Cambrian Railways TPO working arrangements

[Newport_rod]

I've received this query, I wonder if anyone can help?

Would anyone with access to the Cambrian Coach Working Programme for 1912 (the subject of an article in Archive Vol.II No.10, Nov, 1999), be able to confirm whether the Cambrian Railways TPO and LNW Van between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth and return on weekdays, also ran on Sundays? The workings would be the 6.0 a.m. ex Shrewsbury to Welshpool and 9.5 p.m. ex Welshpool to Shrewsbury. The LNWR Shropshire Union Division, Diagram of Local Carriage Marshalling for July - Sept. 1912, specifies loose stock for these Sunday trains, but with no indication that the through vehicles to and from Aberystwyth and Welshpool, from Shrewsbury and Tamworth on weekdays, also ran on Sundays.

Similarly, 1912 WTTs for the Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny Line, indicate the Euston to Merthyr Sorting Van on the 9.20 p.m. ex Euston could not have reached Merthyr on Sunday mornings, yet the Mainline Marshalling Circular says nothing to indicate that this vehicle did not do so. Therefore, did it run on Saturday nights at all, or perhaps terminate at Hereford as did other vehicles for the Merthyr line on Sundays?

[cambrian51]

Hello Rod,
I don't know if these notes will help or hinder but here we go anyway.
I don't have access to a Cambrian marshalling circular but I do have the WTTs for the period. Ceratinly from Oct 1910 until Oct onwards 1913, the mail left Aberystwyth at 6.25 every evening, including Sundays. On weekdays, it arrived at Welshpool at 8.54. On Sundays, it arrived at 8.43.
It then departed for Whitchurch at 9.00 on weekdays and 8.48 on Sundays.
The LNWR mail to Shrewsbury left Welshpool at 9.05 on weekdays and Sundays.
This regularity of working suggests (not confirms) that the TPO and van did work through every day.
In the opposite direction, The Cambrian mail from Whitchurch (2.25am) (mixed as far as Oswestry!) arrived in Welshpool at 3.55 in the morning on weekdays and at 6.54 on Sundays. The LNWR mail from Shrewsbury arrived at 4.00 on weekdays and at 6.50 on Sundays. The Cambrian mail went forward at 4.12 on weekdays, arriving in Aberystwyth at 6.20. On Sundays, it went forward at 7.00, arriving at Aberystwyth at 9.35. Again, there is time for a bit of re-marshalling at Welshpool.
As far as the Merthyr sorting van is concerned , I have very little information.
The LNWR WTT for February 1912 shows a passenger and mail train leaving Abergavenny Jct on a Sunday morning at 4.50am. However, it goes to Tredegar; there is nothing to Merthyr.
However, if we look at the break van that ran from Cardiff Parade to Crewe via Merthyr and went forward with the Merthyr sorting van on the 8.00pm from Hereford, we may find a hint as to what happened on Sundays. In the LNWR marshalling circular for July-Sept 1910, the Cardiff van was returned on the 4.40am from Crewe on weekdays but is shown in the Sunday workings on the 1.45am from Crewe on Monday morning. Does this suggest that it couldn't go back on a Sunday as there wasn't a suitable Abergavenny-Merthyr working for it? The Euston-Merthyr van would have had the same problem and could, perhaps, have joined it on the Monday morning.
Regards,
Stephen

[RichardMaund]

The 1913 summer through carriage working does not show Sunday workings at all.