A plateway is an early kind of railway , tramway or wagonway , where the rails are made from cast iron . They were mainly used for about 50 years up to 1830, though some continued later.
109-482: The Sirhowy Tramroad was a plateway built to convey the products of ironworks at Tredegar to Newport, South Wales . It opened in 1805 between Tredegar and Nine Mile Point, a location west of Risca , from where the Monmouthshire Canal Company operated a tramroad to Newport. The Sirhowy Tramroad was operated at first by horse traction, but early locomotives were used, and a passenger service
218-528: A final lock brings the total rise to 68 ft (21 m). The River Usk provides the main water supply for the canal. A weir near the Brecon Promenade controls the water levels on the river, and one-half mile (0.80 km) of underground culvert brings water through the town to the Theatre Basin . Additional water is taken from a number of streams, where part of the flow is diverted into
327-544: A line using similarly flanged plates in 1788. A leading advocate of plate rails was Benjamin Outram , whose first line was from quarries at Crich to Bullbridge Wharf on the Cromford Canal . The early plates were prone to break, so different cross sections were employed, such as one with a second flange underneath. Some lines later introduced chairs to support the plates on the blocks, and wrought iron plates, increasing
436-506: A northward extension of the line to a junction at Nantybwch on the planned Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway , which had received parliamentary approval in 1859. The owners of the tramroad to Trevil were also authorised to convert it to a railway. Minor deviations of the Sirhowy line of route were made in the lower part of the system, but the new track followed an entirely distinct course passing through Blackwood and Argoed , where
545-630: A railway. It started to do so, but to continue the tramroad operation by independent carriers during the conversion, it adopted a combination tramplate that could carry standard gauge railway vehicles as well as tramroad waggons. By the end of 1855 the whole of the Monmouthshire system in the Western Valley (with the exception of the Rassa Tramroad ) had been transformed into locomotive worked standard gauge railways. This included
654-418: A ribbon was cut by Huw Irranca-Davies, the waterways minister, and Rhodri Morgan, the first minister. The canal is located within the boundaries of a number of local authorities, and such bodies are increasingly aware of the benefits and regeneration that a canal restoration project can bring. To this end, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canals Regeneration Partnership was created as a collaborative effort between
763-554: A small section of the Monmouthshire route have been reopened since 1970. Much of the rest of the original Monmouthshire Canal is the subject of a restoration plan, which includes the construction of a new marina at the Newport end of the canal. This canal was authorised by an act of Parliament , the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1792 ( 32 Geo. 3 . c. 102), passed on 11 June 1792, which created
872-483: A toll basis, with any rolling stock owner able to operate their wagons on the tracks. Sometimes, the plateway company was forbidden to operate its own wagons, so as to prevent a monopoly situation arising. Some plateways, such as the Gloucester and Cheltenham Railway, were single-track, with passing loops at frequent intervals. The single-track sections were arranged so that wagon drivers could see from one loop to
981-494: A useful route to access Newport Docks. The dominant traffic on the line was minerals: at first iron ore and later coal; the Great Western Railway used the lower part of the line for the trunk haulage of coal from Aberdare . With the decline of the traditional mineral industries and the loss of local general traffic, the line closed in 1960. The area of the valleys of south-east Wales had long been notable for
1090-513: Is on Cadw 's list of scheduled monuments . Restoration of the old Monmouthshire Canal began in 1994, when Torfaen Borough Council raised Crown Bridge in Sebastopol, to give sufficient height for navigation again. The section to Five locks was restored over the next two years, and was formally opened on 24 May 1997 by the Mayor of Torfaen. A new basin at the top of the locks marks the end of
1199-421: Is uncertain, but Lee said that the most probable date was 1805. Tasker implies that the first part of the tramroad opened in 1810; independent carriers were then permitted to use it on payment of a toll charge, and that it opened fully on or about 11 August 1811. There was very little habitation intermediately, and only a very limited network of roads. Writing in 1824, Cumming described the tramroad: The rail-way
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#17327983470871308-752: The Company of Proprietors of the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation and empowered it to raise £120,000 by the issuing of shares, and a further £60,000 if required. The act stated that the canal would run from Pontnewynydd to the River Usk near Newport , and would include a branch from Crindau to Crumlin Bridge. The company also had powers to construct railways from the canal to any coal mines, ironworks or limestone quarries which were within eight miles (13 km) of it. Construction of
1417-751: The European Regional Development Fund and the Local Regeneration Fund. The grants were secured in 2004, and the bridge was formally opened by the Mayor of Newport on 1 March 2007. The trust was awarded a grant of £854,500 in 2012 by the Heritage Lottery Fund , to enable the eight locks near Ty Coch to be restored. It will also be used to train people in the skills needed to restore historic canals, and to enable lock gates to be made locally using traditional working methods. Communities on or near
