Taff Vale Railway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Taff Vale Railway

Overview
Headquarters	Queen Street, Cardiff (Workshops: West Yard, Butetown, Cathays)
Reporting mark	TV
Locale	South Wales
Dates of operation	1840 (1840)–1921 (1921)
Successor	Great Western Railway
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Length	124 miles (200 km) in 1921

The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a railway in South Wales. It was built by the Taff Vale Railway Company. Its main job was to connect the important iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil with the docks in Cardiff. The railway opened in stages during 1840 and 1841.

In its early years, coal mining grew a lot in South Wales. Because of this, the TVR quickly added new lines into the Rhondda and Cynon Valley areas. Moving coal for export and other parts of South Wales became the railway's main focus. The docks and the railway lines leading to them became very busy. Other railway companies were then encouraged to join the trade.

Over the next few decades, more branch lines were built. From 1903, the TVR started using "motor cars" (special steam passenger coaches) to encourage more local passenger travel.

In 1922, the TVR became part of the new Great Western Railway (GWR). This happened when many railways were grouped together by the Railways Act 1921. Even though the coal and iron industries later declined, passenger trains still run on most of the original main lines today.

Why the Taff Vale Railway Was Built

Early Transport in South Wales

Before the TVR, mining coal and making iron were already happening in South Wales. There was plenty of coal, wood for props, and limestone. At first, coal was mainly used for making iron. Later, it was also used for power in factories and for heating homes.

A big problem was moving these heavy materials. Roads were bad, making it expensive to get products to the coast for shipping. Limestone, needed for iron, was also far from the ironworks.

In 1767, Anthony Bacon, an ironworks owner, helped build a main road from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Mules pulled wagons along this road.

Tramroads and Canals

To solve local transport problems, tramroads were built. These were like early railways, often using L-shaped metal plates for rails. Wagons with plain wheels ran on them. Many were short and connected mines.

Canals were also built to move iron to the coast. The Glamorganshire Canal opened in 1794, running 25 miles (40 km) from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Mine owners near the canal could build tramroads to connect to it. About 350 miles (560 km) of tramroads were built in South Wales before modern railways arrived.

The First Steam Locomotive

In 1802, the Merthyr Tramroad opened, linking ironworks like Dowlais Ironworks to the Glamorganshire Canal. Richard Trevithick, an engineer, built a steam locomotive for the Penydarren Ironworks. In 1804, this engine pulled 10 tons of iron and 70 people for 9 miles (14 km). This was the first time a steam locomotive was used in the world! However, the heavy engine broke many of the cast-iron rails.

For decades, transport in Merthyr didn't change much. The Glamorganshire Canal became very busy. Horse-drawn tramways were still common. But new railways like the Stockton and Darlington Railway (1825) and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830) showed what modern railways could do.

Building the Taff Vale Railway

The Taff Vale Railway in 1841

In 1835, Anthony Hill, an ironworks owner, asked engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel to estimate the cost of a railway from Merthyr to Bute Docks in Cardiff. Brunel first estimated £190,649. A year later, he increased his estimate to £286,031 to include better slopes, more branches for minerals, and shipping areas.

In October 1835, a meeting was held in Merthyr Tydfil. People interested in the coal and iron industries decided to form "The Taff Vale Railway Company." A committee was chosen to start the project.

Getting Permission from Parliament

The railway's supporters decided to ask Parliament for permission in 1836. The Glamorganshire Canal opposed the idea, but the Bill passed. It became law on 21 June 1836. The TVR Company was officially created with £300,000 in capital. John Josiah Guest became its first chairman.

The law allowed a railway from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff, with several branches to connect to ironworks and collieries (coal mines). The company's profits were limited, and trains could only go up to 12 mph (19 km/h). These rules were later changed. The law also allowed steam locomotives and passenger travel.

Brunel designed the railway to be a standard gauge line (4 feet 8.5 inches wide). He believed this width was best for the railway's purpose, as high speeds weren't needed for carrying heavy goods.

Construction and First Opening

Building the line was not too difficult because it followed the Taff River valley. The line was about 24.25 miles (39 km) long. At Quakers Yard, there was a very steep slope. Brunel used powerful stationary engines to pull wagons up this section, which was about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) long. Locomotives did not go up this incline. There were also two stone bridges (viaducts) on the route.

The TVR used a special type of track with "parallel rails" fixed to wooden sleepers. This helped keep the track width accurate.

