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R heidol R ev iew Newsletter
Special Covid Edition
Photo by Andrew Simmonds
Is sue 1 - 2021 www.rheidolrailway.co.uk
Telephone us: 01970 625 819 - Park Avenue, Aberystwyth SY23 1PG
Photo by Andrew Simmonds
Welcome
Light in the darkness...
W
elcome to our first newsletter for 2021, it isn’t quite the start to the year many of us had hoped to see, but the way I see it is that it can only get better as the year goes on. With light at the end of the tunnel, however dim it may currently appear there are some things to look forward to as this year goes on. We hope to see the return of train services later this year, though this is dependant upon the COVID situation of course. During the latest lock down period people have found a variety of ways to entertain themselves, some have renewed their interest in old hobbies and some have spent more time on existing hobbies, if your hobby has led you to find photos of our line old or new you had forgotten you had taken and would like to share them please send them in. Likewise if you have been modelling parts or rolling stock of our line then you are welcome to share your hard work and we can put them in our newsletter or on our social media. Putting together this edition has been a challenge, partly because of the continued closure of our line, but also as we have
C O N T E N T S
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News
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Workshop Updates
Page 12 An image from the Archive Page 13 Mines of the Rheidol Valley Page 16 Picture Gallery Page 20 Volunteers during 2020
covered almost all of the historical elements of our line in our articles. So for this edition I have written about two areas which are of interest to me and I hope you’ll find them of interest too. The first is a very brief look at the War Department Light Railways and the second a rather less well known railway called the Camber Railway from an unlikely place, though sadly the railway is no longer extant. For this month I pose the question what kind of articles do you enjoy within our newsletter and what would you like to see more of, or on the flip side less of, if anything? As always we enjoy hearing your views, especially if it helps to develop and improve our newsletters. Send your answers by email to newsletter@rheidolrailway.co.uk
Gareth D Jones Editor
Page 21 The VoR Landscape Page 22 Engines from our Collection Page 24 War Department Light Railways Page 28 The Camber Railway Page 3
Vale of Rheidol Railway News
New Vale of Rheidol Railway carriage storage and conservation store completes second phase of £2.2million ‘Wales to the World’ project
Construction of Vale of Rheidol Railway’s new Museum collection and heritage rolling stock protection shed has been completed at its Aberystwyth terminus. Costing £531,000 to build and equip, the state-of-the-art structure can accommodate the equivalent of 36 VoR bogie carriages on its three roads in secure covered accommodation. Two full length roads, each long enough to accommodate 12 carriages, will house VoR’s two standard seven-carriage service rakes when not in use with additional capacity for further stock storage. The third road incorporates a ‘building within the building’ partitioned from the main element of the shed with an electric sectional door. The equivalent of 10 bogie carriages in length, this storage area has been constructed to house historically important locomotives and stock in a heated and ventilated temperature-controlled environment. The centre road of the building incorporates a pit near the entrance doors to enable maintenance of carriage bogies and a section of reinforced flooring to accommodate lifting jacks. Page 4
Vale of Rheidol Railway News A 45KW solar panel array on the south facing side of the roof provides power for the air source heating system and lighting within the new building. It will also provide electricity for the station building and shop, the multi-function display and entertainment facility to be developed within the ex-GWR loco shed and feed power back into the national grid. In conjunction with the solar panels already on the roof of the exGWR loco shed which provide power for the works and running shed the entire Vale of Rheidol station at Aberystwyth becomes electrically self-sufficient. The pedestrian path beside the southern wall of the building to directly link Vale of Rheidol Railway’s station with the national network station has also been reinstated, although cannot be brought into use until VoR’s new station building comes into use. Construction of the new building commenced in the latter part of 2019 and was on-target for completion in April 2020 but inevitably became delayed as the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. With the building now complete the track connections to the station and ex-GWR loco shed will be laid upon return to work post COVID and stock moved inside. “This is a massive asset which will provide indoor cover along with maintenance facilities for the carriage fleet and historic rolling stock,” commented VoR General Manager and Chief Engineer, Llyr ap Iolo. “A massive thank you must go to our contractors who carried on through what has been a really tricky time. It is a credit to them that the project remained on track and budget,” commented Vale of Rheidol Railway Chairman, Robert Gambrill. “The whole team responsible for the visit Wales TAD projects have been invaluable in seeing the project through to completion of the second phase. Protection of our historic assets is vital to their long-term survival. The new store will, for the first time, enable us to keep everything protected in dry and weatherproof conditions. Seeing the former Great Western Engine Shed revived and given a new life is the next exciting phase of our plans,” he added. Images taken on 7 October 2020 are attached showing the exterior and interior of the new building. Page 5