1526-845: The Hay Railway , the Gloucester and Cheltenham Railway , the Surrey Iron Railway , the Derby Canal Railway , the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway , the Portreath Tramroad in Cornwall, and lines at Coalbrookdale , Shropshire . The plates of a plateway generally rested on stone blocks or sleepers , which served to spread the load over the ground, and to maintain the gauge (the distance between
1635-714: The Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company under an act of Parliament obtained in 1845, bought out the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal Company in 1865, but the move came too late, and the Monmouthshire Canal gradually closed, while the Brecon line was retained as a water feeder. Control of the canals passed to the Great Western Railway in 1880, and they were consequently nationalised in 1948. The section of canal from Pontymoile to Pontnewynydd
1744-593: The Railways Act 1921 . The LNWR became part of the new London, Midland and Scottish Railway . Little change was noticeable locally on the line. Government once again restructured the industry in 1948, when the Transport Act 1947 resulted in nationalisation. Competition from bus services led to falling passenger receipts; the passenger service was withdrawn from 13 June 1960, the last train having run on Saturday 11 June. A few goods services ran after that time:
1853-566: The Surrey Iron Railway and the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway as plateways, though between these (in 1803) he designed the Ruabon Brook Tramway as using edge-rail. An alternative design, with the flange on the outside designed to be additionally used with flanged wheels, was unsuccessfully trialled on the Monmouthshire Canal Company's line shortly before its reconstruction as a modern railway. That idea
1962-639: The Vale of Neath Railway and pathed via Hengoed to Aber Sidings then to Alexandra Docks and Newport as a means of avoiding the GWR. When the LNWR was absorbed into the LMS at grouping a deal was struck with GWR to allow all traffic on the branch to access Newport Docks directly, albeit with a change of motive power at Nine Mile Point. In 1923 most of the railways of Great Britain were "grouped" into four large concerns, following
2071-408: The Brecknock and Abergavenny Company meant that carriage was cheaper if the goods originated on the northern canal, and so a second tramway was constructed along the heads of the valleys to Gilwern. In 1798, the canal company agreed with Sir Richard Salusbury to build a line connecting his collieries to the head of the canal at Crumlin and Llanhilleth . It was not until 1800, however, that Outram
2180-649: The Cefn flight (Fourteen Locks) is a separate project from the main scheme; contractors will work down the flight, while a voluntary team led by the Canals Trust and Waterway Recovery Group will work up from lock 3 on the Allt-yr-yn locks. There are also plans to connect the southern end of the canal to the River Usk by means of a marina in Crindau . The Crindau Gateway Project is an urban regeneration project for
2289-653: The Crumlin branch, to the bottom end of Waen Lock. Work started in January 2008, and was completed in time for the Welsh Waterways Festival held at the end of May 2010. The Inland Waterways Association National Trailboat Festival was held at the same time, and a slipway was rebuilt at Bettws Lane, just below Malpas Lock, to enable the trailboats to be launched easily. Bettws Lane bridge was itself rebuilt to provide more headroom for boats, using grants from
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#17327983470872398-411: The LNWR granted running powers permanently. The timetable was modified with the withdrawal of the two Sunday services. From March 1880, Sirhowy services ceased using Newport Dock Street and ran into the rebuilt station at Newport High Street . As Nine Mile Point was part of the GWR, and the LNWR having no running powers for mineral traffic south of this, it led to iron and coal services being diverted on
2507-619: The Monmouthshire Nine Mile Point branch. The passenger trains ran through without the necessity to change trains at Nine Mile Point. There were three weekday and two Sunday trains each way, with intermediate stops at Tredegar, Argoed, Blackwood, Tredegar Junction and Risca. No stop was made at Nine Mile Point, until 1869; it was known as Nine Mile Point (Quarry Mawr) at first. The journey time was 1 hour and 20 minutes. The Nantybwch extension opened on 2 November 1868. As early as 1860 LNWR management had taken an interest in
2616-555: The Monmouthshire Railway Company but desire at the same time to provide for independent working. They have not yet made any arrangements with the Monmouthshire Railway Company and it will be necessary that there should be a passenger platform at each side of the Sirhowy Railway which is doubled at Nine Mile Station, and further that there should be up and down lines at each of the two platforms so that
2725-547: The Monmouthshire Railway approached the Sirhowy with an offer to buy their concern for £295,000. Negotiations continued in 1874, and then it appeared certain that the Great Western Railway would conclude a deal. The GWR promoted a parliamentary bill in the 1875 session for a new line connecting Nine Mile Point and Caerleon, so by-passing Newport, which was heavily congested at the time. In fact it
2834-566: The Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canals Trust, Torfaen County Borough Council , Newport City Council , Caerphilly County Borough Council , the Forestry Commission and British Waterways . The partnership submitted a bid to the Big Lottery Living Landmarks Fund for £25 million, this being 75 percent of the estimated cost of restoring the main line from Barrack Hill to Cwmbran, including
2943-693: The Nine Mile Point branch from Risca. By this time it was impossible for the Sirhowy Tramroad to continue to ignore technological progress, and parliamentary approval to convert the system to a railway was obtained by an act of Parliament, the Sirhowy Railway Act 1860 ( 23 & 24 Vict. c. lxxi), of 25 May 1860; this changed the name of the company to the Sirhowy Railway Company. The act also authorised
