Bassaleg B&M ADR Junction

[Penrhos1920]

There’s an interesting discussion about the junction between the B&M and ADR over on rmweb:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index ... ping-days/

[andrewnummelin]

Cooke's Section 40 covers the junction and the B&MR line as far as the bridge over the river. Section 42 continues up the B&MR line.
1880 - double line B&MR joining double line GWR. Loops on down B&MR line.
1884 - trailing crossover between platforms at Bassaleg B&MR station
1885 - PC&N double line becoming single just north of Bassaleg Loop SB, bidirectional line joins B&MR just before Ebbw river bridge, facing crossover on bridge
1900 - PC&N double line becoming single just south of Bassaleg Loop SB
1925 - PC&N single line cut back, remaining part doubled to new junction with B&MR line 7 chains north of junction between B&MR and GWR lines. Crossover on B&MR line removed. Old junction taken out of use 16-8-1925.

Interestingly the 1937 1:2500 OS map shows the double junction between the PC&N and B&MR lines but the remains of the bidirectional line remain as a kick-back siding from the old junction. I've not traced the maps to do a real comparison but it looks as though the B&MR lines may have been slewed northwards to go over where the GWR Bassaleg signal box (closed 1899 acc to Cooke) was so allowing the PC&N line to be doubled for a bit. The OS maps show a signal post for the new double junction that would fit with the latter photo of Bassaleg B&M station no longer showing a signal for the route to the PC&N line.


All fascinating, but for track work I think it would be much more interesting to be able to see the details of arrangements during the time of combined edge and plateways.