Railways and Industry on the Brecon & Merthyr

Bassaleg to Bargoed and New Tredegar/Rhymney B & M

John Hodge, Ray Caston

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
• eBook ISBN:
  9781399096089
• Year: 2022

This book, as part of the South Wales Valleys series, deals with the former Brecon & Merthyr Railway line which ran from Bassaleg (north of Newport) to Brecon and Rhymney B&M, the latter line being closed north of New Tredegar in 1930 due to a landslide, one of several in that area. The most important and lucrative traffic was of course coal from the many collieries on the line, much bound for Newport Docks, though there was a regular passenger service both to Brecon and New Tredegar which ran to Rhymney B&M before 1930. At Machen the line diverted to Caerphilly and Pontypridd again with coal and passenger services, mostly covered by auto trains. Each location along all lines in the area is covered in detail with copious photographs to illustrate, and an OS Map from the start of the 20th C. to present a detailed coverage of the area around each location. The line is still open from Bassaleg to Machen Quarry for occasional trains of stone traffic using modern traction and wagons.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Book title
• Copyright
• CONTENTS
• DEDICATION
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• PREFACE
• Chapter 1 HISTORY OF THE BRECON & MERTHYR RAILWAY
• Chapter 2 PASSENGER SERVICES
• Chapter 3 COAL & FREIGHT SERVICES
• Chapter 4 MOTIVE POWER
• Chapter 5 LOCATION ANALYSIS
• Chapter 6 FORMER BRECON & MERTHYR0-6-2TS GW 421-436
• APPENDICES
• Back Cover