3052-625: The River Usk near Caerleon . The Monmouthshire proprietors invited their potential competitors to alter the plans to create a junction with the Monmouthshire Canal at Pontymoile near Pontypool and share the navigation from there to Newport. An act of Parliament, the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal Act 1793 ( 33 Geo. 3 . c. 96), was passed on 28 March 1793, allowing the newly formed canal company to raise £100,000 in shares, with an additional £50,000 if required, and to construct railways to link
3161-456: The Sirhowy Railway, and accordingly the aspiration by the GWR to run Aberdare coal trains over the Sirhowy line was for the time being frustrated, and the planned Nine Mile Point to Caerleon line was therefore pointless, and was dropped. However, an amicable agreement was made, and the Aberdare traffic did start running (from Tredegar Junction to Nine Mile Point) from 1 February 1877, and in 1883
3270-583: The Sirhowy line: on 16 April 1860 an extraordinary general meeting of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway shareholders, aligned to the LNWR, supported the parliamentary bill to transform the Sirhowy Tramway into a railway, seeing it as in their strategic interest. Apart from any other consideration, this was to be the means of the MT&;AR reaching Tredegar from Nantybwch. On 26 December 1862 it
3379-683: The Sirhowy river by Tredegar and Sirhowy Iron-works to Trevill Lime-works, about 28 miles. A branch proceeds to the Romney [Rhymney] Ironworks, and from the same place the Brinore railway is continued over the Black Mountain to the Vale of the Uske at Brecon... there are also branches from the [Sirhowy] railway to the several collieries, and likewise to the Monmouthshire Canal in two places. All traffic
Sirhowy Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-456: The Tredegar iron company completed nearly double the distance at the cost of 30,000 l . Sir Charles Morgan expended 4,000 l upon one mile, but he had some deep cutting, and a double road to make. Notwithstanding the expense, the road pays the proprietors 30 per cent., having a considerable trade upon it... For the first 9 miles out of Newport, being the parts made by Sir Charles Morgan and
3597-675: The Tredegar partners, for on the same day an undertaking was signed by the canal company; they promised to build at their own expense a tramroad from the Tredegar Works to a point on the canal near Risca Church by Christmas Day 1801. In fact nothing of the sort was done; the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1802 ( 42 Geo. 3 . c. cxv) of 26 June 1802 authorised the tramroad, but it was the Tredegar partners who had to build most of it. Homfray, Fothergill, Monkhouse, Thompson and Foreman, now also directors of
3706-501: The area around the southern terminus of the canal, which has received £75,000 in funding from the Welsh Assembly to consider the provision of a marina as part of the scheme. A link from the marina to the River Usk would be provided by way of Crindau Pill, an inlet from the river which would be made navigable. This would create sustainability for the project. As of February 2015, Caerphilly County Borough Council plan to develop
3815-558: The authorisation in 1792 of the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Company. This was to build a canal from Newport to Pontnewynydd , near Pontypool , and a branch to Crumlin . Plateway tramroads were to be built connecting the canal to mineral sites. Many industrialists supported the works as it would considerably enhance their business, and the canal was opened in 1796, by which time many of the connecting tramroads had already been completed. The canal
3924-478: The axles, the wheels could usually be adjusted slightly with washers. Level crossings could be made truly level, the carts being re-engaged with the flanges once across the roadway. Even older than plateways were wagonways , which used wooden rails. Despite its ancient appearance, the Haytor Granite Tramway , the track with ledges cut in stone blocks to produce a similar effect as tram plates,
4033-588: The canal and railways so far opened, and was running 20 boats by 1806, carrying coal and limestone as their main cargoes. By 1809 the Monmouthshire Canal was threatening litigation over the uncompleted connection from Gilwern. Help came from Richard Crawshay , the Merthyr Tydfil ironmaster and a major force on the Glamorganshire Canal , who provided a loan of £30,000. This sum enabled the canal company to appoint William Crosley to complete
4142-441: The canal and the rest flows under an aqueduct to reach the River Usk. The Welsh canals were in the main constructed along narrow valleys, where the terrain prevented the easy construction of branches to serve the industries which were located along their routes, but they had the advantage that their enabling acts of Parliament allowed tramways to be constructed, the land for which could be obtained by compulsory purchase , as if
4251-613: The canal by a network of tramways and/or railroads, many of which were built and owned by the canal company. The "Mon and Brec" was originally two independent canals – the Monmouthshire Canal from Newport to Pontymoile Basin (including the Crumlin Arm ) and the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal running from Pontymoile to Brecon . Both canals were abandoned in 1962, but the Brecknock and Abergavenny route and
4360-435: The canal company it is a double road... and on the Tredegar iron company's part of fifteen miles, it is a single road, with frequent turnouts [passing sidings] for the teams to pass. The whole line of the road for twenty-four miles is an inclined plane, averaging about the eighth of an inch in the yard [a gradient of 1 in 288], or something more, but that part made by the Tredegar iron company is of somewhat greater declivity than
4469-529: The canal corridor from Fourteen Locks to Cwmcarn Forest Drive, and fully restore this part of the canal with a new marina in Risca. The Canals Trust has taken over the lease of the Canal Centre at Fourteen Locks. An extension has been completed, which houses a meeting room (available for groups to hire) and also a community run tea room. The Canal Centre is now a base for the trust and its restoration work at