Vale of Rheidol Railway News
Welsh Slate’s steam loco finds its forever home
A 123-year-old steam railway locomotive that saw 27 years’ service with Welsh Slate has found its forever home with a narrow-gauge heritage railway in Mid Wales. The 11-tonne Manning Wardle “Jubilee 1897”, so named to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, has been sold to the Vale of Rheidol Railway at Aberystwyth which had been its foster home for the past two years. Jubilee 1897 initially worked at Cilgwyn slate quarry at Nantlle, hauling waste from the quarry to remote tips near the village of Y Fron. It was sold to Welsh Slate in 1928 when it travelled to Dinas Junction on its Page 6
Vale of Rheidol Railway News own wheels down the incline and over the Welsh Highland Railway for unloading at Penrhyn from a standard gauge wagon. For a year, she worked at Port Penrhyn at Bangor before moving to be stored at Felin Fawr. After being painted and returned to steam at the end of World War II, she worked on Red Lion Level but was withdrawn from service 10 years later. Her home was then the Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum Trust at Towyn where she was cosmetically restored for display. In 2016, Jubilee 1897 was moved to Felin Fawr where the Penrhyn Quarry Railway project was being developed. The original plan was for her to be a static exhibit but after examination established she was in fundamentally sound condition, agreement was reached that the project would restore her to steam at Coed y Parc workshops. Dismantling commenced in 2017 but four months later the project collapsed, and the Vale of Rheidol Railway offered to accommodate her while the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Trust established a way forward. Her components were relocated to Aberystwyth in 2018. Now, the Vale of Rheidol Railway is her permanent home. Robert Gambrill, chairman of the Vale of Rheidol Railway, said: “We are delighted to have secured the sale from Welsh Slate of this significant addition to our roster and can assure Welsh Slate she will have a happy home with us. “Manning Wardle is a locomotive builder not previously represented within our collection so we jumped at the chance to secure an example of this manufacturer .Our thanks go to the team at Welsh Slate for working with us to secure the future of this historic Welsh locomotive. We are planning to restore Jubilee 1897 to steam by 2023, allowing the public to be see her again working for the first time since the 1950s.” Welsh Slate managing director Mark Hodgkinson said: “The Jubilee 1897 will always be a part of our history and we’re only glad she has found such an appreciative permanent home.” Page 7
WORKSHOP WLLR’s No822 In the workshop work restarted on The Earl in December 2020. The frames have now been inspected and repaired. All the loose rivets have been replaced and loose bolts tightened. The frames have had all new horn cheeks manufactured and fitted and the assembly has been painted. The axleboxes have been machined and are being scraped to fit the wheel journals. Once this is complete the loco can have its wheels refitted. The cylinders have been off the loco and re-machined and are now back in place. The slide bars have been machined and
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UPDATE re-fitted to line up with the cylinder bore. The crossheads have had new white metal cast in them and are being machined to size. The pistons have been machined and new piston rings have been fitted. The water tanks have had the beading straightened and riveted in place. They have been thoroughly cleaned and have been painted in undercoat. Work has also taken place on the cab with the sunroof being repaired and the rain strakes replaced. The old coal bunker was very badly corroded and twisted and has been replaced by a new one to the original drawings. This has been riveted together and awaits re-fitting to the locomotive.
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WORKSHOP Steam Winch The railway workshops have also been working on a steam winch for the Hollycombe Steam Collection. This was formally on a steam ship and has been stripped down to component parts and totally rebuilt.The restoration is now just about complete and should be ready to return to its owners very soon.
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UPDATE
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Vale of Rheidol Photo Archive By Gareth Jones
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1908 Working Time Table
omething a little different this month, from the collection of Gareth Davies, his grandfather’s service time table for the 1908 summer season. The working timetables were only given to staff, it also features information about whistle codes used & where they must be sounded along with special instructions for Drivers & Guards as seen below.