A special opening event for the line between Cardiff and Navigation House (now Abercynon) happened on 8 October 1840. The public opening was the next day. On 21 April 1841, the main line fully opened all the way to Merthyr. Passenger stations were set up at places like Cardiff, Llandaff, Pontypridd, and Merthyr. There were two passenger trains each way every day. The line was single track with places for trains to pass each other.

Growing the Railway System

Soon after opening, the TVR looked at how to make the main line bigger and serve more coal mines in nearby valleys.

Making the Line Wider

The railway started as a single track. But it was doubled between Cardiff and Taffs Well in 1846, and then all the way to Abercynon in 1847. The doubling of the line to Merthyr was finished in 1862.

Reaching Aberdare

The TVR was first built for the ironworks in Merthyr. But soon, rich coal seams in the Aberdare area became very important. Between 1840 and 1853, sixteen steam coal pits were dug there. These mines needed a way to get their coal to the sea. So, the TVR helped create the Aberdare Railway.

The Aberdare Railway opened on 6 August 1846. It was a 7.5-mile (12 km) branch from Navigation House to Aberdare. The TVR operated it from the start. Navigation House station was renamed Aberdare Junction when this branch opened.

Changing to Left-Hand Running

In 1847, another railway, the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway, planned to connect with the TVR at Quakers Yard. This would link the TVR to the wider standard-gauge railway network. The TVR decided to change its trains from running on the right-hand track to the left-hand track to prepare for this connection.

Connecting to Other Railways

The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway reached Quakers Yard on 11 January 1858. This allowed coal from the TVR network to travel much further. The line was later extended to Middle Duffryn, near Aberdare, in 1864. This meant coal could go directly to London and other ports like Birkenhead.

Expanding into the Rhondda Valleys

The Rhondda valleys also became a source of excellent coal, and this trade soon became bigger than Merthyr's. A branch line from Pontypridd to Dinas had opened in 1841, which encouraged more mining.

To prevent a rival broad-gauge line from being built, the TVR got permission in 1846 to extend its line into the Rhondda Fawr Valley. This line eventually reached Treherbert, opening on 7 August 1856. Passenger services started later, on 7 January 1863.

In 1849, the company even offered £500 to anyone who could prove there was deep coal in the Treherbert area. More extensions were built, reaching places like Ferndale and Maerdy, which was the highest point on the TVR system.

In the smaller Rhondda Fach valley, the line opened to Ferndale in 1876 and to Maerdy in 1889.

The Steep Pwllyrhebog Branch

The Pwllyrhebog branch was planned in 1857 to reach into Cwm Clydach. It was very steep, with a 1 in 13 gradient for 0.75 miles (1.2 km). It opened in 1863.

At first, wagons were pulled up this incline using a balanced load system. Later, a special winding engine was installed. The TVR even bought three unique 0-6-2T tank engines in 1884 that were designed to handle this steep slope. These engines had a special boiler shape to work safely on the incline.

Widening the Main Line Again

An Act in 1857 allowed the TVR to make many improvements. The line was doubled from 1858 to 1862. Later, it was even quadrupled (four tracks) between Pontypridd and Cardiff because of the huge increase in traffic. New bridges were built next to the old ones at Pontypridd and Quakers Yard for the extra tracks. In 1864, work began on a new, less steep route to bypass the Quakers Yard incline. This new route opened in August 1867.

Developing the System Further

Cardiff Docks and Penarth

The TVR was forced to take a long lease on Bute West Dock in Cardiff. A branch line to it opened in 1848. However, this lease was expensive, and the docks became very crowded.

Because of this, the TVR supported building a new harbour and railway at Penarth, southwest of Cardiff. This was approved in 1856. The railway to Penarth opened in August 1859, but the dock wasn't finished until 1865.

The Penarth Docks were a huge success for the TVR. They brought in money and helped ease the crowding on the main line by diverting coal trains. In 1885, 2.8 million tons of goods were moved through these docks.

Llantrisant Lines

In 1857, a rival company, the Ely Valley Railway, planned a broad-gauge line from Llantrisant towards the Rhondda. To counter this, the TVR supported its own railway, the Llantrissant and Taff Vale Junction Railway, which opened in 1863 for freight. A passenger service from Pontypridd to Llantrisant started in 1875.

The Cowbridge Railway was also authorized in 1862. It ran from Llantrisant to Cowbridge. This line was also supported by the TVR.

New Connections and Stations

The incline at Quakers Yard was very busy, so a new, less steep route was built in 1867. This helped ease congestion. A new curve at Pontypridd opened in 1872, making it easier to move coal between different parts of the TVR system.

The TVR's original station in Merthyr Tydfil, Plymouth Street, closed for passengers in 1878. All passenger services moved to the new High Street station, which was shared with other railway companies. The TVR also opened new stations at Merthyr Vale in 1883 and Pentrebach in 1886.