Sirhowy Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-472: The canal include: On the main arm: On the Crumlin arm : Much of the canal towpath is easily walkable along the entire route. The towpath from Brecon to Pontymoile is passable by cyclists over its whole length. The Taff Trail cycle route follows the canal for a few miles from Brecon , but the path after that is not suitable for cyclists with road bikes. National Cycle Network Routes 47 and 49 follow
4687-467: The canal itself and construction began in earnest at Penpedairheol near Crickhowell . Work began in 1796 and by late 1797, the canal was open from Gilwern to Llangynidr in Brecknockshire and much of the rest was in hand. However costs, as usual, were higher than expected and, in 1799 Dadford stated that further money was needed to complete the section from Clydach to Brecon . Benjamin Outram
4796-553: The canal itself was concerned, he limited his proposals to the provision of additional reservoir capacity, to deal with the water shortage. Instead of proposing an extension of the canal, he considered that a new line of plateway from Tredegar to Risca Church should be built. It would connect with the existing canal at Risca, and loads would be transferred there to barges. The line would have "all convenient turnouts", that is, passing loops—the previous local tramways had been simple single lines, and empty wagons ascending were manhandled off
4905-465: The canal to mines, quarries and iron works. Initially work concentrated on the railways, with John Dadford overseeing the construction of lines from the collieries at Gellifelen to Llangrwyney Forge, and on to the Abergavenny to Brecon turnpike road . The line was opened in 1794, and later served the canal at Gilwern. It was not until 1795 that Thomas Dadford was appointed as the engineer for
5014-634: The canal was supervised by Thomas Dadford Jr. , and further acts of Parliament were obtained as the work progressed. An act of 4 July 1797, the Monmouth Canal Act 1797 ( 37 Geo. 3 . c. 100), gave the company powers to extend the navigation, which resulted in the Newport terminus being moved southwards to Potter Street, while a third act of 26 June 1802, the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1802 ( 42 Geo. 3 . c. cxv), authorised specific railways, and allowed
5123-558: The canal, and owners of works and pits outside that limit keenly felt the disadvantage. The Tredegar iron works , and others in the Sirhowy Valley, were among those for which a suitable transport connection was urgently needed. Samuel Homfray, Richard Fothergill and Matthew Monkhouse were the co-founders of the Tredegar Ironworks, and a lease of 20 March 1800 from the landowner Sir Charles Morgan granted them not only
5232-480: The canal, with the erection of a works (which was later Tredegar Ironworks). The Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1802 ( 42 Geo. 3 . c. cxv) sanctioned the construction of tramroads to places within 8 miles (13 km) of the canal, and they therefore built 8 miles (13 km) of tramroad from Newport to a point near Wattsville and Cwmfelinfach . The Sirhowy Tramroad from the Sirhowy Ironworks
5341-673: The canals between Cross Keys and Pontypool. On 16 October 2007 a serious breach occurred when part of the canal bank near Gilwern collapsed, causing a number of houses to be evacuated. Eight people were rescued by local fire and emergency services, and the A4077 road between Crickhowell and Gilwern was closed for a period which was expected to be several weeks. Two families were provided with temporary accommodation, and twenty-three hire boats were also affected with cranes being brought in to help them back to their bases. Contractors Noel Fitzpatrick working for British Waterways managed to reopen
5450-699: The centre of the community. Organised by the volunteers of the Mon & Brec Canals Trust, the 2010 Welsh Waterways Festival, which included the IWA National Trailboat festival was held at Newport at the end of May 2010. Over 30 boats attended from all over the UK. The boats were able to cruise from Barrack Hill to Pentre Lane in Torfaen Borough for the first time in 84 years, using restored locks at Malpas, Ty Fynnon, and Tamplin. Over 15,000 members of
5559-519: The company to raise additional finance. The main line, which opened in February 1796, was 12.5 miles (20.1 km) long, and ran from Newport to Pontnewynydd, via Pontymoile, rising by 447 feet (136 m) through 42 locks. The 11 miles (18 km) Crumlin Arm left the main line at Crindau , rising 358 feet (109 m) through 32 locks to Crumlin (including the Cefn flight of Fourteen Locks ), and
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#17327983470875668-502: The construction of a new aqueduct to take the canal over Greenforge Way, and of restoring the Crumlin Branch from Malpas Junction to the bottom of the Cefn flight of Fourteen Locks, including improvements to its water supply. The bid reached the development stage, and the partnership successfully obtained a grant of £250,000 to enable them to undertake a full cost and engineering study for the proposed community based regeneration of
5777-489: The cost of horse power by 35%. Other carriers soon followed by introducing locomotive power themselves. However breakage of the tramplates due to the weight of the locomotives was a continuing problem; in 1830 the Monmouthshire company ruled that all locomotives on their line must be suspended on proper springs. The Sirhowy Tramroad was effectively a monopoly, and it was making good profits; for many years it saw little need to adapt itself to changed circumstances. Nevertherless
5886-616: The general provisions of the original act. At least 21 tramways are known to have connected to the Monmouthshire Canal, with a further 13 connecting to the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal. Some works were eventually connected to both canals. The Beaufort Ironworks was originally connected to Crumlin Bridge by the Ebbw Vale tramway, but the incentives for through trade which the Monmouthshire Canal Company had offered to
