NEWS 2005

PAGODAS AND PARKS (updated 20 Dec 05)

Having just missed a golden opportunity to impress our Santa Special visitors, the car park contractors have got to work with a vengeance over the last few days. Reproduction GWR-style spear fencing is appearing as if by magic, and the long awaited information-point gazebo was erected this morning – complete with GWR pagoda-style roof. When work is completed in a few weeks time, visitors will be met by a new entrance gate flanked with stone walls, and sporting a large cast iron nameplate pronouncing ‘Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway’ in GWR running in board style. Various areas of the car-park will be delineated by spear fencing, bollards (some removeable), and even some upturned reproduction buffers upon which walking visitors can sit for a while. Under the gazebo, photographs from the earliest days of the railway will be displayed, and will provide some long-awaited interpretation for visitors and passengers.

The gazebo gets its pagoda hat, whilst several contractors underneath seem to be trying it for size!

Smart new reproduction GWR-spear fencing looks good against the background, but will positively sparkle when it’s painted cream.

SANTA SEASON COMES TO AN END (updated 18 Jan 06)

After a very quiet first weekend, the second and third weekends of Santa Specials brought in a bumper harvest, with a passenger total of 1124 – just two short of last year’s total. The weather was generally good, with lots of blue skies., however it was often bitterly cold, and without steam heating on our trains, we did what we could with the sherry, mince pies, and steaming tea, for the short ride up to the Whistle Inn – always cosy, even on the most bitter night. We are very pleased that passenger numbers held up, since major works are underway in the car park. Whilst the proposed works will yield a much improved facility, which we had very much hoped would be complete before Christmas, delays have ensured that the current situation is more reminiscent of Flanders fields than a well-run railway. Whatever the weather, people clearly enjoyed what we had to offer, judging by the happy faces and kindly comments, with many repeat visitors who assured us that they ‘come every year’. It helps that we have a different present for almost every age range, at least this assures that no child gets the same present in two successive years. Every present carries the young recipients name, a small touch, but our visitors marvel at the magic that allows Santa to know their names beforehand.

Somebody is looking rather pleased ….

PASSENGER NUMBERS UP AGAIN (updated 10 Jan 06)

With the summer season showing passenger numbers increased by 11.6% over a similar period last year from 3109 to 3470, and Santa Special passengers decreased by an insignificant drop (from 1126 to 1124), it is now possible to announce the year end totals. Some of this increase was attributable to an increase in the number of running days, even so, the average number of passengers per day increased from an average of a little over 62 a day to over 65 a day during the summer season. Overall, passenger numbers increased from 4235 to 4594, and 8.5% increase.

MORE TWAO PROGRESS (Updated 8 Dec 05)

Progress towards the completion of the Transport and Works Act Order which will enable the railway to run passenger trains to Blaenavon High Level, continues is serpentine way through the labyrinths of Westminster and the Welsh Assembly Government. The time for objections is now well passed, and it merely requires ‘i’s dotted and ‘t’s crossed – and final translation into Welsh – before the all-important piece of paper lands in our offices, hopefully in the first month of the new year.

DOWN IN THE CUTTING SOMETHING STIRS (Added 8 Dec 05)…

With the imminent arrival of the TWAO railway volunteers have started the task of relaying track and clearing a quarter of a century of vegetation from the line. A massive increase in manpower has been provided by the Probation Service who are providing several teams of people discharging Community Service Orders. With great gusto, they have laid waste great swathes of silver birch and willow, and water now gurgles happily down the cesses they have cleared. As a result the trackbed in the deep cutting by the rail over rail bridge is now less of a quagmire, and the sleepers, long-pickled in the peaty water, are drying out nicely. At least one has expressed an interest in joining the railway. The fact that one is a diesel fitter could also be rather useful.

DOGFISH AND OTHER FISHY TALES (Added 8 Dec 05)…

In order to aid spoil clearance and re-ballasting the railway has just purchased its first ballast hopper. Previously at Newport (Alexandra Docks Junction) a short twelve-mile hop saw it delivered to Blaenavon on 7 December. It had lain at Newport Docks for a week or two, having previously been at Newport (Alexandra Docks Junction). This hopper was built as a Dogfish DB992961 but with vacuum brakes removed and air brakes fitted, and re-coded HPA in the TOPS scheme. It is likely that the railway will now want to add a ballast plough in the shape of a Shark van to its shopping list, and consideration may even be given to a second Dogfish. Such an assembly should fill all the railway’s needs for the foreseeable future.