A short branch line from the Penarth Dock line into Penarth town opened in 1878. It was called the Penarth Extension Railway.

Roath Branch

The amount of coal being exported through Penarth Docks kept growing, and the railway and docks became overwhelmed. On 23 April 1888, the TVR opened a branch line to the Roath Dock, which had opened in 1887. This line connected to the Cardiff Railway's lines at the docks. The Queen Alexandra Dock, opened in 1907, was also served by this branch.

Ynysybwl Branch

The TVR built a branch line to serve the Lady Windsor Colliery near Ynysybwl, which opened in 1885. This branch was about 4.8 miles (7.7 km) long and opened for goods and minerals in 1886. Passenger service to Ynysybwl started on 1 January 1890.

Llancaiach Line

The original Llancaiach branch, opened in 1841, had a rope-worked incline. In 1878, a new route was built to avoid this incline. Later, to connect new collieries like Albion and Cardiff Dowlais, a new branch was built from Pont Shon Norton, near Pontypridd, opening in 1887. This branch was extended in 1900.

Cowbridge to Aberthaw

The Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway was approved in 1889. It extended the Cowbridge Railway to Aberthaw on the coast, where there were important limestone quarries. This line opened on 1 October 1892.

Pontypridd Improvements

To handle more trains, extra lines were built at Pontypridd in the 1890s. This allowed goods trains to pass the station without stopping passenger services. Between 1907 and 1914, the station was rebuilt with a large island platform. By 1920, over 10,000 passengers started or ended their journeys there daily.

Competing Railways

The TVR was the first railway in the South Wales valleys. As coal production grew, other companies started building railways to compete.

Rhymney Railway

The Rhymney Railway was the TVR's main competitor for moving coal from the valleys. For many years, Rhymney Railway coal trains used the TVR's main line, which caused a lot of congestion.

Cardiff Dock Congestion and Barry Railway

The huge amount of coal being shipped from Cardiff docks often caused delays. This led to the building of new docks at Barry and the Barry Railway. The Barry Railway opened in 1889 and ran directly from the Rhondda collieries to Barry.

The Barry Railway also wanted to build a direct line to Cardiff. The TVR opposed this, but Parliament decided on a compromise. The Barry Railway built a direct line, and the TVR built a coastal route from Penarth Town, connecting to the Barry Railway. Both lines opened on 20 December 1888.

Pontypridd to Newport

The docks at Newport Docks wanted to handle coal from the Glamorgan valleys. So, the Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway (PC&NR) was approved in 1878. This line ran from Pontypridd towards Caerphilly, using other railways to reach Newport. The TVR operated the mineral trains for the PC&NR until 1906.

Rhondda and Swansea Bay

Swansea docks also expanded. To get coal from the Rhondda valley, the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway was planned. It ran from Treherbert, through a long tunnel, and down the River Afan valley. This line opened in 1890.

Cardiff Railway

The Bute Docks Company tried to build its own railway, the Cardiff Railway, from Heath to Treforest on the TVR line. This railway was meant to connect to the docks at Roath. However, the TVR managed to stop this railway from fully connecting to its lines, so the Cardiff Railway never reached its full potential.

The Twentieth Century

Steam Railcars

In the 19th century, the TVR mainly focused on moving minerals. In 1903, the General Manager, Ammon Beasley, wanted to increase passenger numbers. He introduced steam "motor cars" (steam railcars). These were self-contained passenger coaches with a small steam engine. The idea was to offer frequent, low-cost services to small communities by opening simple stopping places.

The TVR used these railcars in both rural and city areas. They were successful for a while, and the TVR had nineteen of them. However, they weren't flexible enough for very busy times, and the engines wore out. The TVR then converted the coaches to be pulled or pushed by small separate locomotives.

Joining the Great Western Railway

After World War I, the British government decided to combine most of the country's railways into four large companies. This was called the "Grouping" and happened under the Railways Act 1921. The Taff Vale Railway joined the new Great Western Railway (GWR) on 1 January 1922.

At the time, the TVR was the second largest railway joining the GWR. The grouping meant that the competition with the Rhymney Railway ended. In 1928, a new connection was built at Cardiff Queen Street, allowing Rhymney trains to use that station.

Iron production at Dowlais stopped in 1930. This led to the closure of the Cilfynydd line in 1932, as there was no longer enough traffic.

After 1948

In 1948, the main railways in Great Britain became owned by the government, forming British Railways. The former TVR area became part of the Western Region. British Railways began closing some lines that were no longer efficient.