5995-437: The introduction of passenger trains; it was not favourable. Distant signals were required at several locations. At Nine Mile Point "there is no station and no [roadway or pedestrian] approach to a station. A platform has been erected for the purpose of landing the passengers from the Sirhowy carriages and enabling them to re-enter the Monmouthshire carriages at the same platform. The Sirhowy Railway expect to work in connection with
6104-437: The ironworks that were their users. On most lines, that system was replaced by rolled wrought iron (and later steel ) "edge rails" which, along with realignment to increase the radius of curves, converted them into modern railways, better suited to locomotive operation. Plateways were particularly favoured in South Wales and the Forest of Dean , in some cases replacing existing edge rails. Other notable plateways included
6213-429: The length to 6 feet (1.8 m) and, later, 9 feet (2.7 m), spanning several sleeper blocks In 1789, on a line between Nanpantan and Loughborough , Leicestershire , William Jessop used edge rails cast in 3-foot (0.9 m) lengths, with "fish-bellying" to give greater strength along the length of the rail. However, after he became a partner in Benjamin Outram and Company (Butterley Iron Works) he designed
6322-401: The line was opened on 7 May 1816. The tramway was built to a gauge of 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ). The railway adopted the use of cast-iron L-shaped tramroad plates in its construction. The vertical portions of the two plates were positioned inside the wheels of the tramway wagons and the plates were spiked to stone blocks for stability. The size of the stones, and their spacing,
6431-411: The line, but he made the mistake of stating that the Sirhowy line continued to Newport. He said that the Monmouthshire Canal had several connecting railways but the most important is the Sirhowy line. This railway commences at the Monmouth Canal, Pillgwenlly, and passing through Tredegar Park up the Ebwy [Ebbw] river at Risca, crosses that river by a bridge of 16 arches, following afterwards the course of
6540-531: The loaded weights of wagons were reduced, in an attempt to reduce the number of broken tramplates. Ultimately, many of the tramways were converted to standard gauge railways, and so reverted to the flanged wheel system. The canal acts obtained by the Monmouthshire Canal Company authorised tramways to Aberbeeg , Beaufort, Ebbw Vale , Blaenavon , Blaendare, Nantyglo , Sirhowy and Trosnant. In some cases, these were named specifically because they were longer than 8 miles (13 km) and were not therefore covered by
6649-433: The main line, railway branches were constructed from near Pontypool to Blaen-Din Works and Trosnant Furnace. From Crumlin a railway was built to Beaufort Iron Works , which was 10 miles (16 km) long and rose by 619 feet (189 m), and there were additional branches to Sorwy Furnace, Nantyglo Works, and the Sirhowy Railway at Risca . This canal was first proposed in 1792 as a separate venture, to link Brecon to
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#17327983470876758-421: The navigable section. All of the canal route within the jurisdiction of the City of Newport was designated as a conservation area on 21 January 1998. Twenty one of the structures of the canal now have Grade II listed building status. At the Brecon end, the canal terminates at the Theatre Basin, as a result of a project to rebuild the Brecknock Boat Company wharf, which was abandoned and infilled in 1881. Funding
6867-400: The neighbouring Monmouthshire Canal Company, on which the Sirhowy line depended to reach Newport, was extending its network. Intending to become a full passenger-carrying railway (rather than allowing carriers on to its line), the Monmouthshire Canal changed its name to the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company in 1845. It had been under pressure in 1847 and again in 1849 to convert its line to
6976-410: The newly incorporated Sirhowy Tramroad Company, were to make the tramroad at their own expense from the Sirhowy Works to a location west of Risca, nine miles from Newport: it soon became known as Nine Mile Point. The Monmouthshire Canal would build from there to Pillgwenlly , in Newport, except for a one-mile section through the Tredegar Estate which would be built by Sir Charles Morgan : he would retain
7085-464: The next, and wait for oncoming traffic if necessary. However, others, such as the Surrey Iron Railway , the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway , the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company tramroads, and the Severn and Wye Railway , were wholly or partly double-track. Because they had un-flanged wheels, wagons that ran on plateways could also run on ordinary roads. Plateways tended to get obstructed by loose stones and grit, leading to wear. Edgeways avoid
7194-440: The passengers may change carriages, and that the risk of a collision shall be avoided by the trains of each company coming up at different sides of the up and down platforms. The list of shortcomings continued and Rich ended "I have received no undertaking as to the proposed method of working. I beg to submit that the Sirhowy Railway cannot by reason of the incompleteness of the works be opened for passenger traffic without danger to
7303-403: The planned direction of the connection there so that it faced east, towards Abergavenny. The Sirhowy Company hesitated in providing a passenger train service on the new line, although running powers were available over the Monmouthshire Company's line from Nine Mile Point to Newport. On 10 March 1864, Captain Rich of the Board of Trade issued a report of his inspection of the line preparatory to
