NEWS
2010 – page 2
News
2010 - page 1 | News Archive (news from previous years)
PBR is awarded the prestigious ‘Small Groups Award’
(uploaded 24 December)
The Heritage
Railway Association represents most of the 130 or so heritage railways,
preservation groups and museums in the UK Ireland
The award which recognises
the professionalism of the operation on the PBR will be presented at STEAM (
The Small Groups Award
Image from the HRA website
Robin
Cornelius, the railway’s chairman said:
This is the most amazing news and we are all proud to receive the award
- 2010 has been a landmark year for the
railway , finally opening our extension to Blaenavon,
seeing our passenger figures over 40 percent up on 2009, an amazing GWR 175th
gala with City of Truro and now this.
Everybody has worked really hard to get the railway where it is today and
it is very pleasing to see that it has been recognised outside the railway.
This is also for all our members ands supporters who have helped the
railway get where it is today
Traffic
Manager, Alex Hinshelwood, added,
The main target this year was just to get the railway open to Blaenavon and to operate that to the best of our abilities.
With our passenger numbers way ahead of last year, our events better than
ever and the amazing GWR gala I didn’t think this year could get better but now
we have this Award as well.
For our volunteers, members and supporters this is already one special
year. We may not be be
a big railway but we are all proud of it and what we have achieved and now even
prouder to receive this award for it
A horribly successful event (uploaded
Despite last
year’ successful Hallowe’en event, we knew we were
taking a risk by running trains over two days this year – both Saturday 30 and
Sunday 31 October, and an even greater risk by running trains during daylight,
but we need not have worried as over the two days nearly 1100 passengers came
to ride on the train – and be frightened out of their wits in the process. In the face of the awful ghosts and ghoulies that were abroad after the sun went down, either
our passengers were very brave, or our passengers were….. Well, you know what we mean!
At the same time
as all these foul goings-on were in progress, the railway quietly passed
another milestone as the long awaited target of 10,000 passengers per year was passed
for the first time – and with Santa
Specials yet to come we will be able to report record numbers of passengers
this year.
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Long before the sun had set, trains
were running, and noisome events were taking place in the graveyard near
Furnace Sidings station. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
What is this apparition appearing from
the mists of Platform 1, Furnace Sidings?
We knew not – and, with the darkness and horrifying spectres emerging
from all quarters, we had intentions of waiting to find out. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
The ‘
After almost
four years reconstruction work, platforms 1 and 2 at Furnace Sidings find
themselves joined by a footbridge. For
full details read the two page article in our ‘development’ section which is HERE.
Formal opening of the extension to Blaenavon and GWR 175 celebrations (uploaded
The three days
of Friday 17, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September saw quite the biggest
celebration that the PBR has ever hosted.
During the extravaganza four locomotives worked a variety of passenger
and freight trains in an intensive timetable that worked virtually perfectly. With visitors 3717 (once 3440) ‘City of Truro’
and a GWR autotrain consisting of Collett
14xx No.1450 and autocoach 178, we were assured of an
interesting timetable, but when inte4rspersed with our resident 71515 and No.19
the result was positively dizzying.
Friday morning
was reserved for the formal opening of the long-awaited 1¼ mile extension to Blaenavon (High Level) ststion. The platform there is complete but the
station building work has been held up for a variety of reasons but completion
is on the relatively near horizon. The
opening was marked by speeches from PBR Chairman Robin Cornelius, and from the
mayor of the County Borough of Torfaen, and of the town of Blaenavon. Speeches were rounded off by Pete Waterman,
who also unveiled a commemorative stone which is to be embodied into the new
building
Such an event as
this has netted in a huge shoal of splendid photographs despite some difficult
lighting condition and we trust that the small selection below, all by our
camera ace Alistair Grieve will give something of the flavour of the weekend.
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Blaenavon
(High Level) station is in the process of being formally opened, amid the
general speech-making. There’s plenty of municipal bling
around as speeches are made. Railway
Chairman, Robin Cornelius,on the left, in the dark
suit, has just given his speech, and Cllr Tom Huish
mayor of the County Borough of Torfaen does his piece. To his left the mayor of the Town of Blaenavon, Cllr Mrs Janet Jones, who is about to do her
bit, and gave a speech full of personal anecdotes . In turn, and to her left,
is the special guest Pete Waterman OBE. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
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In front of a typical LMS style ‘Hawkseye’ pattern running-in board, Pete Waterman sings
for his supper as he formally opens the station at Blaenavon
(High Level) by unveiling a stone plaque which will be incorporated in the,
as yet, unfinished station buildings. In his speech he contrasted the
situation against that over fifty
years ago when enthusiastic volunteers were labelled as ‘puffer nutters’ and compared the situation today where those
same volunteers, throughout the hundred or so preserved railways are adding
£14 million a year to local economies around the country. |
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Immediately after the formal opening
passengers started to arrive in considerable number, to take a ride on the
auto train, though to judge by the number of people making use of the
footbridge, almost as many were interested in seeing City Of Truro in all her
finery. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
The effect of perspective makes it
appear that City of Truro is heading a very long train, but the four coaches
seen here really is the practical limit on the PBR. On platform 2, the autotrain,
hauled by 1450 stands ready to make a short working up to the Whistle Inn. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
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Whilst City of Truro was considered the
star of the show, it seemed that the public were every bit as interested in
the Autotrain, consisting of loco 1450 and autocoach 178. The
unique feature of the autotrain is that it can be
driven from the carriage opposite the engine, and here, driver Bernard M,
stands ready to depart from the Whistle Inn..
