall of the dock had slopes of 1.75 to 1. This made it easier for ships to come alongside and reduced the amount of overhang needed for tipping. It also allowed overlap of vessels lying at the tips. Strong freshwater springs were encountered when sinking the foundations of the No.10 coal tip. The water was piped to a cast-iron cylinder sunk into
11952-480: The following extract: The tips have lifts of 37, 42, and 45 feet, and are each capable of lifting 20 tons. All tips are provided with two weigh-bridges, one on the full and the other on the empty roads. The machinery at the docks is worked by hydraulic power obtained at three engine-houses, which contain nine pairs of compound, horizontal, surface-condensing engines, with cylinders of 16 inches and 28 inches diameter and 24 inches stroke, indicating 250 H.P. per pair. Steam
12096-404: The foot of the tip, then pumped up for use by steam locomotives and the new town of Barry. Two of the mole sides are sloped whilst the southeast face is vertically walled. Originally, three sides of the mole served coal hoists and their related rail sidings linking them; there were cranes on the southeast face, also served by rail. The former hoist brick-faced plinths are still present (2017) around
12240-443: The foundations rested on hard rock. After the tide had been excluded, pits and borings were made to determine the nature of the bottom. A much narrower dock had been planned, but it was decided to move the south wall further south. A mole was added running along the middle of the dock, which increased the length of the quays. Thirty locomotives were used inside the dock works to carry materials. At its peak there were 3,000 workers on
12384-403: The freight line from Penrhos South Junction to Barry Junction (B&M) was closed. In 1930 through passenger traffic from Tonteg Junction to Pontypridd Craig and Hafod Junction ceased but freight continued until 1951, when that section was closed, following which traffic was diverted to run to Treforest Junction from Tonteg Junction until the entire branch closed in 1963. By 1935 export volumes of
12528-548: The government took back control of the Connex South Eastern franchise and operated it as South Eastern Trains until it was franchised to Govia again as Southeastern in 2006. As part of a general reorganisation of franchises, Island Line (on the Isle of Wight) was merged with South West Trains in 2005 to form the South Western franchise . Thameslink became part of First Capital Connect in 2006, and Gatwick Express
12672-539: The government took control of all the railways and docks. There was a boom in employment as the docks continued to export coal but also exported timber and hay, imported grain and loaded naval vessels with equipment, munitions and supplies. 20-ton wagons were introduced during World War I, and later 30 ton. By 1920, the Barry Railway Company had a workforce of 3169, of which 890 were unskilled labourers, and operated 148 steam locomotives, 194 carriages and brake vans, and 2,316 wagons and trucks. The Railways Act 1921 forced
12816-594: The hard material was used for embankments and quay roads around the docks. The mud was placed behind these, and in trenches to seal the works from water, using special side-tipping wagons. Railways totalling 27 miles (43 km) were completed before the docks opened to connect them to the coalfields. At peak, there were 88 miles (142 km) of running tracks and 108 miles (174 km) of single-track sidings, over 1,000 yards (910 m) of viaducts and 2,500 yards (2,300 m) of tunnels, with seventeen stations. The lines had gentle gradients, no more than 1 in 400 against
12960-408: The hoist to suit the coal chute and a vessel's open hold. The cradle was held within a tower, and usually had a downhill gradient railtrack of 1 in 233 towards the weighbridge but a 1 in 70 downhill incline out. The cradle could also be raised or lowered as the dock water level varied. Using hydraulic power, the cradle was tilted to an angle, so the coal ran out of the wagon and down a coal chute into
13104-489: The hoists and tips in its docks and sidings to handle the 20-ton wagon, but the collieries were often unwilling to adopt the new size despite offers of rebates. 1923 proved to be the post-war peak. Coal output in Wales dropped from a total of 57.4 million long tons (58,300,000 t) that year to 37.7 million long tons (38,300,000 t) in 1928, and continued to fall as ships converted from coal to oil. In May 1926 GWR