The mineral line above Old Ynysybwl closed in 1949, and passenger service ended in 1952. The Pwllyrhebog branch closed in 1951. Passenger services from Pontypridd to Llantrisant and on the Cowbridge line also ended in the early 1950s.

By the 1960s, more passenger services were withdrawn. The Aberdare branch closed to passengers in 1964. The Maerdy (Rhondda Fach) branch passenger service was also stopped in 1964. Many lines were reduced to single track as traffic decreased.

The Roath branch closed in 1968. The Cowbridge line closed completely in 1965 (except for some iron ore traffic). The Penarth to Cadoxton line also closed in 1968.

By the mid-20th century, the TVR route was the only railway line left into Merthyr Tydfil. As mineral traffic continued to decline, the four-track line south of Pontypridd was reduced to two tracks in 1980.

The Network Today

As of 2020^[update], the main parts of the old TVR lines are still used for passenger trains. You can catch trains from Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, and Treherbert to Cardiff Queen Street. The Cardiff Bay branch uses most of the old Cardiff Docks line. The Penarth branch and the Radyr to Ninian Park line are also still used for passengers. Today, Transport for Wales manages these passenger services.

There is very little freight service left, mostly trains from Tower Colliery near Aberdare.

Accidents

Railways could be dangerous, and the TVR had some accidents:

• On 19 October 1878, an empty passenger train collided with another train at Pontypridd, killing thirteen people.
• On 12 August 1893, a train from Merthyr to Cardiff derailed at Trefforest. A part of the locomotive broke, causing it to collapse and six passenger carriages to crash down an embankment. Thirteen people died, and twelve were injured.
• On 23 January 1911, a passenger train crashed into the back of a coal train near Pontypridd. This happened because the signalman made a mistake. Eleven people were killed, and five were seriously injured.

Working on the railway was also risky for staff. Between 1900 and 1923, railway inspectors looked into accidents involving 75 employees, and 12 of these were fatal.

Topography

Main Line Stations

• Merthyr (Plymouth Street); opened 1841; closed 1877 (passenger trains moved to High Street station);
• Pentrebach; opened 1886; renamed Pentre-Bach 1980;
• Troed-y-rhiw; opened 1841; still open;
• Merthyr Vale; opened 1883; still open;
• Quaker's Yard; opened 1858; now Quakers Yard; still open;
• Navigation House; opened 1840; renamed Aberdare Junction 1849; renamed Abercynon 1896; now Abercynon; still open;
• Berw Road Platform; opened 1904; closed 1906;
• Newbridge Junction; opened 1840; renamed Pontypridd 1886; still open;
• Treforest; opened 1846; later renamed Trefforest; still open;
• Maesmawr; opened 1840; closed 1841;
• Treforest Estate; opened 1942; later renamed Trefforest Estate; still open;
• Taff's Well; opened 1840; now Taffs Well; still open;
• Radyr; opened 1883; still open;
• Llandaff; opened 1840; renamed Llandaf; still open;
• Maindy North Road Platform; opened 1907; closed 1958;
• Cathays Woodville Road Platform; opened 1906; closed 1958;
• Cathays; opened 1983; still open;
• Cardiff; opened 1840; later known as Cardiff Queen Street; still open;
• Cardiff Bute Dock; opened 1841; renamed Cardiff Docks, then Cardiff Bute Road, more recently Cardiff Bay; still open.

Merthyr High Street

• Merthyr (Vale of Neath Railway station); opened 1853; TVR passenger services transferred 1877; renamed Merthyr Tydfil 1980; still open.

Aberdare Line Stations

• Mill Street Platform; opened 1847; closed 1852; reopened 1904; closed 1912 (miners' use until 1940s);
• Commercial Street Platform; opened 1904; closed 1912;
• Aberdare; opened 1846; closed 1964;
• Treaman; opened 1857; renamed Aberaman 1888; closed 1964;
• Abercwmboi Platform; opened 1904; closed 1956;
• Fernhill; opened 1988; still open;
• Mountain Ash; opened 1846; closed 1964; reopened as Mountain Ash 1988; still open;
• Penrhiwceiber; opened 1883; closed 1964; reopened as Penrhiwceiber 1988; still open;
• Matthewstown Halt; opened 1910; closed 1964;
• Pontcynon Bridge Platform; opened 1904; closed 1964;
• Abercynon North; opened 1988; closed 2008;
• Abercynon; above.

