70-463: Wenvoe Tunnel is a disused tunnel on the defunct Barry Railway that runs under Culverhouse Cross in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales, on the western outskirts of Cardiff . It was opened in 1889 on a line used to carry coal to Barry Docks . The line also had a sparse passenger service and closed after March 1963. The southern end of the tunnel is to the west of The Alps Quarry , off Caerau Lane, and
140-626: A Bill for a new line westward from Ewenny via Porthcawl and Port Talbot to join the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway at Aberavon . Barrie says, "Beyond all reasonable doubt, the real object of the London & South Wales promoters was to force the Great Western Railway to carry out its South Wales Direct Line, and to make certain concessions to the South Wales coal trade. In this they succeeded, and
210-479: A No. 2 Dock, of 34 acres (14 ha), was obtained. The massive trade at the Docks placed on the company the obligations of a Dock Authority, and since 1889 the company had been responsible for pilotage and the control of alcohol and other public order issues within the docks, as well as the more obvious conservancy issues. The 1893 act of Parliament also paved the way for an extension railway to Barry Island, as Barry
280-492: A breeze-block structure built to the rear of a concrete-aproned area of a retail outlet and which at ground level, occupies an airway of only a quarter of the circular air shaft area below ground. As at 2020, a large bore concrete water main maintained by Welsh Water is run at tunnel ground level and against the east side of the bore. Since falling out of use following 1963, the tunnel has suffered much flooding. The Barry Docks and Barry Railway Company were founded to break
350-519: A café. Largely situated in Trehafod, the park feeds into Pontypridd and is frequented by walkers heading there. The village has frequently suffered flooding from the river, the most serious of which claimed the life of an Afon Street resident in 1960. ( Afon is Welsh for 'river'.) Flooding also occurred in 1921, 1929, and 1979, after which the Rhondda River bank was reinforced. "The 1979 flood overtopped
420-683: A group intent on building an alternative dock and railway system, and a bill was prepared and submitted for the 1883 session of Parliament. In fact the strength of opposition from the Taff Vale Railway, the Bute Trustees, and other established companies was such that the bill failed in that session. It was resubmitted in the 1884 session, and this time it was passed, and the Barry Dock and Railways Act 1884 ( 47 & 48 Vict. c. cclvii) gained royal assent on 14 August 1884. The promoters' costs for
490-421: A near-monopoly, and as such were thought to be unresponsive to customers' wishes. Coal ships intending to load at Cardiff were often obliged to stand off for days waiting for a berth, and loaded coal trains heading for the docks frequently were obliged to wait in loops and on goods lines on the approach, waiting for clearance to enter. In fact extensions to the docks took place, and in 1865 a new harbour at Penarth
560-529: A tunnel at 1 in 80. The Pier station never had an ordinary train service, but was limited to trains connecting with pleasure steamers, generally in the summer. The steamer service was provided by the firm of P & A Campbell from July 1899. They were the principal steamer operator on the Bristol Channel at the time, but the commercial relationship between them and the Barry Railway was strained. In 1904
630-522: A while finance was impossible to get. Dissatisfaction with the available railway and dock facilities was however unabated, and there was a considerable desire for an alternative to break the monopoly. In 1882 promoters allied to the Taff Vale Railway and the Bute Trustees (who controlled the Cardiff Docks) proposed new docks at Roath, east of the city, and a new approach railway from the Taff Vale line. It
700-577: Is served by railway lines made from Barry through Barry Island, and it is now possible for passengers from Cardiff, and the districts containing the teeming population of South Wales, to travel by train to the pontoon, and embark for the various watering-places and towns in the Bristol Channel. The Barry Island branch was extended to Barry Pier. The extension was authorised by the Barry Railway Act 1896 ( 59 & 60 Vict. c. cxciii), and it opened on 27 June 1899. The line descended to Barry Pier through