Dogfish 992961 arrives at Furnace Sidings, Blaenavon, during the morning of 7 December. In the foreground are some materials and gates awaiting fitting in the new car park. In the background is 5668 with 2874s chimney peeping over. Work has started on 5668 with all asbestos stripped, and the boiler being made ready for lifting. Over on the Coity, lowering cloud, is a prelude to a very wet and windy afternoon – again!.

Photo: Norman Clymer

THUMPER SERVICES (added 8 Dec 05)
Following several successful, but otherwise unannounced, shakedown runs on a number of days in July and August, Thumper 205 018 started regular services on 22 August. A fan clutch failure on its first day in public service saw a speedy, but temporary, repair, and she continued to return a faultless performance the following day and on 28 and 29 August as scheduled. Fears that she would struggle on our fearsome gradient proved to be without foundation and the sound of her engine echoing back from the fastnesses of the Coity mountain were memorable. Visits by passengers to the engine room were much appreciated, judging by passengers who had visited the engine room smiling inanely on the platform with heads spinning and ears ringing.

TWAO PROGRESS
Work on the Transport and Works Act Order now enters its penultimate phase, with the draft order presented to the National Assembly for Wales on 19 July. Following some comprehensive research during the early part of the year uncovering the Acts that enabled the building of the line in the mid 18th century, a period of extensive external consultation was undertaken, during which potential objections were solicited. There were none. The draft order is now presented for 42 days (until 30 August) during which formal objections may be lodged. Subject to this hurdle being passed, the draft order will be scrutinised by the Assembly, for about three months, so that by late November or early December, PBR hope the order will be made.
Copies of the draft order may be inspected at Cwmbran Library, Pontypool Civic Centre, Pontypool Library, and Blaenavon Community Museum on request. An additional copy has been lodged at Blaenavon Museum. In the meantime, the PBR has its fingers - and everything else - crossed.

THUMPER'S FIRST OUTING
Surrounded by a bevy of PBRs own photographers, but otherwise unannounced, Thumper 205 018 made three 'shakedown' runs up the line to the Whistle Inn late on 17 July. Fears that she might not be able to tackle the gradient proved groundless, as she ambled gently up the bank at half throttle, proving that she could keep easily to timetable.- at least in the dry weather.

A THUMPER FOR THE PONTYPOOL AND BLAENAVON
Thursday 2 June saw delivery of the second coach of the two-coach Thumper unit 205 018 to Blaenavon, following delivery of the first twenty-four hours earlier. The text below was submitted to the railway press at that time:

LAST THUMPER TO BLAENAVON

Porterbrook's last remaining Thumper, unit 205 018, has been allocated to the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway on 23 May. After placing an initial bid last October, the PBR kept a very low profile carefully assessing what units were going where. In March of this year, a strong bid, supported by local and Welsh Assembly politicians, Torfaen County Borough Council, and National Museums and Galleries of Wales finally saw DMBS 60117 (originally from 'Hampshire' unit 1118) and DTCL 60828 (originally from 'Berkshire' unit 1129) journeying the 150 miles out and 1250 feet up to Furnace Sidings, Blaenavon. The centre car TS 60674 (also from 1129) has gone to nearby MoD Caerwent for scrapping. The allocation of 205 018 to the PBR has come as a surprise to many Thumper watchers, but a spokesman has confirmed that the position of silence was maintained to prevent speculation, both within the railway's membership and further afield, which might have prejudiced the railway's bid.

Departure of the DTCL on the evening of 31 May from Selhurst T&RSMD in south London caused some modest excitement. A hundred Thumper fans were reported to have lined the route south to the M25, with at least one in tears, when the last of their revered 'Thumper' fleet left the depot. Departure was made in the late evening in order to avoid other trafffic as the lorry threaded its way through of the densely-populated suburbs down to the motorway, so that the main leg of the journey was made in darkness.. The DTCL finally reached Furnace Sidings in the wee small hours. An early start saw unloading completed by 0900 the following day. Twenty-four hours later a repeat performance saw the DMBS at Blaenavon, and by 1100 on 2 June the pair were re-united.

