Walnut Tree viaduct

[Richard Ough]

I have always had a fascination for the Walnut Tree viaduct that spanned the Taff gorge, as it was local to where I lived as a small boy and because between Garth Tunnel and Pentyrch signal box, the line split the land of my great grandfather's farm.

Of late I have been carrying out some low key research, what some may term idle curiosity, trying to unearth various pieces of information about the viaduct, the dolomite works and Walnut Tree West signal box which sat not far from the western end of the viaduct.

To date I have been quite successful finding odd snippets of information, as an example, a picture of a signal cable roller attached to a wooden post at the east end of the viaduct. This is worthy of note as it came from a forum that dealt in heavy cranes and other such machinery, which show that information can come from the strangest of places.

However, I have come upon a slight stumbling block where the WRRC membership may be able to help.

I cannot find any information regarding how the gangers walkway which ran under the deck of the viaduct was accessed. Even back in the day where railway workers were expected to complete their work in what we would now consider risky or even dangerous, I believe there should be some formal access point such as a ladder or stairway to get from track level down to the walkway.

Pictures of the viaduct when still standing do not show any external laddering arrangements so I concluded that access must be internally from either the pillars or the end buttresses. Although there may be access points from the pillars, I would expect that the main entry exit points would be somewhere in the buttresses at either end.

Looking at the remains of the buttress at the western end throw up no immediate clues. There is a picture of 0-6-2T 6614 crossing the former Barry with the 12.30 goods from Aber Junction, 12/5/65 by Hugh Ballantyne, I think this may have been taken from atop a signal post.

It clearly shows clearly show both sides of the point at which the brick buttress at the western end joins the lattice work. There are a pair of steps that have been built to get up onto the walkways either side of the track on the main deck, but that appears to be it.

There is also what appears to be a small raised square of metal(?) between the tracks, so could this be an entry/exit to the walkway, probably via a ladder down the centreline of the face of the buttress?

I do know it must have been fairly accessible as a number of photos have been published of the view from the gangway.

I thought I would ask here before attempting to track down the official drawings of the viaduct, which I presume, are in the national archives

Best wishes

Richard

[SimonPencader]

Regarding the drawings, I discovered recently that Network Rail maintains an archive that includes drawings so it may be worth contacting them.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-ar ... l-archive/

Some of James Szlumper's papers are in the National Library of Wales. There are Barry Railway contracts but there don't appear to be any drawings.

Szlumper seems to have been a bit chaotic. There are letters from him in the Pembrokeshire Archive about the Whitland and Cardigan written on Manchester and Milford and Barry Railway headed notepaper. His handwriting is atrocious.

Regards,

Simon

[Richard Ough]

Simon,

Thank you for that.

Someone else has also mentioned the National Library of Wales as a possible source.

I've now checked the NR Archive, but at first glance, Walnut Tree viaduct does not to feature in the archive.

I believe there was a paper written about the erection of the viaduct in 1901 and that it was submitted to the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), so that should reside somewhere within their archive.

I'm awaiting confirmation of my registration on their online search facility. Once that's sorted, I should be able to access their archive and see what they have on record.

[Penrhos1920]

I have the ICE drawing and it doesn’t show that detail. The piers are hollow but only up to the bottom of the top section and there appears to be no ground level access.

[Richard Ough]

I have the ICE drawing and it doesn’t show that detail. The piers are hollow but only up to the bottom of the top section and there appears to be no ground level access.

Thank you for saving me the time trawling through their archive. I apologize for not replying sooner but I have been away for a few days.

I have recently been in contact with Brian Mills who has been most helpful as he took a number of pictures of the viaduct at deck level as part of a photo survey of the permanent way across a lot of South Wales, but his track pass from BR(W) did not allow access underneath the main deck. He told me there were a number of padlocked panels at the top of some of the piers for inspection purposes, but having looked at the design of the pillars, it would be an awkward method of access. As mentioned in an earlier post, thereis a photo by Hugh Ballantyne I've tracked it down:

https://railphotoprints.uk/p254437496/h776D01D#h776d01d

This clearly shows an access hatch between the up and down line and it's position corresponds to the end face of the buttress which is the most logical place to put an access hatch and ladder I assume there is a similar hatch on the eastern buttress.

I am still awaiting a reply from a member of the Railways in South Wales Facebook group who produced a picture taken from the ganger's walkway. I suspect this may have been taken after the line was abandoned.

[Rhobat Bryn]

Ty'n-y-Caeau Junction North followed by Ty'n-y-Caeau South came before St. Fagan's.

Ty'n-y-Caeau Junction North covered the junction of the Walnut Tree branch with the Barry Main Line.

Ty'n-y-Caeau Junction South, located to the north of St. Fagan's Viaduct, covered the junction of the Barry Main Line with the branch that connected with the Great Western Main Line at St' Fagan's.

[Snowy]

Good Morning

Regarding this post about the Barry Rhymney branch and Walnut Tree Viaduct does anyone have a photograph of Pentyrch Signal Box or know where I might be able to find one please? I believe the next block post west was St Fagans, is this correct? Many thanks

Peter Fortune

Fortuately the famous Sid Rickard has recorded Pentyrch Signal box in at least two photographs. The first can be found in Brian Miller's book, Rickard's Record, Cardiff and the Valleys, Vol 1, Page 49, Plate 60. The second is in Taff Vale Railway Miscellany by John Hutton (OPC).
Again it is a Sid Rickard photo and is in the section on signal boxes ( no page number for plate numbers).There is also a phot by D.G.Thomas which shows both the signal box and the melingriffith crossing. Again no page or plate number.
Hope that helps
Colin Davies

[KenRodgers]

There is also a good photo taken by R Mackey of the signal box at Pentyrch on page 34 of the book Rails to Prosperity The Barry and After 1884 to 1984 by Brian J Miller. There are also another couple of photos of the viaduct.

I first found the book in the library of Wales and then traced a copy for myself via Amazon from Nigel Bird Books Ceredigion SY25 6PY.

I'm not sure on the next block post west. I thought it might be Tynycaeau.

Hope this helps further to Colin's post earlier.

Regards

Ken Rodgers

[KenRodgers]

Following on from my earlier post I have found two other books with photos of Pentyrch signal box. They are though the same as reproduced elsewhere.

For reference one is in South Wales past and present vol 28 page 57. Although not credited to Sid Rickard it looks very similar to the one in Taff Vale Railway Miscellany. The other is on page 39 of John Hutton's Taff Vale Railway vol 1. This is the same as reproduced in Rickard's Record.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Ken Rodgers