770-552: The Barry Dock and Railway Company in 1884. It arose out of frustration among Rhondda coal owners at congestion and high charges at Cardiff Docks as well the monopoly held by the Taff Vale Railway in transporting coal from the Rhondda. In addition, the Taff Vale did not have the required capacity for the mineral traffic using the route, leading to lengthy delays in getting to Cardiff. The Barry Railway opened its main line from Trehafod in
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#1733093293604840-466: The Rhondda to Barry in 1889 and its first dock was opened in the same year, with modern loading equipment. It was immediately successful and principally carried coal, the tonnage increased year on year, so that by 1910 it had overtaken Cardiff as the largest export point of South Wales coal and in 1913, a world record of shipment of 11.09 million long tons (11.27 million tonnes) of coal were exported. Later it built costly branches to connect to
910-566: The Rhymney and Brecon & Merthyr Railways . Although chiefly a mineral railway, it ran a suburban passenger service from Barry to Cardiff. After 1918 the South Wales coal industry declined and the Barry Railway suffered accordingly. After the grouping of the railways in 1922 the Great Western Railway sought rationalisation, and the main line of the Barry Railway, which duplicated the ex-Taff Vale main line between Treforest and Trehafod,
980-623: The Rhymney Railway , but was turned down in the Lords Committee. A second attempt was made in 1889 for an independent line from near Cogan to Cardiff, and also a junction with the Rhymney Railway north of Caerphilly . This too was withdrawn by the Barry Railway, but significant concessions were obtained. These were that the Taff Vale Railway would agree running powers (except for passenger trains) between Cogan and Walnut Tree Junction over
1050-512: The 1880s. They were using Porthcawl , which had very limited shipping capacity. They promoted a railway from Coity Junction, just north of Bridgend, to Barry along a route near the coast, joining the Barry Railway west of the Barry Dock. The result was the Vale of Glamorgan Railway Act 1889 ( 52 & 53 Vict. c. clxxxviii) of 26 August 1889. Nominally independent, it was supported in Parliament by
1120-472: The Barry Railway acquired statutory powers—the Barry Railway (Steam Vessels) Act 1904 ( 4 Edw. 7 . c. ccxxvii) of 15 August 1904—to operate its own steamer fleet, but these powers were considerably restricted, limiting the routes that might be operated. In 1905 the Barry Railway started its own steamer operation with two newly constructed vessels, Gwalia and Devonia and an 1899 steamer Westonia . In 1907
1190-462: The Barry Railway operated such a service. Of course its own main line had not previously operated passenger trains, so new stations were required; in most cases these were made with platform loops to avoid conflict with the heavy mineral trains service. In the 20 miles (32 km) from Cadoxton, the first stations were at Wenvoe, Creigiau, Efail Isaf, Treforest and Pontypridd. The Pontypridd station became known as Pontypridd (Graig) from 1924. Barry
1260-472: The Barry Railway, and when constructed it was equipped and operated by the Barry Railway. The company was unable to raise the necessary subscriptions, and the Barry Railway was obliged to guarantee a 4% return to VoGR shareholders, authorised by an act of Parliament of 1893. This effectively put the VoGR under the control of the Barry Railway. The line opened on 1 December 1897. A viaduct experienced subsidence and
1330-594: The GWR route to London was still via Bristol and Bath . A South Wales Direct Line had been proposed for some years, but the GWR was reluctant to build it. Promoters, chiefly coal owners and those associated with the Vale of Glamorgan Railway and the Barry Railway, put together a scheme for a London and South Wales Railway in November 1895. At 163 miles (262 km) in length, it was to run from Cogan via Cardiff and skirting Newport on
1400-495: The London & South Wales scheme was withdrawn in 1896." The Great Western Railway agreed to build its own South Wales Direct Line , from Wootton Bassett to Patchway via Badminton , and it was opened by the GWR in 1903. In an interview in 1906, the General Manager of the Barry Railway said, A passenger pontoon was constructed within the breakwaters, at which passenger steamers land or take in passengers. The pontoon