7412-450: The preliminary results of the investigations: there were over 90 leaks on the section from Talybont to Gilwern, with less leakage on the stretch from Llanover to Goytre Wharf. A press release in February 2008 announced that the total cost of restoration was likely to be around £15 million, with major investment required in the 2008/9 financial year, to repair the breach and to deal with other areas identified as being of top priority. The aim of
7521-501: The public using the same." After another false start the line eventually opened to passenger traffic on 19 June 1865. The hesitation in finalising the working arrangements may have been due to negotiations then in progress for either the Monmouthshire Company, the Great Western Railway or the London and North Western Railway to take over the Sirhowy Railway, but that fell through. Accordingly, passenger services between Sirhowy and Newport Dock Street finally started on 19 June 1865, using
7630-437: The rails or plates). The plates were usually made from cast iron and had differing cross sections , depending on the manufacturer. They were often very short, typically about 3 feet (0.9 m) long, able to stretch only from one block to the next. The L-section plateway was introduced for underground use in about 1787, by John Curr of Sheffield Park Colliery. Joseph Butler , of Wingerworth near Chesterfield , constructed
7739-442: The rest. The coal and iron are conveyed on it in waggons, each carrying about forty-five to fifty hundredweight, exclusive of the waggon, and a team of four or five horses will draw about fifteen of these waggons down, and take the same number of empty ones back, with ease. From 1824 a passenger coach, known locally as "the Caravan", was operated on the line by John Kingson of Newport. Other carriers followed his lead. Scott described
7848-408: The rich mineral resources, especially coal and iron ore, and also limestone. Much of the useful mineral deposit was in the upper valleys, and ironworks developed there. Transport of the manufactured iron, and of the raw materials, was difficult, requiring pack animals to reach Newport for shipping. At the end of the eighteenth century, determined efforts were made to improve the situation, culminating in
7957-575: The right to charge tolls on the mile of route. This section became known as "the Park Mile" or "the Golden Mile", and proved a source of considerable income to his estate. The Sirhowy Tramroad was the third public railway sanctioned by act of Parliament. The same act empowered Homfray and his partners to build a tramway from Tredegar to the Trevil limestone quarry. The date of opening of the tramway
8066-428: The right to extract coal and iron ore from his land, but to build a tramroad on it "down the Sirhowy Valley to join the Monmouthshire Canal". The Monmouthshire Canal Company heard of this and negotiated with the Tredegar partners. The engineer Benjamin Outram was called in by the directors of the Monmouthshire Canal to make recommendations for improving the situation in general. He reported later in 1800, and so far as
8175-418: The road within a week of the breach occurring. British Waterways announced on 5 November 2007 that a 16-mile (26 km) stretch of the canal from Llanover to Llangynidr would be drained completely, so that a full inspection of the canal structure could be carried out. They stated that they were working with boat owners to move all boats to parts of the canal which would not be affected by this drainage, but that
8284-633: The route for the A467 road in 1968/9. The rest of the canal was formally abandoned in 1962, but within two years, restoration had begun. Funding for the restoration became available as a result of the National Parks legislation. This was designed to help The Broads in Norfolk and Suffolk , but that area was not designated as a national park, whereas the Brecon Beacons were, and the canal
8393-403: The section from Sirhowy to Tredegar continued in operation until closure on 4 November 1963; from Tredegar to Pontllanfraith closed on 30 April 1969, and finally from Tredegar Junction to Risca closed on 4 May 1970. Little remains of the Sirhowy Railway; in terms of station infrastructure, only the station master's house at Hollybush has survived. National Cycle Network route 467 follows much of
8502-401: The stone obstruction problem. Stone blocks had an advantage over timber sleepers because they left the middle of the track unhindered for the hooves of horses , but timber sleepers had an advantage over stone blocks because they prevented the track from spreading. The gauges of some tramroads increased by a couple of inches after decades of horses passing up the middle but, being loose on
8611-448: The towpath would remain open during this phase. Subsequently, they announced that a full geotechnical survey would be carried out, and that they expected the stretch to be closed for up to a year. Water levels on this section were reduced significantly, but engineers were then faced with the task of moving upwards of 100,000 fish before it could be drained fully. At a meeting at Crickhowell on 20 December 2007, British Waterways announced
8720-413: The track to allow loaded descending wagons to pass. In fact double track would be laid if necessary. His railway would be a plateway, in which the rails are L-shaped plates, the upstand providing the guidance to plain wagon wheels; the gauge was to be 4 ft 2 in ( 1,270 mm ). The canal company accepted his recommendations on 18 December 1800. There must have been a joint discussion with
8829-418: The trackbed from Blackwood to Hollybush. Plateway Plateways consisted of L-shaped rails, where the flange on the rail guides the wheels, in contrast to edgeways , where flanges on the wheels guide them along the track. Plateways were originally horsedrawn but, later on, cable haulage and small locomotives were sometimes used. The plates of the plateway were made of cast iron , often fabricated by
8938-515: The tramroad passed through the main streets, having been laid before the settlements developed. The whole length from Bedwellty Pits through Tredegar to Sirhowy was also on a new alignment. It probably opened in 1863. The Nantybwch extension was not made according to the 1860 Act; its route was amended by the Sirhowy Railway Act 1865 ( 28 & 29 Vict. c. cccxlii) of 5 June 1865, and opened on 2 November 1868. The act also changed
