South Wales Valleys – serie

The third in a trilogy on the Brecon & Merthyr Railway, this book covers the line from Merthyr to Pontsticill where it met the line from Newport and continued to Brecon. Between Pontsticill and Brecon the line ran through beautiful scenery with reservoirs on the west side and the Brecon Beacons on the east with the famous Seven Mile bank to test the ability of fireman not to stall their engine. The book is hugely illustrated as it passes through Pontsticill and on through Dolygaer, Pentir Rhiw, Torpantau and Talybont on Usk, this being one of the most scenic sections of the Western Region. Talyllyn and Brecon itself are also very well illustrated giving an idea also of the variety of services that ran into Brecon, not only from Newport, but from Neath, Hereford and Mid-Wales. Passenger services to Brecon from all these places were withdrawn in December 1962, though freight, mostly domestic coal, services from Merthyr continued until 1964\. The area is not without some passenger services however in the present day as the Brecon Mountain Railway has been developed between Pant, Pontsticill and Torpantau. This final volume of three provides views in stark contrast to the industrial section at the south end of the Brecon & Merthyr where it runs through the South Wales Coalfield and the former iron producing areas of Merthyr and Dowlais.

This book on the Brecon & Merthyr, deals with the section from Bargoed to Pontsticill Junction, covering the line built by the B&M to join onto the section running north from Bargoed built by the Rhymney Railway, much dominated at the time by nearby Dowlais Ironworks. Included is the short section from Pant to Dowlais Central. It contains photographs of every location along the line, including many that have not before been published. The volume includes a fascinating account of the Pantywaun Marshalling Yard, operative until Dowlais Ironworks ceased production, when the B&M ran freight services to and from Pantywaun, before the many collieries and levels in the area were closed almost overnight and the location finally obliterated under the development of Cwmbargoed Opencast.