1470-527: The Mole, renumbered 20, 18 being substituted for one on the Barry Island side of No. 1 dock quay where three low-level hoists, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 movable (with traversers) existed either side of No. 19. Most of the 1st-generation high-level coal hoists on both docks were replaced by Armstrong–Whitworth structures capable of more rapid discharge of coal wagons. There had been three high-level movable hoists at
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#17330932936041540-531: The Penarth and Radyr lines. At Walnut Tree the Rhymney Railway had a junction with the Taff Vale Railway, in fact giving access to the Rhymney's original main line there. Moreover, running powers would be granted for all classes of train from Cogan to Penarth Curve South Junction, where connection was made with the Great Western Railway main line. From this point the GWR had its Riverside Branch, opened in 1884, running down
1610-581: The Penrhos branch had been extended from Penrhos Junction (South) west of Caerphilly, to join the Brecon & Merthyr Railway at Llanbradach, again incorporating two engineering feats, the first of which was the 385-yard Penyrheol viaduct, south-west of Caerphilly and finally their impressive Llanbradach (or Pwll-y-Pant) viaduct, the length of which is subject to conjecture but an Institution of Civil Engineers Minutes of Proceedings document dated 11 February 1908, confirmed
1680-521: The Railway Magazine: Other provisions for dealing with merchandise traffic have not been lost sight of. Along the south side of dock No. 2 has been erected a commodious transit shed with cellarage and ground and upper floors, and bonded stores, of 500 ft. long and 156 ft. wide. In connection therewith, cranes and other appliances have been provided to enable traffic to be received into the sheds either from ships or trucks or to be loaded from
1750-474: The Rhymney Railway network in the years 1893 – 1895, but these were refused. In addition, running powers west of Trehafod on the Taff Vale Rhondda lines were sought and refused, but during the 1894 session it was suggested that the Barry Railway be allowed to operate passenger trains over the Taff Vale from Porth to Barry. Seeing this as a small concession to make, the Taff Vale agreed and from 16 March 1896
1820-577: The Rhymney valley. Classed as a freight-only branch, over the years it passed many day passenger excursions to Barry Island from the Rhymney Valley and rail network beyond Rhymney. Opened in August 1901, the 6-mile branch incorporated the 490-yard curved, Walnut Tree tunnel (now breached by quarry workings) and the magnificent 517-yard Walnut Tree viaduct bridging the Taff Gorge south of Taffs Well. By 1905,
1890-551: The South Wales main line and continued north to the coal fields but at just under half-mile north of its northern portal, a single line branch to Peterston-super-Ely ran to the west to connect with the former GWR South Wales main line. Further still, at 1.35 miles from the northern portal, Tynycaeau Junction was the location of the divergence of the Cadoxton-Pontypridd line with the Penrhos Branch which ran to Caerphilly and
1960-470: The Taff Vale would not agree to running powers requested by the Barry Railway northward from the Trehafod and Treforest connections. The Taff Vale also supported a nominally independent Cardiff, Penarth and Barry Junction Railway which would be a spoiler to the Barry company's development plans at Barry itself, but this was refused, the Barry being granted a corresponding railway from Barry to a junction at Cogan with
2030-484: The Taff Vale's Penarth lines, by an act of Parliament of 31 July 1885. The Taff Vale was granted a circuitous coastal route from Penarth to Cadoxton. Although this was a victory for the Barry company, it left open the possibility that the Taff Vale Railway would bring Rhondda coal to Barry via Cardiff and this coastal line, rather than hand it over to the Barry Railway at Trehafod. In 1888 the Barry once again applied to Parliament for running powers north of Trehafod; this
2100-401: The closed tunnel on the former Barry – Pontypridd route is 1,867 yards (1,707 m) long, the 9th longest Great Western tunnel. It is brick-lined apart from a short section at the south end. It has an air shaft near the centre of its length, almost as wide as the tunnel. Its original air shaft chimney of circular red brick with Staffordshire blue corbelling, was removed following closure and
