queries on old photos

[andrewnummelin]

I've just been going through a few things that have come to the Circle as part of the late Gerald Davies collection, and I've found a few things that really caught my eye for different reasons.

In an early photo of Pontypool:

GD-Pontypool-front399px.jpg

1. Why is there a loco at what appears to be the rear of the train?
2. Has anyone information on the John J. Murphy wagon? I've not come across this company before.

In a post card of Ebbw Vale (undated, produced in Ebbw Vale):

GD-EbbwVale-front399px.jpg

Can anyone offer information about the coaches?

In an image, probably from Cyfarthfa Castle and taken by Robert Thompson Crawshay in the 1870s:

1399vvv399px.jpg

Can anyone identify any of the stock? It's not common to see a goods break van between loco and passenger coaches. (The viaduct has 7 arches.)


Sorry the detail is not as good as I would wish as the forum only allows images up to 400 pixels wide.

[andrewnummelin]

Sorry the detail is not as good as I would wish as the forum only allows images up to 400 pixels wide.

Are you sure, Andrew? I seem to remember bigger photos than that have been posted previously. As it is the posted versions are a bit too small to be useful, at least for the long distance shots.

This is the error message I received:

The image must be at least 0 pixels wide, 0 pixels high and at most 400 pixels wide and 400 pixels high. The submitted image is 5415 pixels wide and 1660 pixels high.

There's also a 2MB limit on file size.

Rob plans to put them in the next Newsletter: they should be clearer there.

[Wagonworks_andy]

I have increased the image size to 1000 x 1000.
Hope that helps.
Andy

[andrewnummelin]

I have increased the image size to 1000 x 1000.
Hope that helps.
Andy

Thanks Andy, here are 1000pixel wide versions.

GD-Pontypool-1000px.jpg

GD-EbbwVale-1000px.jpg

1399vvv-1000px.jpg

[Newport_rod]

The viaduct view looks like Pontsarn to me (see https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j ... 8245272251) . And the GBV rather like the one in this view taken at Pontsticill,

[andrewnummelin]

A wander around the internet has found https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/GLA/C ... aters.1880 which lists "Murphy John J. & Co., 2 Dock chambers" under iron Ore Importers. They are also listed in specialcollections.le.ac.uk › digital › ... › download, which links to a downloadable .pdf file, so I haven't looked at it. Hopefully this is the right company...

So far as the train is concerned, I have no idea where exactly it is, and which way it's going, so can only speculate. However, there is a brake van between the loco and the train, so possibly a banking engine?

So far as the train on the viaduct is concerned, more speculation is all I can offer. The date, if correct, is before the compulsory use of continuous brakes, so that the train may lack these. There may be a guard's compartment in the rear coach, I can't really tell, but none of the others seem to have one, so has the operator borrowed a goods brake in order to have a handbrake at each end, possibly? Or even a handbrake at all, if I'm wrong about the rear coach?

Your identification of the Murphy wagon looks quite likely: thanks. The company did more than import ore, for which the wagon would not be appropriate.
The train is on the Eastern Valley down line so a banking engine would not be expected: if for adding braking I would have expected it to be in front.

[andrewnummelin]

The viaduct view looks like Pontsarn to me (see https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j ... 8245272251) . And the GBV rather like the one in this view taken at Pontsticill,

Indeed, I'm sure you are right about it being Pontsarn.

The stock at Pontsticill looks very similar to those at Pontsarn, so most likely the Pontsarn train is a B&M one but with one coach from another line. I'd go along with Noel's suggestion about the use of the goods brake van.

I wonder if similar things may have been seen at Machen...