13248-436: The hold of the vessel below. At the start of loading, the coal would run into a suspended anti-breakage box, which was hydraulically lowered into the hold and emptied through a hinged flap at the bottom. As loading proceeded, a cone of coal built up below the anti-breakage box until it reached the height of the end of the chute. At this stage, the anti-breakage box was swung out of the way and the coal allowed to run directly down
13392-509: The largest in the district, which would be connected by rail to Peterston-super-Ely on the main South Wales line. Jenner was granted permission to extend the railway through a series of acts in 1866, including the Barry Railway (Alteration) Act 1866 ( 29 & 30 Vict. c. xcii) and the Barry Railway (Extension) Act 1866 ( 29 & 30 Vict. c. cccxxxiii) which authorised the building of
13536-599: The load on the mainline. The main Barry railway from the docks to the coalfields joined the Rhondda Fawr line of the Taff Vale Railway near Hafod northwest of Pontypridd. There were branch lines that joined the Taff Vale line at Treforest and the Great Western Railway at Peterston-super-Ely and St Fagans . A branch line mainly used for passenger traffic connected Barry to the Taff Vale Railway at Cogan Junction near
13680-442: The local people, who were making do with wartime rations. Southern Region of British Railways The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948 until 1992 when railways were re-privatised. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s. The region covered south London , southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The region
13824-412: The mainland, sheltered from storms by the island and by Friar's Point. It had been a port since medieval times. The island was about 1 mile (2 km) long and 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) wide, with a height of 120 feet (37 m) above mean sea level. The mainland slopes up to the north, so the sound was well sheltered from the wind. No rivers or streams ran into the sound. The Bristol Channel
13968-483: The mining districts. The idea was also attractive to railway developers of the period. The Ogmore Valley Railway Company wanted to increase revenue by carrying coal for shipment to the docks at Cardiff and Penarth. H. Voss, the engineer of the Ely Valley Railway Company and the Great Western Railway, also saw its commercial potential, and made a proposal to Jenner of Wenvoe Castle to build a dock at Barry,
14112-410: The more complex steam locomotives were to be handled solely by the railway works. As none of the many South Wales-based scrap merchants knew how long the work from scrapping the short-wheelbase coal wagons from the former South Wales coalfield would last, they all chose to scrap these first. Each lot of metal was bought at an auction as a piece of rolling stock or infrastructure, with each lot having
14256-514: The movement of the affected locomotive to continue. During this period, Woodham's also began scrapping locomotive tenders with the intention of then re-selling the rolling tender frames to other users. The majority of these frames were purchased by the Duport Steelworks at Briton Ferry for conversion to ingot carriers. From the start of locomotive preservation, owners were allowed to remove components from similar types of locomotives to make up
14400-485: The nationalisation of all heavy rail systems in the UK to allow for this investment and, in theory, to improve the rights of railway workers. The railway companies were amalgamated into British Railways, part of the British Transport Commission , and six geographic and administrative regions were created out of the previous four companies. The Southern Railway, being relatively self-contained and operated largely by electric traction,
14544-545: The new Thameslink Southern & Great Northern franchise (TSGN), including the South Central franchise Govia were already operating. On 26 July 2015 the South Central franchise ended and its services were incorporated into TSGN franchise; Govia announced that they would continue to use the Southern and Gatwick Express brands. In August 2017, South Western Railway commenced operations in the South Western franchise. At
14688-487: The north side of the dock, from five low-level tips on the Mole and from one tip at the west end of the dock. There was space for additional tips on the Mole, the south side of the dock and the basin. Hydraulic pressure was used to operate all the machinery, supplied by three engine houses (Barry, at the north-west side of No.1 dock, Battery Hill, and Bendricks, to the south-east of No.2 dock). An engineers' report of 1901 contained