2170-537: The date of 1888 is now covered in moss and scarcely legible. The top of the ventilation shaft is enclosed in a concrete building in a retail parking lot in Culverhouse Cross. The tunnel contains a large water main. It is subject to flooding up to 4 feet (1.2 m) in depth after heavy rainfall. Barry Railway The Barry Railway Company was a railway and docks company in South Wales , first incorporated as
Wenvoe Tunnel - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-412: The deep cutting to the north they were connected to a pump that was used to clear water from the tunnel. In the rock cutting to the south they were connected to air compressors used to drive rock drills. The double-track tunnel was opened for service in 1889. It was closed following the destruction by fire on week ending 31 March 1963, of Tynycaeau Junction signal box. The stone above the north portal with
2310-594: The east side of the River Taff into an important industrial area; both the Barry and the Taff Vale were given running powers over this line, which was to be made suitable by the GWR for passenger operation. This was duly done, and the Barry Railway was able to operate a passenger service between Barry and Cardiff Riverside GWR station, close to the GWR main station (now Cardiff Central) from 14 August 1893. The Taff Vale had already conceded through ticketing, as its former practice of insisting on rebooking of passengers at Cogan
2380-632: The effective monopoly that the Taff Vale Railway and the Cardiff Docks had established over export of coal from the South Wales Coalfield . Work on the railway began in 1885, and within four years included an 18 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (30 km) line from Trehafod to the Barry Docks, with several branch lines. In July 1885, The Engineer reported that the heavy work at Wenvoe Tunnel
2450-585: The former Barry Railway's Cadoxton-Trehafod railway were the Pontypridd (or Graig) tunnel 0.75 miles (1.21 km) at Treforest and a viaduct over the River Ely 534 feet (163 m) long and 62 feet (19 m) high. plus the St. Fagans viaduct mentioned above. A British Rail Gazetteer says the tunnel, between Wenvoe and Drope Junction, is just over 1 mile (1.6 km) long, at 1,867 yards (1,707 m). More simply,
2520-477: The full length of the main line. From 13 May 1889 the line from Barry to the junctions with the GWR at Peterston were opened to goods and mineral traffic; the Cogan line started to carry such trains on the same day. The dock too, was beginning to be ready, and water was admitted to it on 29 June 1889, followed by a formal and ceremonial opening on 18 July 1889. On that day the main line railway from Trehafod and Treforest
2590-704: The laden wagons to a single line weighbridge and two lines from the single line empties weighbridge returns. Low-level hoists on No. 1 dock were numbered 12, then 13 to 18 on the Mole and thence 19 on the Barry Island side of No. 1 dock. Following 1915, the Barry Railway Company established low-level fixed hoists Nos. 32, 33, 34 and Nos. 4 and 5 movable, on the Barry Island side of No. 1 dock. Two earlier low-level hoists, Nos. 20 and 21 were fed from Graving Dock Junction and Caisson sidings area. In 1893 these were numbered 2 and 3 but were removed prior to 1927 and one early map shows No. 18 on
2660-435: The length as 800 yards. All three of these impressive viaducts were of steel spans supported on brick piers. Due to duplication of rail routes, following the 1922 GWR Grouping, the extension to the Brecon & Merthyr Railway was taken out of use on 4 August 1926 and the latter two viaducts had been demolished by 1937. Walnut Tree viaduct survived in use until December 1967 and was demolished in 1969. The other main works on
2730-448: The line was closed again between Barry and Rhoose on 10 January 1898. A temporary diversion line was laid round the viaduct and it opened on 25 April 1898 enabling reopening of the through route. The viaduct was secured and the original route reopened on 8 January 1900 for goods, and 9 April 1900 for passenger trains. Dissatisfaction with the Great Western Railway continued to be a factor. The Severn Tunnel had been opened in 1886, but
2800-527: The name is found in 1851) had been part of Hafod). Administratively, Trehafod is split between the electoral division of Cymmer (Rhondda) to the west and Rhondda (Pontypridd) to the east. A former coalmining community, the village is now the site of the Rhondda Heritage Park , a tourist attraction commemorating the Rhondda Valley's coalmining culture and local history. Spelling variants found in