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‘The Alien Shrine’, iron and zinc formations never before seen.
Cwm Rheidol/Ystumtuen Mine: Extending the Frontier
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by Ioan Lord
n August 2016, me and some friends began what would become a multi-year project of extensive digging, ropework and breakthroughs into areas of Ystumtuen or Cwm Rheidol Lead and Zinc Mine which had not been seen since as far back as the
1870s. The mine is located on the slopes of Rhiw Fawr directly opposite Rhiwfron Halt (VoR), and the workings extend for over a mile through the mountain. No explorers had dug through collapses or spent so much time in this mine before
Longitudinal section of Cwm Rheidol Mine, with areas newly accessed shown in red. Page 13
us, probably due to the thick yellow ochre sludge or ‘tomato soup’ which is literally everywhere inside the mine. The plan overleaf (Ioan Lord) shows the workings at Cwm Rheidol Mine, with red indicating the areas we have now managed to access. This article brings our exploration work up to date (2020), including the artefacts and remains we have been the first people to see in a century and a half. Our way into the mine is through Level Fawr, which enters the hillside opposite Rhiwfron Halt and passes underneath Ystumtuen village. In November 2016, we started a project to find a 24-foot diameter underground waterwheel which had been installed half a mile underground in Level Fawr in 1860 (see plan). It was inaccessible due to a collapse in the level. We began by digging this collapse at the base of No. 2 Rise in Level Fawr, but a huge amount of fallen material caused us to change or mind and dig upwards instead. This way, we managed to reopen the choked No. 2 Rise which we then spent many weeks climbing and bolting using throughbolts and climbing ropes. It was a height of about 100 feet to Reese’s Level, which would potentially take us over the top of the collapse in Level Fawr and we would then be able to abseil on ropes back down
No. 3 Rise and reach the waterwheel chamber. After several weeks, we made it to the top of No. 2 Rise and into Reese’s Level. No modern explorers had ever been here before, and in one area we dubbed ‘the Alien Shrine’, were the best mineral formations I’ve ever seen in a cave or mine anywhere in Wales. We descended No. 3 Rise but found that unfortunately the waterwheel had been removed long ago, but its large pit remained. In 2020 we continued to bolt up through the old workings to reach Raw’s Level, named after James Raw of Cwmystwyth Mine (1820s) whose family still lives in that valley. Having now bolted and roped a height of 130 feet above Level Fawr, we were welcomed by some superb mineral formations and a rotten manway (miners’ ladder) continuing upwards to the next level. Best of all was in the level west, we gained access to the 1878 extension which was driven by the then-proprietor George Green (of Green’s Foundry, Aberystwyth). This led to the ‘1878 Discovery’ on the north wall of the lead vein, where a well-preserved wooden wheelbarrow (minus its wheel) lay on its side. There was also a superb and very rare wooden kibble (ore hoisting bucket) and the remains of gunpowder chargers
An 1870s wheelbarrow and homemade miner’s tobacco pipe. Page 14
and flasks, all covered and cemented to the floor in ochre and iron formations. We continued to bolt and rope our way up the old ladderways to access the higher and older parts of the mine, which date back to the 1690s. Here we found a superb and possibly unique artefact: a home-made mud bowl stuck on the end of a factorymade tobacco clay pipe stem. I have never seen another like this before, probably fixed by the miner underground. The mud bowl was still full of tobacco.
Mid nineteenth-century wooden kibble for hoisting ore in George Green’s workings. By late 2020 we had roped our way (through drilling and placing bolts and hangers on the rockface) to a height of 250 feet above Level Fawr, the level which we walked in on. At the very top we reached a fine length of early nineteenth-century level which contained a very heavy flatbottom-railed tramway. Its gauge was a very narrow 1’6”, and the heavy rails are unusual for a mine. Miners’ hobnail boot prints from 150 years ago (when this part
of the mine was last worked) covered the muddy floor in between the rails. By the time we had walked to the far end of this level, we were standing only 100 feet below the top of the mountain, almost directly under the kitchen of the former Miners’ Arms in Ystumtuen village (now a private house). It is locally believed that miners used to walk in through Level Fawr but secretly climb out this way to enjoy a morning at the pub before climbing back down again to exit the way they’d come in past the manager’s office.
