Llancaiach Branch
Encyclopedia
The Llancaiach Branch was a railway branch line
in South Wales
. Financed and operated by the Taff Vale Railway
, on amalgamation became part of the Great Western Railway
in 1923. Designed and mainly operated as a coal mining
freight railway, its creation and demise was wholly defined by the South Wales Coalfield
.
as an extension to the main Taff Vale Railway, it ran from Stormstown Junction, just north of Pontypridd
on the line to Merthyr Tydfill, for 3 miles (4.82802 km) to the Llancaiach Colliery
.
.
In 1858 the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
completed its Taff Vale Extension railway from Pontypool
to Quakers Yard
, building its station on the level with the Llancaiach Branch and also calling it Nelson. Two years later, an agreement was reached and the TVR Llancaiach Branch extended to access the NA&HR station. In 1873 a deviation avoided the incline from Stormstown Junction, although it remained steep by railway standards at 1:40.
The 1887 closure of the Llancaiach Colliery caused the line to become placed into "care and maintenance" for 6months, until the opening of the Albion Colliery
, and the later 1888 extension to Ynysybwl
for servicing of the Lady Windsor Colliery
.
s running from Pontypridd
to the joint NA&HR station at Nelson. The Royal Train
visited the branch on 27 June 1912.
Bus
competition eroded passenger traffic, with services to Nelson ceasing on 12 September, 1932. Services remained open to Ynysybwl until 1953.
Much of the track bed of the branch was consumed or destroyed when the A470
dual carriageway
was constructed from the late 1960s.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Financed and operated by the Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
, on amalgamation became part of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1923. Designed and mainly operated as a coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
freight railway, its creation and demise was wholly defined by the South Wales Coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
.
Design
Designed by Isambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
as an extension to the main Taff Vale Railway, it ran from Stormstown Junction, just north of Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
on the line to Merthyr Tydfill, for 3 miles (4.82802 km) to the Llancaiach Colliery
Llancaiach Colliery
Llancaiach Colliery was a coal mine in the South Wales Valleys, located just to the north of the village of Nelson and just to the south of Llancaiach Fawr Manor....
.
Operations
The line opened for freight only on 25 November 1841, due to its 1:11 incline and the resultant need to operate as a cable-assisted railway. The railway called its northern terminus at the Llancaiach Colliery "Nelson," after a local public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
.
In 1858 the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway was a railway line connecting the Welsh port city of Newport via Abergavenny, to the major English market town of Hereford.Sponsored by the LNWR, it opened on 6 December 1853...
completed its Taff Vale Extension railway from Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
to Quakers Yard
Quakers Yard railway station
Quakers Yard railway station is a railway station serving the community of Edwardsville in the village of Edwardsville near Treharris in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr branch of the Merthyr Line...
, building its station on the level with the Llancaiach Branch and also calling it Nelson. Two years later, an agreement was reached and the TVR Llancaiach Branch extended to access the NA&HR station. In 1873 a deviation avoided the incline from Stormstown Junction, although it remained steep by railway standards at 1:40.
The 1887 closure of the Llancaiach Colliery caused the line to become placed into "care and maintenance" for 6months, until the opening of the Albion Colliery
Albion Colliery
Albion Colliery was a coal mine in South Wales Valleys, located in the village of Cilfynydd, one mile north of Pontypridd.-Development:The Albion Steam Coal Co. began sinking in 1884 at Ynyscaedudwg Farm...
, and the later 1888 extension to Ynysybwl
Ynysybwl
Ynysybwl is a village in Cwm Clydach in Wales. It is situated in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, roughly north-north-east of Cardiff, north of Pontypridd and south of Merthyr Tydfil, and forms part of the community of Ynysybwl and Coed-y-cwm....
for servicing of the Lady Windsor Colliery
Lady Windsor Colliery
Lady Windsor Colliery was a coal mine located in the village of Ynysybwl in South Wales. Opened in 1884, it closed in 1988, 104 years later.-Development:...
.
Passenger services
Passenger services started on 1 June 1900, with TVR steam railmotorRailmotor
Railmotor is a term which was used by several British railway companies for a steam railcar.-Overview:William Bridges Adams started building railmotors as early as 1848, but only in small numbers...
s running from Pontypridd
Pontypridd railway station
Pontypridd railway station serves the town of Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr and Rhondda lines and is the main line station for the town.Until the 1930s, Pontypridd had another two stations...
to the joint NA&HR station at Nelson. The Royal Train
British Royal Train
The Royal Train is a set of railway carriages dedicated for the use of the British Monarch, other members of the Royal Family, and their staff. The train enables members of the Royal Family to carry out busy schedules over an extended period, in a secure environment which minimises disruption and...
visited the branch on 27 June 1912.
Bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
competition eroded passenger traffic, with services to Nelson ceasing on 12 September, 1932. Services remained open to Ynysybwl until 1953.
Closure
As the various collieries declined, so did the Llancaiach Branch. It closed to through traffic in 1970, and remained open to service the Lady Windsor Colliery, until it also closed in 1988.Much of the track bed of the branch was consumed or destroyed when the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
was constructed from the late 1960s.