14832-411: The northwest Mole face. The bottom of the dock is 20 feet (6.1 m) below mean sea level. Due to the nature of the strata under the dock, there was no need to puddle the bottom of the dock to prevent water from seeping out and damaging the surrounding lands. The No.2 dock, (often referred to as the "New dock") to the east of No.1 dock, was open and in use by 1898. The first ship to enter No.2 dock
14976-462: The northwest and east faces, as are those on the rest of the two docks. In the twilight years of tanker unloading for the William Cory (Powell Duffryn) oil works, short footbridges were provided from the mole. This enables works staff to access the brick plinths to handle the flexible tanker oil discharge piping and supports, and it was not unknown for rail tank wagons to be in use on the siding serving
15120-453: The northwest facet of the taper-square chimney of the Bendricks pumphouse, until its demolition. By 1947, two hydraulic accumulators were located adjacent to the No.1 Dock hydraulic & electricity generating house and the Barry Railway Co's loco works, southwest of the dock, one at the junction of Subway Rd and the low-level docks through road and level crossing near what was the General HQ of
15264-447: The planks were removed and the concrete faced with brickwork in cement mortar. Three 12-inch (300 mm) pipes with valves ran through the lowest part of the concrete wall, allowing the water to drain to this level while excavation proceeded. The remaining water was pumped out. Gunpowder was used to loosen the marl, which was then removed by steam shovels . Various other steam-powered devices were used to remove mud, clay, and rock. All
15408-410: The pond beyond filled in to make way for the necessary high-level rail viaducts and embankments run to the No.2 dock coal hoists. The remaining dry-dock, minus its floatable caisson , is still flooded with the waterline commoned with that of the two docks (July 2017). By 1901, with No.2 dock in use, a second timber pond was included north of the dock. It was partly backfilled after 1960 but intersected by
15552-566: The quay, and the Barry Railway Company and the Barry Harbour Company were established. However, the plan was never realised. Jenner made another attempt in 1868. It failed because he did not attract support from the coal traders, who preferred to operate in Cardiff. Jenner dropped the idea after the Bute Dock Act 1874 allowed an additional dock at Cardiff, but the movement to build a dock at Barry continued to gain momentum, this time by
15696-432: The railway and the M4 motorway . The main Woodham Brothers business continues to be these industrial units . On their 2008 debut album, London band Silvery released "Warship Class", a song about a childhood trip to the scrapyard in search of the remaining British Rail Class 41 (Warship Class) locomotive - D601 - 'Ark Royal'. One of the engines rescued, and arguably the most famous one of them all, from Barry Scrapyard
15840-518: The railways of the Isle of Wight . The surviving line between Ryde and Shanklin was therefore electrified in March 1967 using converted stock originally built for London Electric Railway in 1921. These became British Rail Classes 485 and 486 . During the mid 1980s these were replaced by Class 483 , which were also rebuilt from former London Underground stock. The first phase of South West Main Line (beyond
15984-428: The remaining locomotives, listing types and conditions and acting as a media liaison point. However, during the summer of 1980 BR were unable to offer any quantity of redundant wagons to Woodham's for scrap. Rather than lay off staff, Dai Woodham authorized the scrapping of two steam locomotives, BR Standard Class 9F No. 92085, and GWR 5101 Class No. 4156. By August, more former steel coal wagons had been delivered to
16128-764: The same site at an underground level. In the late 1990s, the Addiscombe Line and the West Croydon to Wimbledon Line in south London were closed as these routes were replaced by the Croydon Tramlink . As a contrast, London Waterloo had been extensively refurbished and expanded to allow development of the Eurostar 's Waterloo International railway station terminal. These platforms were closed after international services moved to St Pancras International in 2007. They were reopened respectively in 2017 and 2018 to increase capacity for suburban services. The 1973 plan to build
16272-409: The shunters and the tippers were paid by the Barry Railway Company, and the wages of the trimmers were paid by the colliery companies. There was a coal boom between 1890 and 1914, and the dockyard business was immediately successful. By the end of 1889 Barry had exported 1.073 million long tons (1,090,000 t). In 1890 the docks shipped 3.192 million long tons (3,243,000 t). In 1891
