Brecon and Merthyr Halt near Bedwas

[bob.price]

A very similar query to the one previous about marks on maps that look like halts. I was looking at the OS maps for the part of the B&M north of Bedwas, past Dyfryn Isaf heading up towards Maesycwmer. On one of the OS maps for the area there seems to be what looks like a station or halt adjacent to the Old Maesycwmer road which is served by footpaths. I have attached a screenshot of it and wondered if you knew anything more?

The map I am looking at is a 25 inch one, Monmouthshire XXVII.10 Revised: 1915, Published: 1920. That would have put it well into Brecon and Merthyr days and pre-grouping.

I have looked through my B&M books and can see nothing.

Do anyone have any ideas of what this might be?

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by ... &right=osm

[RichardMaund]

Would not this have served LLANBRADACH COLLIERY? Note the footpath leading thereto....

[bob.price]

My thoughts exactly, but I can't find any reference to it. The station Chronology has it as

L COLLIERY (non-tt): op by September 1928 (U); miners; still in use 31 May 1948 wtt; {Llanbradach – Ystrad Mynach}

That would say to me that it was on the Rhymney Railway if it was been Llanbradach and Ystrad Mynach.

[RichardMaund]

See R A Cooke's [i]Atlas of the GWR, 1947[/i] page 179.

[bob.price]

Thanks Richard. I have had a delve into my Cooke maps and there does seem to be a very passing reference to it, with the comment 'Dates Unknown'

Its not on the page I would have expected it, so missed it.

[Joe RLVW]

Hi All,

I'm a bit confused about what the apparent platform marks are about in the original post. Apologies this is a longer post than intended.

I don't have a copy of the GWR maps book mentioned above - could someone clarify what is shown please? (I appreciate that there will be copyright on the book, but a general idea of whether this is the same as the National Library of Scotland 1890-1914 layer would be helpful.)

I looked at the National Library of Scotland maps in side to side views for different periods.

The only one in which the platform appears seems to be in the period 1892-1914 for the OS 25in map.  Links below show this period in the Left window with the right window for the same location being either:

1/ The OS 6in map 1830-1880 where the platform is absent.   See below

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by ... &right=257


2/ The OS 1:1250 / 1:2500 for 1944-1975, again the platform is absent (as it appears to be for all layers except the 1892-1914 one). Link below:

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by ... &right=173

Not sure if this is a scaling thing (i.e. smaller scales than 25in do not have sufficient detail to show the platforms), or if this is reflective of the period when the platform existed. Perhaps someone with the GWR map book referenced could let me know if it shows something different?

There is both a Llanbradach station (1500) and a Llanbradach Colliery Halt (1501) on the Rhymney Railway listed in my copy of: "Great Western Stations 1947 A Photographic & Track Diagram Survey PART Two (Numbers 721=1612) The Wirral, Welsh Borders and Wales", by R.J. Smith.

There are platforms at Llanbradach Colliery Halt which is stated as Closed to Workmen's Trains by June 1954.  Llanbradach Colliery was closed in 1961 by the NCB. 

I have not been able to find a halt on the B&MR in the original query in my copy of the RJ Smith book.  This halt is the other side of the valley from the RR and the Colliery. (Albeit the name of the station is not obvious on the map, so I can't use the index easily.)

I note that the M&BR and Barry Railway (BR) had a junction called Barry Junction just to the south of the B&MR Halt.  There are what appear to be associated sidings at Dyffryn Isaf.  The Barry railway junction was I think opened in January 1905, so fits the period where it is shown on the NLS maps.

Given the above I am left wondering if the platforms shown on the OS 25in Map layer for the period 1892-1914, are primarily for a halt to help facilitate the construction of the new junction?  The use of the platform for worker trains to Llanbradach Colliery might not have been viable given the already existing RR Llanbradach Colliery Halt.

Hope the links work as had some trouble copy these, and my ramblings make some sense.

Any thoughts or information  would be most welcome.  

Many thanks,

Regards,

Joe

[bob.price]

Thanks Joe,

That is logical thinking. The feature for me is the path that runs from it, and still runs from it, directly up to Llanbradach and the colliery. Today it is used to get up the the station location to pass into Bluebell Woods, but anyone on a train arriving there would have had a direct route. Also the halt is showing on a map from 1920 and the viaduct was built in 1905, so I am not 100% sure this would explain it.

My thoughts on longevity would be that there were so many other collieries in the area, why would anyone travel to and walk to Llanbradach?