Bolting up a vertical wall using ropes, through-bolts, hangers and a power drill. Note the huge pit props. We still have a lot of future exploration to do at Cwm Rheidol Mine, but our discoveries to date have enabled us to extend the frontier of knowledge of the miners, owners and equipment of this large but little-documented mid-Wales mine.
N.B. These mines are on Private property and entry is forbidden unless by prior arrangement. Mines in the Valley are very dangerous owing to the vertical shafts and the potential for them to be hidden within woodland. Exploration should only be undertaken by experienced persons!
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Photo: John R Jones
Picture
Photo: John R Jones
Photo: Gareth D Jones
Gallery
Photo: Gareth D Jones
Photo: John R Jones
Vale of Rheidol Volunteers in 2020 By Clive Higgs
fter a very happy VOR Christmas A dinner in 2019, the volunteers hibernated until the rain eased in mid-
January. (2020!) Then we sprang into action clearing fallen branches from the station platforms, clearing dropped litter from the car park and garden at Aberystwyth and lifting a wind-flattened conifer in the Devil’s Bridge garden. The conifer was still alive so we replanted it with a new pole. In 2019 we had forgotten to finish the new fence around Aberffrwd Wood, so we quickly stapled the top wire to the posts. Then added new steps down the bank to the wood’s railway gate and added hand-rails beside them. All finished there. Every autumn millions of oak leaves fall around Aberffrwd Station. We used a powerful leaf blower and sacks to remove the leaf carpet over the gardens, platforms and railway lines. (And over us by the afternoon!) The other stations are more windswept and have fewer trees so we only need to remove the leaves from Aberffrwd. During the February half-term week, we hitch-hiked on the steam train to clean the halts at Rheidol Falls and Rhiwfron, the two most spectacular stops. They are miles from any road and no-one volunteered to carry mops, bowls a step ladder and water up the steep paths to the halts. After that, we cleaned the other non-terminal station and halt buildings, both inside and out. The waiting room seats at Nantyronen and Aberffrwd needed particular attention. We started pseudo-creosoting the Devil’s Bridge and Nantyronen lattice fences. Gardening began in earnest in early March with tidying the gardens, troughs and tubs. And ended in earnest
in mid March. Philip’s article describes the 2020 gardening. All the plans for the Devil’s Bridge toilet painting, Aberffrwd Station and water tank painting and the fence “creosoting” were halted by COVID. Even before the compulsory restrictions, most volunteers were advised to stay at home for 3 months or more due to age or health conditions. After the first COVID wave, a few people, individually, continued the fence preserving. They finished treating the Nantyronen and Devil’s Bridge lattice fences, nearly finished the north platform fence at Capel Bangor Station and started the picket fence at Aberffrwd Station. Until the autumn rain and winter COVID restrictions stopped work. We’ve missed dangerous amounts of meeting up, working, tea-drinking, coffee-drinking, snack-eating and chatting this year. I think, hopefully, all volunteers are still well. “Peter the Painter” White moved away to Sussex. Our most particular and knowledgeable weeder, Harm de Boer, one of our first volunteers, has returned to his family in Barbados. Can we tempt him back next Spring with photos of flower beds desperate for attention? Poor Susie the sandwich bandit passed away quietly in December.
Our volunteers meet once a week, and through their efforts our stations always look at their best no matter what the weather. If you wish to join our amazing band of volunteers helping to maintain our stations then please get in touch via email: info@rheidolrailway.co.uk
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The Vale of Rheidol Landscape By Philip Ellis he rest of nature is of batch have been planted this course indifferent to Christmas at Nantyronen and COVID-19 and much of the Devil’s Bridge. plantings along the line had Shrubs also put on a good an exceptionally good year. show for the permanent way Two comparatively new plant team as did Clematis Montana introductions from Mexico at Devil’s Bridge and the with bright yellow flowers, mountain halts. We trust that Bidens and Sanvitalia have our passengers will also be been much admired. A few able to enjoy an even better have overwintered but they display this summer. are not frost hardy so we will Clive Higgs has done a great certainly buy some more this job over the years in bringing summer if necessary. on Geraniums and annuals. Daffodils, not surprisingly, This year we are trying to grow very well in Wales but overwinter the Geraniums tulip bulbs can be eaten by in a large shed with rolling mice, voles, badgers and jays stock so here he is planting and also don’t really like our Primulas at Devil’s Bridge for 1 climate very much so another the Spring.