16416-404: The skill of the shunters (who ensured that every yard of storage capacity of the ships was utilised), the tippers (who tipped the coal onto the ships), and the trimmers (who shovelled the coal sideways until the coal was evenly distributed in the hold). The tippers usually worked in gangs of four, and the dock charges and the wages of the tippers and the trimmers were based on tonnage. The wages of
16560-405: The sorting sidings. Two men could empty a wagon in one minute, one to run the wagon on and off the cradle, and another to operate the hydraulics. The resident engineer reported in 1890 that as much as 400 long tons (410 t) had been shipped in one hour from a single tip. In 1890 movable tipping hoists mounted on rails were installed so that coal could be loaded simultaneously into one hold from
16704-535: The three current franchise areas. The Region's chief stations in Central London were: Other major stations in London included: Outside Greater London the main stations were: Southern and Western Regions had important interchanges at Reading and Exeter St Davids . Underused stations such as those between East Grinstead and Lewes (a few of them later reopened with the Bluebell Railway ), and most of
16848-453: The time of its creation the Southern Region still had large numbers of steam locomotives The Southern Region also owned three locomotive works at Ashford , Brighton , and Eastleigh , two carriage works (Eastleigh and Lancing ) and a wagon works at Ashford. Most of these closed before privatisation. Unlike the other regions of British Railways, the Southern Region did not rush to withdraw its steam locomotives, instead using them right up to
16992-400: The top. The Basin gates contain many sluices, so water can be quickly drained out or let in according to whether the sea level is above or below the prevailing docks water level. However, more water is lost from No.1 dock supply if the Basin water is lowered to the seaward side of the lock gates instead of using the Lady Windsor lock sluices. In the early days, the dock operators would often run
17136-562: The use of generic rolling stock. The former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern Railway joint line between Croydon and Oxted, and the LB&;SCR line to East Grinstead was electrified in 1987. But the branch line to Uckfield remains operated by diesel multiple units . The Southern Region was abolished in 1992 because British Rail had decided to move from regional management to business sectors . The Region
17280-593: The use of trains with slam doors (unless equipped with secondary or central locking ) were not introduced until the last examples could be withdrawn. Exceptionally, some slam door units were allowed to stay in service for another couple of years by special derogation on the Lymington Pier "heritage" branch before they retired permanently in 2010. Some Mark 1 units have been preserved by heritage railways ever since. A lack of investment and focus on infrastructure maintenance and collision safeguards across institutions led to
17424-467: The water broke through to make a gap 80 feet (24 m) wide, through which the tide poured at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h). The problem was solved in July 1885 by dropping shutters between horizontal timbers attached to the viaduct piles when the tide had receded, then backing up the shutters with as much stone and earth as could be delivered from preloaded trucks. This worked. A cast-iron pipe 40 inches (1,000 mm) in diameter had been laid through
17568-404: The water down to bring in a single ship having a wider beam than the Lady Windsor lock could handle. At first, the docks were only accessible via the Basin for a few hours during high water. While waiting, ships could anchor to the east of the docks between Barry Island and Sully Island . The Lady Windsor Lock, opened on 4 January 1898, was named after the wife of the chairman of the company. It
17712-486: The west of the tidal basin. The original entrance to the docks is 80 feet (24 m) wide, with two wrought-iron gates operated by direct-acting hydraulic cylinders. This sea entrance leads into the Basin (occasionally called No.3 dock), that is 600 by 500 feet (180 by 150 m) and covers 7 acres (2.8 ha). At its northwest end, the Basin is connected to No.1 dock by an 80 feet (24 m) wide passage with another pair of wrought-iron lock gates, so that when required,