9047-418: The tramway was part of the canal itself. This led to the development of an extensive network of tramways, to serve the many coal and ironstone mines which developed in the area. Dadford was an exponent of "edge rails", where flanged wheels ran on bar section rails, similar to modern railway practice, rather than wheels with no flanges running on L-shaped tram-plates. Following Dadford's demise, Benjamin Outram
9156-481: The waterway. The partnership continues to meet to discuss the way forward to completing the restoration. Restoration of the top lock of the Cefn Flight (lock 21) was completed by volunteers in 2003. The Canals Trust and Newport City Council made a joint presentation to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £700,000 to restore the next four locks of the flight, and this was granted on 23 March 2007. The regeneration of
9265-503: The work would be to ensure that the canal would be safe and fully open from March 2009, but further work would be required during the following three winters to complete the process. Their actions earned British Waterways the praise of Rhodri Glyn Thomas of the Welsh Assembly , who applauded their "courageous decision" to manage the breach in the way that they had. The repaired canal was officially reopened on 29 March 2009, when
9374-541: The work, which opened in February 1812. From the Pontymoile junction, the Brecknock and Abergavenny runs through Llanfoist near Abergavenny and Talybont , ending at a basin in Brecon . The canal is 33 miles (53 km) long and is level for the first 23 miles (37 km) to Llangynidr , where there are five locks. Two miles (3.2 km) below Brecon, the canal crosses the River Usk on an aqueduct at Brynich, and
9483-436: Was a success, but experience showed that it had shortcomings too. The large descent from the top to Newport made the transit slow. Shortage of water in summer and icing in winter delayed traffic. Most significant of all, there were many industrial locations not served by it or the tramroads. These were limited by the terms of the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1792 ( 32 Geo. 3 . c. 102) to reaching works within seven miles of
9592-400: Was abandoned as a commercial waterway in 1930, but was retained in water. In February 1946, a serious breach occurred at Abercarn , 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from Crumlin, and although this section of the canal had not been used for 16 years, the breach was repaired. However, the branch was closed just three years later in 1949, and the section from Pontywaun to Crumlin was filled in and used as
9701-565: Was abandoned in 1853, to eliminate the sharp curves at either end, when part of the line was converted to standard gauge, and was demolished in 1905. Conversion of the whole line to standard gauge was completed in 1863, and the Sirhowy Tramroad became the Sirhowy Railway Company in 1865. The Hay Railway received authorisation in an act of Parliament, the Hay Railway Act 1811 ( 51 Geo. 3 . c. cxxii), on 25 May 1811. Construction of its winding 24-mile long route took nearly five years and
9810-512: Was absorbed into the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway in 1860 and the line was converted to standard gauge for operation by steam locomotives. With their network of feeder railways, the canals were profitable. Coal traffic rose from 3,500 tons in 1796 to 150,000 tons in 1809, but the arrival of the railways brought serious decline, and in the 1850s, several schemes to abandon the canals were proposed. The Monmouthshire Company, which had become
9919-501: Was agreed to urge the Sirhowy Company to complete the link in time for the opening of the MT&AR. In 1863 the Sirhowy was continuing to make positive responses but the LNWR faction "as being frustrated by an upstart little line which was failing to grasp the economic opportunities falling into its lap". For a decade, there had been talk of the Sirhowy Railway being acquired by one of the neighbouring concerns. In November 1873
10028-469: Was asked to survey the line. The twin track tramway connected by means of an inclined plane to the existing line from the Beaufort Ironworks. Outram's designs were not followed to the letter, probably to save costs, and he expressed his dismay at this. In 1800, the owners of Sirhowy Ironworks were granted permission to exploit the minerals under Bedwellty Common and build a tramroad to join
10137-419: Was built by the ironmasters, to a point one mile (1.6 km) from the canal company section. The mile between crossed the land of Sir Charles Morgan, Baron Tredegar of Tredegar House , who agreed to build the connection across Tredegar Park , in return for tolls for goods crossing his land. This section became known as the "golden mile", because it proved to be quite lucrative for Sir Charles. The tramroad
10246-522: Was called in to inspect the work and to advise on substituting a railway between Gilwern and Pont-y-Moel. Outram recommended several improvements, in particular the partial rebuilding of the Ashford Tunnel. He was also somewhat critical of the existing railways. The canal was completed and opened to Talybont-on-Usk in late 1799 and through to Brecon in December 1800. Dadford died in 1801, and
10355-441: Was completed about twenty years ago, also a turnpike road by the side of it for about seventeen miles, the total expense amounting to about 74,000 l [£74,000] or about 3,000 l per mile [including the Monmouthshire Canal's nine miles at the Newport end of the line]. About 40,000 l of this sum was expended by the canal company in consequence of building a bridge [the viaduct at Risca] and some very deep and expensive cutting, whilst
10464-586: Was constructed between 1802 and 1805 or 1806. Branches would be built to the limestone quarries at Trefil (the Trefil Tramroad) and to the Union Ironworks at Rhymney . Two more branches, from Llanarth and Penllwyn to Nine Mile Point Colliery were added in 1824. A major feature of the line was the 'Long Bridge' at Risca , 930 feet (280 m) long with 33 arches each of 24-foot (7.3 m) span averaging 28 feet (8.5 m) high. The bridge
