Pantywaun Mineral Railway, nr Fochriw/Merthyr, S. Wales - 05/08

The Pantywaun Mineral Railway was connected to the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at a junction to the south of Pantywaun Railway (operational on OS 1884 but shown as a siding on OS 1901 2nd Edition), which was known as Pantywaun Junction.

The Pantywaun Mineral Railway initially ran from the Pantywaun mining complex to Dowlais and also ran south on the western edge of Rhas Las pond, which was constructed in 1818 (OS 1884). However, on OS 1901 2nd Edition, it is shown connected to the Tunnel and Fochriw collieries.

The railway station apparently closed in 1962.

Nice photo's jezamon. I take it the bridge in pic3 is still used judging by the way they have strengthened it with concrete to stop it subsiding. If you look closely at the right hand bridge support you can see where it is coming away (cracks)

jonney said:

Nice photo's jezamon. I take it the bridge in pic3 is still used judging by the way they have strengthened it with concrete to stop it subsiding. If you look closely at the right hand bridge support you can see where it is coming away (cracks)

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thank you

yeah, it was still in use at the time, but i believe it's now been taken down and another one put in it's place, or around that area anyway.

Here you have some great pictures. What a find ! I would like to go there, but it is too far away from where I am living.

Most of the section you have there, in the cutting is on the uppermost section of the Rhymney Valley Company's former line up the Taff Bargoed valley. This was connected to the Brecon and Merthyr line as described by jezamon. Unfortunately the new mining project has destroyed the rest of the route, spiraling down the hillside to Dowlais. There used to be a workman's platform where the new earth bank and culvert is shown on the fourth photo. The part demolished bridge shown in jezamon's first photo carried a siding that connected to the Heads of the Valleys route, although this was closed very early.

Nice to see this is still accessible given the mining works.

Labb said:

Here you have some great pictures. What a find ! I would like to go there, but it is too far away from where I am living.

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thank you

cardiffrail said:

Most of the section you have there, in the cutting is on the uppermost section of the Rhymney Valley Company's former line up the Taff Bargoed valley. This was connected to the Brecon and Merthyr line as described by jezamon. Unfortunately the new mining project has destroyed the rest of the route, spiraling down the hillside to Dowlais. There used to be a workman's platform where the new earth bank and culvert is shown on the fourth photo. The part demolished bridge shown in jezamon's first photo carried a siding that connected to the Heads of the Valleys route, although this was closed very early.

Nice to see this is still accessible given the mining works.

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i've not been there since these photos and i'm 99.9% sure the bridge in the 3rd photo [which was still in use] has now gone. they redid the roads around there, probably something to do with the mining project they have going on.

if you look at the 10th photo, on the right of the slope, there's what appears to be a broken down bridge. on google maps it's still intact, but on multimap, it's broken down. also, a bit further on, the railway line is still intact and on the multimap version, there's what looks like some kind of vehicle on the track. perhaps they're still using that part of it?

wish we'd gone a bit further, but it was quite boggy past the 9th and 10th photos. plus i only had trainers on!

http://www.multimap.com/s/MS9Q9BZI
the red circle is where the broken down bridge is.
the road the the left of the track is where the bridge is.
the railway track starts to the right, just after the electricity lines and the vehicle is near the green/tree bit.

The collapsed bridge in your tenth photo was an aqueduct. I believed this was listed, but obviously lack of maintenance has taken its toll. 5 years ago it looked like this



The railway line, that extends down the Taff Bargoed valley to Ystrad Myncah is being refurbished as part of the mining project and will be used for carrying coal.

The old platform I mentioned to the west of the bridge is here, now beneath the realigned road.



I thought the old road bridge over the cutting was being kept as a bat roost. See, the thinkg can be useful after all.

aw wow, that's brilliant! totally wasn't expecting to see a photo of it intact, lol. brilliant

if i go up there again, i may go further down the line, if it's not too boggy!

Theres more here of the route you explored. Apologies for the poor qulity - the weather was dire and it was winter.

http://cardiffrail.co.uk/RVR-TaffBargordBranch.html

cardiffrail said:

Theres more here of the route you explored. Apologies for the poor qulity - the weather was dire and it was winter.

http://cardiffrail.co.uk/RVR-TaffBargordBranch.html

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cool, i'll take a look. thanks

Cool pics there Jezamon, bet it's really photogenic up there in the winter snow!
Nice report!

Darkness said:

Cool pics there Jezamon, bet it's really photogenic up there in the winter snow!
Nice report!

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thanks i've never actually ventured up there when it's snowed [and it has a few times since i've lived up here!, but maybe i will next time!

Hello Jezamon, thats a mighty fine looking Industrial Line there! To think how many of these little lines would have criss crossed the Coal Mines and Quarries of Wales, makes my mind Boggle! And Now? Nothing!

Black Shuck said:

Hello Jezamon, thats a mighty fine looking Industrial Line there! To think how many of these little lines would have criss crossed the Coal Mines and Quarries of Wales, makes my mind Boggle! And Now? Nothing!

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Not just Wales mate but everywhere. The village (well its slightly bigger than a village but a lot smaller than a town)I live in used to have at lease 5 pits in a 3 mile radius of it and they were all connected via spurs from the Bishop Auckland to Durham main line. Sadly they are all gone and have been turned into footpaths.

jonney said:

Not just Wales mate but everywhere. The village (well its slightly bigger than a village but a lot smaller than a town)I live in used to have at lease 5 pits in a 3 mile radius of it and they were all connected via spurs from the Bishop Auckland to Durham main line. Sadly they are all gone and have been turned into footpaths.

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Thats right Jonney they were the Backbone of nearly every type of Heavy Industry in the U.K. Mainly in heavily industrial areas like your neck of the woods but never in mine!

Black Shuck said:

Thats right Jonney they were the Backbone of nearly every type of Heavy Industry in the U.K. Mainly in heavily industrial areas like your neck of the woods but never in mine!

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Yeah mate "it was grim up North" but at least down there you got the fortifications

jonney said:

Yeah mate "it was grim up North" but at least down there you got the fortifications

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We have loads of small Country Branches that closed in the Early 50s, usually to do with Potatoes or Sugar Beet! you are right about the Fortifications though.