Barry Pier station

[RichardMaund]

Services here were suspended with the outbreak of World War 2. I am trying to ascertain when rail services to the station resumed. Limited (on account of loss of vessels) steamer services resumed in 1946 but a Campbell's handbill that year contained a note that the only access to Barry Pier was by footpath (clearly no train connections then!). Indeed, it [i]seems[/i] that resumption of train connections might not have been until as late as the 1956 [i](sic)[/i] season. Can anyone confirm, or give specific date of resumption, please?

[Rhobat Bryn]

I'm quoting from the Barry Railway Steamers by M.A. Tedstone; p213:

"Post-war years

After the end of the war in 1945 the story was much the same for excursion steamer operators as it had been in 1919, with depleted fleets and difficulties in getting vessels back into service. An additional difficulty was presented by the reduced number of places at which calls could be made after the destruction of, or damage sustained by, seaside piers. Minehead Pier had actually disappeared during World War II, having been deemed by an Army officer to be in the way of a gun mounted on the old harbour, looking down the Channel! Thus in April 1946, when an initial resumption of Bristol Channel excursion activity from Bristol by Ravenswood became possible, there were only a few places she could actually go until the piers at Clevedon, Penarth, Weston, Mumbles and Ilfracombe later came back into use. But the pontoon berths at Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Barry were still available, and thus Barry Pier saw its first post-war steamer call advertised to take place on Good Friday 19th April, 1946.

As the White Funnel Fleet gradually regained some of its pre-war strength in the years until the early-1950s, Barry Pier continued to received its share of calls, albeit with no recognisable traces of the regular service patterns of the early days."

[Rhobat Bryn]

I have also come across this entry in the Railway Observer for July 1951, vol XXI No. 209:

"BARRY PIER STATION. - This has been closed to regular passenger traffic for a considerable time. Its platform is unkempt, but still of imposing length, weeds and grass grow between the rails, and the signal box is boarded up, although the signal still stands, clean and apparently in good condition, against the mouth of the tunnel which the line enters immediately on leaving the station. ...

For some time, however, most of these steamers have proceeded to Cardiff without extra charge, so that the usefulness of this station has gradually declined.

On 9th June it came into its own again for a brief period, in connection with a Campbell steamer excursion from Minehead to Barry, when it was arranged for the 12-30 p.m. train from Barry Island to Cardiff to start from the Pier Station, with a corresponding return working on the 6-15 p.m. ex-Cardiff. The signal box was unlocked for the occasion, although still boarded up, and the train, headed by 5627, was well patronised, one passenger at least welcoming the opportunity of travelling over a section of line which is rarely used (information as to when it was closed to regular passenger would be welcome).

[RichardMaund]

The paragraphs quoted from Mike Tedstone's book dealt solely with steamer calls - not use of the railway station at Barry Pier.

A Campbell's 1946 handbill says: "Passengers are requested to note that the only authorised access to and from the Barry Landing Stage is via the footpath between the Landing Stage and Redbrink Crescent."

The 1951 piece from [i]Railway Observer[/i] confirms that - at that date - regular use of the station had not resumed since 1939.

A Campbell's 1956 handbill says: "Barry Pier. The re-opening of the Station at Barry Pier has made possible much improved facilities via Barry."

The only questions now are: (a) was that note new in 1956 or was it a leave-over from the previous year?; (b) when was the first use of the station after that "re-opening"?

[s.w.johnson]

Slightly off topic but if you take a walk down the path to Jackson's Bay and then walk towards the east alongside the southern side of the yacht club, you will be rewarded with a view of track on the breakwater. This I presume is a remnant of when the Barry used the small 0-6-0Ts with track laid on top of the rails to the pier station to get to the breakwater.

[Rhobat Bryn]

Yes they were the Class Es.

[RichardMaund]

[quote="RichardMaund"]
The only questions now are: (a) was that note new in 1956 or was it a leave-over from the previous year?; (b) when was the first use of the station after that "re-opening"?[/quote]

I have since established, from Campbell's advertising, that rail connections resumed Sat 16 July 1955 (although through rail+boat booking from BR stations were not available until sailings in August 1955). These connections were only with occasional sailings - presumably where tidal conditions did not allow departure/arrival at Cardiff Pier Head.

Additionally, there were rail connections provided on Sat 9 June 1951 for an excursion from Minehead (and its return) - but this was very much a 'one off'.