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Photos: 1 - Lily Flowered Tulip in Aberystwyth, 2 - Ceanothus at Nantyronen, 3 - Sanvitalia at Nantyronen, 4 - Bidens at Devil’s Bridge, 5 - Clive Higgs at Devil’s Bridge. Page 21
Engines from our Collection Compiled by Gareth Jones
Photo Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick
De Winton 0-4-0VBT ‘Kathleen’ 106/1877 It is not the first time that the two engines featured in this edition have appeared side by side, as they were alongside each other on the ‘scrap’ line at Penrhyn and now both engines form part of the VoR Collection. Kathleen was built by De Wintons of Caernarvon in 1877. When the engine was delivered new to Penrhyn Quarry it carried the name Katie, there doesn’t appear to be a record of when the engine’s name was changed to Kathleen however. Kathleen is remarkable in having remained in service at the quarry until withdrawal in 1939, when most of the other De Winton engines were retired around 1902. The engine is listed as having been dismantled in 1939 with the above photograph having been taken by Barry Fitzpatrick during his visit in1962, and he has kindly allowed us to use his images of these two engines for this article. Page 22
Engines from our Collection Compiled by Gareth Jones
Photo Copyright Barry Fitzpatrick
Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST ‘Jubilee 1897’ 1382/1897 Jubilee 1897 was built in 1897 by Manning Wardle of Leeds and named in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrating her 60 year reign. The engine was built for Cilgwyn Quarry at Nantlle, to work alongside their existing engine, Lilla (Now based at the Ffestiniog Railway). In 1928 both engines were sold to the Penrhyn Quarry, where Jubilee initially worked in the port until being stored in 1930. 15 years later the engine was returned to steam and set to work within the quarry on Red Lion Level. Finally withdrawn in 1955 the engine was lined up behind Kathleen on the Penrhyn ‘Scrap Line’. In 1963 the engine moved to the Narrow Gauge Museum at Towyn, being cosmetically restored for display, but remaining in ownership of the Quarry. The engine remained on display there until it returned to Penrhyn Quarry with the intention of restoring the engine to working order keeping it as original as possible. Upon the collapse of the Penrhyn Quarry project the engine moved to the VoR for storage in 2018. When the opportunity arose the engine was purchased for the VoR Collection from its owner Welsh Slate. Page 23
War Department Light Railways
by Gareth D Jones he War Department Light Railways The solution came from the railways, (WDLR) ticks a lot of boxes for me, or more specifically lightly laid with two of my big interests being 600mm gauge railways, and these railway history and history of warfare, lines became the answer to the with WDLR nicely falling across both munitions crisis being experienced by categories. In my opinion the WDLR allied forces in late 1915 through early is also a great example of ingenuity 1916. overcoming adversity. The WDLR was established in Over the years there has been a 1916, initially operated as part of the lot of fantastic books written about Railway Operating Division, which the system by very knowledgeable was responsible for the standard authors, most of which have made gauge network, prior to the formation their way into my collection. of the Second Army Light Railways In 1914 & 1915, between the standard Division. gauge railhead and the front lines road The Division was comprised of transport was in use for the supply troops from the United Kingdom, lines, with both mechanical transport United States of America, Canada and horse drawn in use. However, as and Australia. Initially it was mainly the first world war progressed the road operated by British, Canadian and condition became worse and worse as Australian forces with US troops a result of the sustained artillery fire joining later in the conflict. becoming muddy, uneven and boggy The Canadians were generally in places. regarded as using the most ingenuity
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having built a small closed carriage for use by senior officials, and were the only ones to do so, even King George V travelled in an open wagon during his visit to the area behind the front lines. The Light Railway network grew rapidly between the end of 1916 and the end of 1917, expanding from around 96 miles to around 815 miles in that time period. Due to the constantly changing front line, rail lines were built and rebuilt, moved and reused, but by the latter years of the ongoing battle on the European front after light railways had been developed into a key support network. The allied forces were not the only ones to utilise a 600mm railway system to support their troops, the axis forces also developed a light railway network, however there were some differences between the approaches of each side. The allied system was much lighter, unskilled labourers and soldiers could quickly