The autotrain was a GWR speciality although
most other railways dabbled in them prior to nationalisation. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
The friendly interior of the autocoach.
Passengers would find it difficult not to engage in conversation with
their fellow travellers, and the regular service down to Newport on the
low-level line, which used autotrains till about
1950 were often quite noisy affairs.
Your aging webmaster can dimly remember the odd gas-lit version. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
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Super power for a single autocoach! City of
of Truro stands in all her finery in platform 1 at
Furnace Sidings with Collett 14x class 1450 behind. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
The classic three-quarter frontal view
of City of Truro, framed by the ’Hinckley’ footbridge which had been brought
into use only that weekend. The coach
behind City of Truro in 1951 blood and custard livery with the loco still in GWRlivery is just
about chronologically possible, but the second coach in 1956 maroon cannot be
considered proper – but it’s a lovely picture nevertheless. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
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‘Ooh err! Now what’s goin’
on yer, then- we’ve never had a loco without a
bunker, and this one’s got this funny tender thing behind’. With City of Truro at the north end of the the platform at Blaenavon (High
Level), the loco crew call on train staff to help them out with the rules
from the genuine GWR rule book. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
Railway Inspector Bernard Morton achieves
a lifetime’s ambition by driving City of Truro, and ponders whether this is
the right time to stand down – he’d better not! Photo:Alistair Grieve |
It’s Ivor the
Engine again! (uploaded 29 August 2010)
Ivor the
Engine and his friends paid their customary annual visit to the PBR over the
weekend 14/15 August. Although there was
much that was familiar, there were a number of new features this year. Ivor’s friends were
there. Bluebell the Donkey was there,
courtesy of Cwmbran Community Farm, who also brought a small petting zoo with
them, to the delight of our smaller visitors.
Alice the Elephant was at least heard, trumpeting regularly, in her
virtual form, inside the box van on platform 2.
In view of the expectation of larger numbers of passengers on each
train, a record four coaches were rostered, with, as
required by HM Railway Inspectors, a locomotive at each end of the train. This year Ivor
took the south end and 71515 the north end.
The extra coach was our recently acquired and refitted Tourist Second
Open (TSO) No.4300. This is planned to
be the first member of a new three coach rake finished in 1951-56 style livery
of Crimson & Cream – or Blood & Custard as it is frequently but irreverently
called. Perhaps most astonishing was the
increase in size of Idris the Dragon – see the images
below. Despite a rather dull Saturday,
passengers number equalled that of last year, and we look forward confidently
to next year!
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Passengers crowd onto the platform at
Furnace Sidings for a ride behind Ivor the
Engine. Our extended line now allows Ivor to face down the line in the direction of Blaenavon (High Level)Ivor is
framed by the new footbridge between platforms 1 and 2, and which will
shortly be fully commissioned when its steps are fitted.. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
Ivor
stands at Blaenavon (High Level). This, of course, represents yet another
first – Ivor’s first trip over the extension. With a loco at each end and four coaches,
this just about fills the platform.
The platform is exactly the same length as its predecessor. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
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Yet another first – a four coach
train. With approaching 1000
passengers over the weekend, it was felt worthwhile to roster a four coach
train. Our new TSO in Crimson and
Cream livery makes its debut. Ivor is dwarfed at the rear of the trasin,
whilst 71515 heads the north end of the train up the grade. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
Ivor
the Engine is a little eclipsed by Idris the
Dragon, who not only appears to have grown considerably since last year, but
appears to enjoy posing in order to have his photograph taken. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
PBR goes to the Eisteddfod / Mae’r PBR yn mynd
i’r Eisteddfod (uploaded24 August 2010)
The National
Eisteddfod has certainly changed over the years. Once almost exclusively a festival of song,
verse and dance, it has developed into a showcase for all that is good in
Wales. So, when the PBR were approached
by the festival organisers, we saw this as a splendid opportunity to fly the
flag – not only for the PBR, but Blaenavon
itself. Throughout the festival from 31
July to 7 August loco No.19 was taken over to the next valley in Ebbw Vale,
complete with a short length of track so No.19 could puff sedately up and down. Visitors were clearly impressed and No.19
attracted a great deal of interest.
Surprising, though, were the number of visitors who had never heard of
the PBR, despite it being so close. Well
they have now, and most promised to pay us a visit in the near future
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Banners proclaim the PBR and Blaenavon as No.19 lies in light steam Photo:Alistair Grieve |
A small crowd gather to admire
No.19. The crowds grew significantly
as each day progressed. Photo:Alistair Grieve |
The National
Eisteddfod was held on part the site of Ebbw Vale steelworks, where closure was
announced in 2001 and demolition started a year later, and which now forms a
barren strip in the middle of the town.
It’s a slightly odd irony, that the works, which were 2½ miles long,
were once the home of over 40 locos of broadly very type to No.19