2870-416: The non-discrimination requirements in the Barry's authorising legislation became very important. The Taff Vale nevertheless attempted a series of legal challenges, which mostly failed to gain support. The company had been incorporated under the name of Barry Dock and Railway Company. It transpired that the precedence of the word "dock" placed the shares in a different category that was disadvantageous, and it
Wenvoe Tunnel - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-477: The north end of No. 2 dock and close to Nos. 30 and 31 hoists and on one docks plan, these too were referenced "No. 3 Movable" and "No. 4 Movable." Besides other dedicated plots, that area had been used by the US Army towards the end of World War II. Not one of the hoists has been left for heredity and only pictorial records of their format survive. The Barry Railway General Manager, Edward Lake, told
3010-574: The north side, crossing the River Severn at Beachley by a new 3,300-yard (3,000 m) bridge, then via Thornbury , Malmesbury and Lechlade , to make a junction with the Metropolitan Railway near Great Missenden . Junctions would be made with every railway intersected, except the Great Western; the scheme was costed at £5,688,252. At the same time, the Vale of Glamorgan Railway promoted
3080-614: The northern end is north of Culverhouse Cross Retail Park, just west of the A4232 road and south east of the hamlet of Drope . The tunnel passed under the A48 Cardiff–Cowbridge road and A4050 Cardiff–Barry road via Wenvoe and it carried the Barry Railway for 1867 yards through the downs before it crossed the River Ely on the Drope viaduct of 178 yards and St.Fagans viaduct of 180 yards over
3150-465: The other three steamers were sold to Bristol Channel Passenger Boats Ltd. The Barry Railway had spent £104,470 to acquire the four vessels, and they sold them at a loss of £36,000. Bristol Channel Passenger Boats struggled to make the business pay and after two seasons, sold out to P & A Campbell. The Barry Docks were constructed on a lavish scale with the most modern equipment, designed to enable rapid loading and discharge of vessels. Hydraulic power
3220-483: The paddle steamer Barry was added. 191,000 passengers made steamer journeys via Barry in that year. The operation was carried out for some time by a subsidiary company, the Barry & Bristol Channel Steamship Company trading as The Red Funnel Line . In the following years the Barry Railway made commercial arrangements with the owners of the piers at Burnham-on-Sea , Weston-super-Mare , Minehead and Ilfracombe . In
3290-419: The past are Trehavod (an English spelling, using "v" instead of "f") and Trefhafod (a hypercorrect Welsh form, using the conservative literary form "tref" instead of the colloquial, and more modern literary form, "tre"). The 1847 tithe map of the area shows a number of farms on the area that was to become Trehafod; these were named Hafod Uchaf, Hafod Ganol, and Hafod Fawr. It was from these farms that Trehafod
3360-405: The peak time for coal mining production was one of the most productive collieries in the South Wales Coalfield . Trehafod also boasts Barry Sidings Countryside Park, which is known colloquially as "the lakes" in reference to the park's two ponds. Barry Sidings is a popular destination for local families and dog walkers; its features include nature paths, a small waterfall, ducks, carp, frogs, and
3430-774: The ports and wharves of the Bristol Channel . The construction of the Glamorganshire Canal , and further east the Monmouthshire Canal responded to the need, but it was the Taff Vale Railway that brought railway technology (as opposed to plateways) to the fore. The Taff Vale Railway working with the Cardiff Docks , and later the Rhymney Railway, also to Cardiff Docks, proved immensely successful. However, volumes of traffic, most especially coal for export, increased hugely as more collieries, and more efficient methods of winning coal, were operative. Cardiff Docks were seen as
3500-550: The summer of 1906 the Barry Railway ran the Ilfracombe Boat Express , which operated from Cardiff Riverside and non-stop from Cardiff General GWR station to Barry. Notwithstanding the considerable volume of passengers carried, the steamer operation proved of doubtful profitability, and by August 1910 the four vessels had all been disposed of. PS Gwalia was sold to the Furness Railway on 7 May 1910, and five days later