17856-484: The work of scrapping the steam locomotives. By the mid-1950s, Woodham Brothers was trading mainly as a scrap metal merchants, producing high quality scrap metal for the newly nationalised steel industry. Dai Woodham, as a result of the British Rail decision, negotiated a contract in 1957 to scrap metal mainly from the Western Region , covering like other scrap merchants the easily handled railway line and rolling stock;
18000-456: The work was completed. Water was let into the docks on 29 June 1889. The water was first admitted into the basin and dock by opening the sluices in the culvert at the entrance on a rising tide. The sluices in the culvert at the west end were also opened. On the first tide the basin and dock were covered with 5 feet (1.5 m) of water, on the next with 18 feet (5.5 m), and on the tide that followed with 23 feet (7.0 m). On 13 July 1889
18144-421: The work when the volume of rolling stock and railway line abated. From mid-1964, Woodham Brothers won additional contracts to scrap Southern Region stock, and as a result expanded their Barry Docks yard leases to cover more of the former marshalling yards. In 1965, 65 locomotives had arrived at the scrapyard, of which 28 were scrapped, but the additional volume of Southern rail, wagons and brake vans meant that
18288-588: The yard was Midland Railway 3835 Class No. 43924 in September 1968. The engine was taken on by the 4F Locomotive Society, and the engine now resides at the Worth Valley Railway . However, this did not stop the engines from being scrapped as a whole, as in 1972, 4MT Mogul No. 76080 was cut up and the following year, 2884 class No. 3817 was cut up as well. Under the terms of the contract from British Rail, Woodhams could not sell complete locomotives onwards that had been sold to them for scrap, unless payment of
18432-614: The yard, making 4156 and 92085 the last locomotives to be broken up at Barry. While most steam locomotives made it out of Barry Scrapyard, some were scrapped from 1958 to 1980 and all of the diesel engines, 4 in total, that entered the yard were scrapped, despite some attempts to preserve them. GWR 1400 Class No. 1428 was believed to have been sold to Woodham Bros., but in fact it was actually sold to J. O. Williams of Barry and cut up at their yard. Woodham Brothers continued dealing as scrap metal merchants, and continued scrapping locomotives on behalf of British Railways. These included some of
18576-403: Was John Wolfe Barry , assisted by Thomas Forster Brown and Henry Marc Brunel , son of the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel . John Robinson was the resident engineer and the works were built by T.A. Walker. Barry was the son of the architect Charles Barry, and was the engineer of Tower Bridge , Surrey Commercial Docks , Natal Harbour and many other major works. Houses were built for
18720-482: Was SS Solent when it opened without ceremony on 10 October 1898. John Jackson, a veteran of several major dock and harbour projects including the piers and foundation for Tower Bridge , London, the new Dover Harbour and part of the Manchester Ship Canal , was the contractor for the expansion. No.2 Dock is 3,338 feet (1,017 m) long and 400 to 600 feet (120 to 180 m) wide, connected to No.1 dock via
18864-469: Was also an issue, due to the deteriorating condition of the track in Woodham's yard. With the need to occasionally move locomotives in order to retrieve another which had been purchased for preservation, derailments would sometimes occur due to the poor state of the track. As Woodham's lacked the necessary equipment to re-rail the locomotives, it was easier to simply cut part of the derailed wheelset away, allowing
19008-537: Was cancelled in 1975. The 1986 tunnel plan, which was approved and eventually built, used the same assumptions as the 1973 plan and Ashford Kent became Ashford International . By this time the Southern Region had been abolished. Until 1980 the Southern Region operated the Night Ferry sleeper train (jointly with SNCF ) from London Victoria to Paris and Brussels. The Southern Railway and its predecessor companies have had little competition from London Transport south of
19152-457: Was completed in 1898. A further expansion to the docks were completed in 1914. The Docks Office was built in 1897–1900 by the architect Arthur E. Bell at the cost of £59,000. A statue of David Davies by Alfred Gilbert stands in front, unveiled in 1893. The roof and clock tower were destroyed by fire in 1984, but have been carefully restored. The building became the Customs House in 1995. It
19296-452: Was divided between two of the new passenger businesses: Network SouthEast and InterCity . When the British Rail passenger services were privatised in the 1990s the lines of the former region were divided between South West Trains , Thameslink , Island Line , Thames Trains , Gatwick Express , Connex South Central and Connex South Eastern . In 2002 the South Central franchise was awarded to Govia and rebranded it " Southern ". Next,