10573-505: Was consulted on a number of matters, and recommended that the railways should be converted from edge rails to tram plates. Many of them were converted in this way, but this alteration was not always successful, with users of the Crumlin Bridge to Beaufort Ironworks tramway complaining in 1802 that they had incurred considerable cost to make the transition, only to find that the new tramway was unusable due to poor construction. In 1806,
10682-652: Was contemporary with plateways, being built in 1820. Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1802 The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal ( Welsh : Camlas Sir Fynwy a Brycheiniog ) is a small network of canals in South Wales . For most of its currently (2018) navigable 35-mile (56 km) length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park , and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to
10791-481: Was converted into a railway in 1853, with the loss of 11 locks, and more significantly, much of the water supply to the lower canal. Following the conversion, the next part of the canal to close was the section from Newport to the docks, which lasted until 1879. The rest of the Newport section, to the northern portal of Barrack Hill Tunnel, was closed in 1930, and the Cwmbran section followed in 1954. The Crumlin branch
10900-467: Was horse-drawn until 17 December 1829 when a steam locomotive named Britannia was introduced on a trial basis. It had been ordered specially from Robert Stephenson of Killingworth by Samuel Homfray junior. The locomotive was a success, although the first run to Newport was badly delayed, and due to its weight numerous of the tramplates were broken. Nevertheless, it made daily journeys of 28 miles (45 km) hauling loads of 50 and 60 tons, while reducing
11009-418: Was opened in 1799. In the late 1840s, a short extension joined the canal to Newport Docks , and hence to the River Usk . Because the canal was isolated from other similar undertakings, Dadford was free to set the size of the locks, and they were designed to take boats with a maximum width of 9 feet 2 inches (2.79 m), a length of 63 feet (19 m) and a draught of three feet (0.91 m). On
11118-609: Was operated. In 1860 the Sirhowy Railway was incorporated to modernise the tramroad; it followed a similar alignment but with several modifications, and opened in 1863, between Tredegar and Nine Mile Point. A short extension northward to Nantybwch , joining the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway , was opened shortly afterwards. The Sirhowy Railway was acquired by the London and North Western Railway , for which it formed
11227-733: Was provided by the Welsh Office, the Welsh Arts Council and various private sector bodies. The old wharf buildings have been re-used by the Brecon Theatre, and access is provided by a new canal bridge, named after the engineer Thomas Dadford. The next section to be opened for navigation was a 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch running from Pentre Lane bridge, just above Tamplin Lock, down through Tyfynnon, Malpas and Gwasted locks to Malpas junction, and then up through Gwasted Lock on
11336-478: Was ratified by the London and London and North Western Railway (Sirhowy Railway Vesting) Act 1876 (c. cxxxiii) of 13 July 1876. By this time the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company had been in the hands of the Great Western Railway for a year. There were protective clauses in the act for both the larger companies: the LNWR had access as of right to Newport Docks. The rights only extended to traffic originating on
11445-447: Was replaced as engineer by Thomas Cartwright. The canal company obtained another act of Parliament, the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal Act 1804 ( 44 Geo. 3 . c. xxix), on 3 May 1804, to authorise the raising of more capital, and the section to Govilon , near Abergavenny was completed in 1805, but the company failed to raise the finance authorised by the 1804 act, and so construction stopped. The company then concentrated on running
11554-477: Was seen as a valuable amenity in an area of natural beauty. The canal was reopened to Pontymoile in 1970. The Brecon to Pontypool section was one of seven stretches of canal, formerly designated as 'remainder waterways', which were re-classified by the Transport Act 1968 . Under the act, a total of 82 route miles (132 km) were upgraded to cruising waterway standard. The Cefn Flight of Fourteen locks has been recognised as being of international significance, and
11663-692: Was such that the horses could operate unimpeded. From 1 May 1820, the Hay Railway was joined at its Eardisley terminus, in an end on junction, by the Kington Tramway . Together, the two lines totalled 36 miles in length, comprising the longest continuous plateway to be completed in the United Kingdom. The Hay Railway operated through rural areas on the borders of England and Wales and was built to transport goods and freight. Passengers were not carried on any official basis. The Hay Railway
11772-514: Was taken up in 1861 by the Toronto streetcar system . Horsecars ran on the upper, outer part as edgerail, with the wheel flanges on the inside. The edge rail formed an outside flange for a broad foot which allowed wagons to pass through the unmade streets. That combination necessitated a unique, broader gauge of 4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in ( 1,495 mm ) known as the Toronto gauge . The early plateways were usually operated on
11881-480: Was the LNWR which started working trains over the Sirhowy line from 1 July 1875, and on 21 August 1875 a working agreement was concluded; this was enabled by a general clause on the Sirhowy Railway Act 1865. Sirhowy Company debentures to the extent of £56,633 were taken on by the LNWR, and Sirhowy ordinary and preference stock was exchanged for an equivalent amount of LNWR interest bearing stock. All this
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