3570-432: The two bills had been about £70,000, a huge sum at that time. Authorised share capital was £1,050,000, to build from Barry northward to a junction with the Taff Vale Railway at Trehafod, in the Rhondda; there was to be a south-to-west junction with the GWR main line (former South Wales Railway main line) at Peterston and an east to north connection nearby, and a spur to join the Taff Vale main line at Treforest . The dock
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#17330932936043640-467: The warehouse into trucks or vessels with the utmost despatch. Trehafod Trehafod is a village and community in the Rhondda Valley, between Porth and Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf , Wales, with a population of 698 in the 2011 census. (The earlier name Hafod was altered in 1905 to avoid confusion with Hafod near Swansea. Until then, Trehafod (first record of
3710-461: The wishes of the owner, the Bute Trustees, who could set rates and choose whether to install plant independently of the railway companies. Conversely the integrated nature of the Barry Dock and Railway's plans would give it considerable commercial advantage. The Taff Vale set about obtaining parliamentary authorisation in 1885 to acquire the Bute Docks, but this was refused by the Lords Committee when
3780-586: Was 'run down', the passenger service via Tonteg Junction to Trehafod and Porth being terminated between Tonteg Junction and Hafod Junction in 1930 but freight traffic continued until June 1951, the line from Tonteg Junction via the Graig tunnel and station having been singled in its twilight years. Thus from June 1951, all traffic from the south ran to Pontypridd and beyond via the Tonteg Junction-Treforest Junction section from Barry or Llantrisant. Track
3850-456: Was also opened to mineral trains. The inauguration was an instant success, and considerable volumes of coal and other merchandise were passed over the railway and through the dock system. Much of this was abstracted from the Taff Vale Railway, which lost volume and income, and the Bute Trustees too suffered. They reduced their rates in an effort to remain competitive, and this started a rate war. Railway mineral rates were heavily regulated, and
3920-422: Was being pressed forward, and it was expected that there would soon be 3,000 men at work on the project. The earth was removed from the tunnel using skips that held 1 cubic yard (0.76 m) and ran on three 1-foot-9-inch (53 cm) roads, mostly pulled by ponies. The skips were run out to the tip, where they could be lifted by hand when off the road. Several pressurized oil lights were used to allow night work. In
3990-422: Was decided to change the company name to The Barry Railway Company . This was approved in the Barry Dock and Railways Act 1891 ( 54 & 55 Vict. c. clxxxiv) of 5 August 1891. At an early date the Barry directors were considering a further extension to their network, to capture traffic in the Rhymney Valley. A proposal reached the 1888 session of Parliament to build from near St Fagans to Llanishen on
4060-414: Was demonstrably unreasonable and had attracted public criticism. The Barry therefore had a viable residential passenger operation. The passenger service was extended down the bank of the River Taff to Cardiff Clarence Road from 2 April 1894, with seventeen trains each way on weekdays. It was apparent from the outset that Barry Docks would need to be enlarged, and already in 1893 an act of Parliament for
4130-450: Was growing congestion between Cogan Junction and Penarth Curve South Junction, which was carrying all the Taff Vale traffic to Penarth Docks as well as The Taff Vale's own passenger traffic and the Barry traffic to Cardiff. The Taff Vale agreed to quadruple the line to ease the matter. Coal owners in the Llynvi , Garw and Ogmore Valleys were agitating for better access to dock facilities in
4200-481: Was increasingly becoming a seaside leisure destination. At first this was to be a 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge tramway on reserved tracks, horse or steam powered, but not electrically powered. The tramway concept was abandoned in the following year, when a conventional railway branch was substituted. At 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km) long, it was quickly built, and opened on 3 August 1896. The Barry Company made further attempts to get access to