Rhondda Fawr Line Stations

• Treherbert; opened 1863; still open;
• Tylacoch Halt; opened 1906; closed 1912; reopened as Ynyswen 1986; still open;
• Treorky; opened 1869; renamed Treorchy 1892; still open;
• Pentre Platform; opened 1906; closed 1912;
• Ystrad; opened 1861; renamed Ton Pentre 1986; still open;
• Ystrad Rhondda; opened 1986; still open;
• Llwynypia; opened 1871; still open;
• Tonypandy and Trealaw; opened 1908; renamed Tonypandy 1973; still open;
• Dinas Rhondda; opened 1886; closed 1917; reopened 1919; now Dinas Rhondda; still open;
• Pandy (Glamorgan); opened 1861; closed 1886;
• Porth; opened 1861; still open;
• Hafod; opened 1861; closed 1892;
• Hafod; opened 1892; renamed Trehafod 1905; still open;
• Gyfeillon Platform; opened 1905; closed 1918;
• Pontypridd; above.

Rhondda Fach Line Stations

• Maerdy; opened 1889; closed 1964;
• Ferndale; opened 1868 (private); opened to public 1876; closed 1964;
• Tylorstown; opened 1882; closed 1964;
• Pontygwaith Platform; opened 1905; closed 1914;
• Wattstown Platform; opened 1905; closed 1920;
• Ynyshir; opened 1885; closed 1964;
• Porth (above).

Radyr to Penarth Harbour Stations

• Radyr; above;
• Danescourt; opened 1987; still open;
• Fairwater; opened 1987; still open;
• Waun-Gron Park; opened 1987; still open;
• Ninian Park Platform; opened 1934; closed 1939; reopened as Ninian Park 1987; still open;
• Grangetown; opened 1882; still open;
• Penarth Dock; opened 1878; closed 1962.

Penarth Branch Stations

• Llandough Platform; opened 1904; closed 1918;
• Dingle Road; opened 1904; still open;
• Penarth Town; opened 1878; later Penarth; still open;
• Alberta Place Halt; opened 1904; closed 1968;
• Lower Penarth; opened 1897; closed 1954;
• Lavernock; opened 1887; closed 1968;
• Swanbridge; opened 1906; closed 1968;
• Sully; opened 1888; closed 1968.

Locomotives

TVR steam railmotor

Before 1873, TVR locomotives were designed and built by other companies. The TVR had several chief engineers for its locomotives.

The TVR started building its own locomotives in Cardiff in 1856. However, they still bought many from other builders. The last locomotive built by the TVR itself was in 1903. Until 1863, locomotives had names but no numbers. That year, they were given numbers from 1 to 50, and their names were removed.

The TVR had over 460 locomotives at different times. When it joined the GWR in 1922, there were 275 in service. 104 of these lasted long enough to be taken over by British Railways in 1948.

Locomotive Depots

The main place for TVR locomotives was at Cardiff Cathays. Other important depots were at Abercynon, Aberdare, Coke Ovens (near Pontypridd), Ferndale, Merthyr, Penarth Dock, Radyr, and Treherbert. The steam railcars were kept in a separate shed at Coke Ovens. Many of these depots were closed by the GWR after the Grouping. Only three TVR depots remained until British Railways took over: Pwllyrhebog, Ferndale, and Cathays.

Lawsuit Against a Trade Union

In 1901, the Taff Vale Railway Company took a trade union, the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, to court. The company sued the union for money lost during a strike by its members. The workers were striking to make the company officially recognize their union.

The court decided in favor of the railway company, ordering the union to pay £23,000 in damages. This decision was a big surprise because people thought trade unions couldn't be sued for actions by their members. However, after a change in government in 1906, a new law called the Trade Disputes Act 1906 was passed. This law gave trade unions protection from such lawsuits.

Preserved Items

Some original TVR railway carriages and wagons still exist today.

Several TVR coaches are preserved at the Gwili Railway in west Wales. Another coach has been restored at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway. Other coaches are in private collections or owned by the National Museums & Galleries of Wales.

TVR four wheel 7-plank mineral wagon 10153

Only one TVR mineral wagon is known to exist, at the Didcot Railway Centre. A six-wheel brake van body is also in a private collection.

Locomotives Preserved

Two TVR locomotives have been preserved:

• TVR O2 class 0-6-2T No. 85, built in 1899, is being worked on at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
• TVR O1 class No. 28, built in 1897, is the last surviving standard-gauge locomotive built in Wales. It is owned by the National Railway Museum and needs a major repair.

Other Items

The Cynon Valley Museum in Aberdare has a small collection of items from the Taff Vale Railway Company. These include a railway lamp, a milestone, and signs for a level crossing and a weak bridge.

Images for kids

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  Taff Vale Railway logo