19440-472: Was dominated by exports of coal, carried by increasingly large and efficient vessels. Imports were just 11% of total volume in 1913, the largest category being iron ore. The company fought off competition and was able to pay dividends of 9.5% and 10%. At the docks, the company ran a total of 41 tips of various kinds, 47 mooring buoys, and kept tugs, launches, a dredger, a firefloat, and even had its own diver and police force. When World War I (1914–18) began,
19584-401: Was easier to both comply with the contract terms and conditions and turn a profit if they concentrated on the easier to scrap rail profile and rolling stock. There was also at least ten times the volume of wagons, which took up more space and reduced Woodham's capacity to bid on more contracts. Hence it was agreed internally to leave the more difficult locomotives until later, perhaps picking up
19728-419: Was electrified to normal Southern Region third rail specification, and the "Standard" tube stock was converted (from LT's fourth rail to third) so that it could be run on it. In the late-1980s these trains were replaced by more redundant LT tube stock , this time dating from 1938. Few Mark 2 multiple units were built but some driving trailers were introduced for Gatwick Airport express services, then operated by
19872-450: Was establishing a network of coal bunkering depots around the world. At first rejected, the group won permission for the port and railway in August 1884. On 14 November 1884 a group of ship and mine owners "trudged out to Castleland Point—near the later Dock Offices—to dig a small hole in the ground with the aid of a ceremonial spade, a wheelbarrow and a plentiful supply of planking to keep the autumn mud off their shoes." The lead engineer
20016-659: Was incorporated almost intact as the new Southern Region. The acting General Manager of the Southern Railway, John Elliot became the first Chief Regional Officer of the Southern Region. The Southern Region also inherited some independent light railways , namely the East Kent Light Railway , the Kent and East Sussex Railway and the North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway . The Southern Region served southern London , Kent , Surrey , Sussex , Hampshire ,
20160-529: Was involved in the General Strike of mineworkers, continuing to run trains during the strike while miners had downed tools. This caused resentment that lasted for many years. The mines remained closed until the winter of 1926, causing a severe loss to GWR, which was also starting to feel competition from road transport. In October 1929 the Wall Street crash heralded the start of the Great Depression . In 1926
20304-418: Was largely based upon the former Southern Railway area. The Southern Railway was still comparatively profit-making despite World War II , thanks to its extensive third rail DC electrification and the intensive service patterns this allowed for. However, large-scale investment was required in the infrastructure of all of the "Big 4" companies, including the Southern. The Transport Act 1947 provided for
20448-454: Was merged with Southern in 2007. The North Downs Line was taken over by First Great Western , which in 2014 was renamed Great Western Railway . In the early years of its franchise, South West Trains reinstated 'West of England line' services beyond Exeter to Plymouth and Paignton, but these were cut back again (after only two years of operation) in order to strengthen its core service to Exeter. Also in 2014, Govia had been selected to operate
20592-409: Was still a significant number of steam locomotives in the yard, railway preservationists began buying the better examples from the late 1960s in order to restore them to working order. The first locomotive to be the subject of a rescue appeal was GWR 4300 Class 5322, which eventually did leave Barry in March 1969, becoming the third locomotive to leave, but the first to be bought and actually moved from
20736-417: Was to back up and stabilise fluctuating hydraulic pressure as the coal hoists and other users were working. (Most of these are detectable from aerial photographs taken between 1921 and 1929 and can be seen on other websites.) One pair of fixed coal hoists on the north side was 174 feet (53 m) apart, and two other pairs were 200 feet (61 m) apart. This spacing was chosen since it was the same as that in
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