4270-409: Was made public that mineral haulage rates would be increased by one penny per ton to pay for this line, both on traffic to Roath and to the existing Bute Docks. This deepened the hostility and further inflamed the feelings of the coal owners. David Davies had been active as a railway contractor, and in later life a politician and industrialist, and with other like-minded business people, he formed
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#17330932936044340-458: Was not a prime travel destination for the residents of the Taff and Rhondda except on holiday days, and the Barry Railway went about providing a train service to Cardiff, over the GWR main line from St.Fagans. Such a service was not covered by the Taff Vale's running power concession, so the trains only ran southwards from the Barry station (Graig) at Pontypridd. It started operating on 7 June 1897. There
4410-406: Was obtained to make a harbour at Barry. Both of these proposals foundered, chiefly because the Taff Vale Railway practically monopolised the transport of coal from the Taff and Rhondda Valleys to Cardiff, and was hostile to diversion of that traffic from its new harbour at Penarth. In addition, the financial crisis following the failure of the banking firm of Overend Gurney and Company meant that for
4480-580: Was opened together with a new access railway from what is now Radyr. In 1865 a Barry Railway was incorporated by act of Parliament, the Barry Railway Act 1865 ( 28 & 29 Vict. c. ccxxxiv). It was to make a branch railway from Peterston on the broad-gauge South Wales Railway to Barry, with powers to lay a third rail for mixed-gauge operation on the SWR main line between Llantrisant and Newport . The Barry Harbour Act 1866 ( 29 & 30 Vict. c. liii)
4550-669: Was provided for the operation of cranes and other plant, and the lock gates, and electric lighting was installed, as 24-hour working was in force. After 1898, the Barry Docks consisted of a 7-acre (2.8 ha) basin and two docks of 73 and 31 acres (30 and 13 ha) respectively. In 1901 the Company stated that there were 21 high-level and 9 low-level coal hoists with a further 8 movable (using traversers) two of which were placed on No. 1 dock. Nos. 1 to 11 on No. 1 dock and 22 to 31 on No. 2 dock, were served by high-level rail tiers and short viaducts and with generally two lines for
4620-543: Was refused but a complex non-discrimination requirement was imposed, giving some protection. On 20 December 1888 the line between Barry Dock and Cogan was opened to traffic, although this was only a light local passenger service. On the same day the Taff Vale opened its coastal service of passenger trains (only, at first) from Cardiff to Cadoxton which was extended back to Barry station from 8 February 1889. The Barry Railway main line required more effort in construction, but on 22 November 1888 an inspection trip had traversed
4690-469: Was thus lifted later between Tonteg Junction and Trehafod (Hafod Junction). The line from Barry to Cogan , near Penarth , is in use at the present day carrying a busy passenger service to Cardiff and valleys. In the early years of the nineteenth century, it was becoming increasingly pressing to find an efficient and cheap method of bringing coal and iron from the heads of the South Wales Valleys to
4760-458: Was to be 73 acres (30 ha) in extent, the largest enclosed dock area in the country; in fact the area between Barry Island and the mainland was to be made non-tidal, an area extending to 200 acres (81 ha). The Taff Vale Railway , and to some extent the Rhymney Railway, felt keenly the effect of the Barry developments. They did not control the Cardiff Docks and were largely subject to
4830-412: Was to take its name. "Hafod" is a Welsh word literally meaning "summer dwelling", and refers to an upland farm (from the practice of taking cattle up the hillside from the valley floor to graze in the summer months) (haf = summer, bod = dwelling, with soft mutation of [b] to [v] of the second element (bod) after a noun used as an adjective equivalent in attributive position (haf)). Tre (literally “town”)
4900-673: Was used in the eighteen-hundreds in industrial areas for a street or streets of workers’ housing (equivalent to English “town” or “ville”, which are used similarly). Trehafod railway station lies on the Rhondda Line which follows the River Rhondda . The railway line and river border the village on either side. Trehafod is now most famous for the Rhondda Heritage Park, formerly known as the Lewis Merthyr Colliery, which at
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