205 018 and 205 029 (from which both the DTCL and TS were derived) were involved in the Cowden accident on the Sussex / Kent border. Three cars were written off or scrapped, the remaining three going on to form 205 018. The Thumpers were unusual in South Wales, although a lengthy cross-country service in the late seventies and early eighties from Southampton and Portsmouth to Newport and Swansea must have endeared them to few but the most loyal fans. So far as is known, no Hampshire, Berkshire or related units ever penetrated the Welsh valleys, but the gadabout preserved 'Hastings' unit 1001 did reach the Rhondda Valley in the mid-nineties. On the basis of their involvement at Cowden, it might be considered that 205 018 was the runt of the litter, but, in fact this unit was retained by Southern to the last as a strategic reserve.

At present LHCS is propelled up the steep 3/4 mile line under a long-standing concession from HMRI, since no flat ground can be found on which to build a locomotive run-round. The PBRs TWAO is now well advanced, and funders are looking increasingly hopeful to extending the line southwards by a further 1 1/4 mile. Since no level ground is in sight for several years, and approval to propel LHCS over the extended line is unlikely, DMUs form the ideal passenger stock. The Thumper thus has ideal traffic characteristics for its steeply graded line, and will complement the line's operational 108 set, and a 117 set which is months from entering service. It will also go some way to silencing the railways vociferous one-man SR / BR(S) minority!

John Down, the railway's publicity officer said 'As soon as we heard that the bid had been successful we worked very quickly to co-ordinate activities between the train owners, the train operators, the road carriers and ourselves. It's all been a bit of a narrow squeak, but it's a thrill to all of us on the railway to know that we are bringing a taste of something very rarely seen in Wales, and unheard of in the valleys. For locals, it will be something new and unusual, for visitors from the south-east of England it'll be like seeing an old friend'.

Currently the Thumper retains its Connex livery, though by next year it will be restored to its original green livery. It is planned that 205 018 will start passenger services in late August this year as soon as crews have completed their training on the new unit.

You wait for a bus, then along comes...a train. In late evening, prior to its overnight journey to Blaenavon, DTCL of Thumper 205 018 picks its way through the leafy suburbs of south London, Photo: James Martin

It's a long night for the DMBS at Selhurst T&RSMD as she waits, alone, for a lift to Wales the following day to join her one remaining sister Photo: Les Kenward

Minutes after being reformed as a 2-H, 205 018 sits in typical valley clag and drizzle, 1250 feet up at Furnace Sidings Photo: John Down

TRANSPORT MINISTER VISITS PONTYPOOL AND BLAENAVON
In glorious May weather Welsh Assembly Member Andrew Davies AM, Minister for Economic Development and Transport paid a visit to the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway on Thursday 12 May. After a ride up the line on the train, he did it again - aboard locomotive 104 'Llanwern'. His whirlwind visit continued with a visit to the railway's very own - and highly profitable - model shop, in Blaenavon town, before examining the railway's phase 1 target, Blaenavon (High Level). The visit was arranged by the County Borough of Torfaen's Assembly Member Lynne Neagle AM. Said John Down, the PBRs Publicity Officer "It is difficult to imagine a more influential visitor, nor one who can do more to raise the profile of the railway than Wales's own transport minister. Our Assembly Member Lynne Neagle, who arranged the visit, is a rare bird amongst politicians - one that does 'exactly what it says on the tin', and we are all immensely grateful to her."

PBRs John Down out-talks politician Andrew Davies AM with consummate ease, with Torfaen's AM Lynne Neagle looking on bemused. Ex- steelworks loco 'Llanwern' stands behind at Furnace Sidings station.

ANOTHER LUCKY BRAKE
Corridor Brake Composite (BCK) 21034 was lucky to escape scrapping on the East Somerset Railway, when it was 'rescued' by the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway. After some hasty negotiations it arrived at Furnace Sidings on Thursday 20^th January 2005. This means the number of loco-hauled brakes on the railway has increased from one to three in less than four months. The railway is now set fair to satisfy its need for multiple rakes of coaches for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, the inside of the vehicle is missing most of it seats as well as some compartment doors, and parts of the body are a little tatty, however a recent raiding party to a nearby railway scrapyard has seen a large quantity of virtually new seats recovered from scrapped Southern Region Electric Multiple Units. Work on restoring the coach is planned to start at Easter.

BCK 21034 arrives at Furnace Sidings, in typical January weather for Blaenavon, that is howling wind, and rain. A bit of computer trickery does a little to improve the appearance of the weather so that the coach can actually be seen!  Photo by John Down