assemble the prefabricated 5 metre (16ft 5inch) sections of track which weighed about 100kgs (220lb) a piece and were assembled in a similar manner to model railway track. The German systems were designed to be more permanent being well laid and of heavier construction. The life expectancy of the locomotives used on what was considered as the narrow gauge main line (between the depots and front line marshalling areas) was only 6-8 months. There were different engines in use within the narrow gauge yards, generally smaller steam engines, in the area of the trenches, petrol engined locomotives, with larger steam engines being utilised on the main line. The allied main line engines largely came from three manufacturers. From the UK the Hunslet company produced a side tank engine with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement, from the US the Baldwin company produced a 4-60 pannier tank engine, and the Alco
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company produced a 2-6-2 pannier tank locomotive which was similar in appearance to the Baldwin engine though with the previously mentioned variation on wheel arrangement inspired by the reports of the rough riding by the Baldwin engines when running backwards. The German main line engine was largely of the Brigadelok design an 0-8-0 tank engine. The WDLR system supported the allied forces in a multitude of ways, one of the primary uses was to keep the troops on the front line supplied with rations, munitions and other essentials. The railway also provided a transport network for troops moving to and from the front lines and provided an improved method for Page 26
extracting wounded for more prompt treatment saving lives in the process. To the north of the French town and important railway junction at Arras is found the Canadian National Vimy Memorial which honours the Canadian soldiers who gave their lives fighting in the First World War. It is on Vimy Ridge where the lookout point was of great strategic importance as it overlooked the roadways and terrain eastwards towards the German forces. Allied artillery was directed from there to disrupt German lines of supply and communication. The WDLR network that supported the troops on the ridge was of huge importance to ensure the artillery had enough ammunition to maintain its role. The site is a very moving place to visit with the very
striking memorial towering above the ridge-line, standing guard. It is highly recommended to visit if you have an interest in such things, especially the preserved trenches system a short distance from the memorial. Another area the railways came into their own was within the battlefield area that straddled the river Somme, the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. From this area the railway system transported many injured troops away from the front lines to relative safety of the field hospitals set up away from the front lines. After the First World War many of the locomotives used on the system were repatriated and sold on to other industrial users. Sadly only a handful of these engines survive today and fewer still are in operational condition. I consider myself fortunate to have seen an example of the Baldwin and Hunslet 4-6-0 locomotives during a visit to the Statfold Barn Railway,
which was a great day out with good company. One of the inspirations behind writing this article is that a Baldwin 4-6-0 locomotive is under restoration within our workshop at Aberystwyth. The engine, works No.44699, is owned by the Imperial War Museum who repatriated the engine from India in 1985 and has been placed in the custodianship of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR). The engine will be restored as, 590, a Baldwin which operated on the Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) from 1923 until it was cut up by the contractor that was hired to scrap the original WHR permanent way in 1942. I for one am rather looking forward to the day this engine once again takes to the rails under its own power, upon completion it will be the third of its type to steam in the UK, remarkable survivors when considered that they were only thought to have lasted between 6-8 months.
Survivng WDLR Baldwin and Hunslet engines seen at Statfold Barn Railway in 2018 - Photo: Gareth D Jones Page 27
The Camber Railway
by Gareth D Jones ar from the UK in the South from where I learned much about this Atlantic Ocean lies a group of little known railway, along with some islands that were thrust into the interesting photographs featuring, limelight in 1982. I am of course what was, the most southerly railway talking about the beautiful Falkland in the world. Islands where between 1915 and It was known as ‘The Camber 1927 there existed a 3.5 mile, 2ft (Admiralty) Railway, which narrow gauge railway. operated along the northern shore This railway first came to my of Stanley harbour in support of the attention when during a deployment Admiralty wireless station, aiding to the Falklands Islands in 2008 I the construction and then keeping came across some 2ft rails during their generators supplied with coal. an adventure training day where we The wireless station was equipped had been hiking in the hills, upon our with a Marconi radio transmitter built walk back to the town of Port Stanley to improve the communications after I spotted some rails and decided to the difficulties experienced during investigate and research as to why the naval battles in the South Atlantic they were there as I hadn’t realised and Pacific throughout the later part that a railway system had existed of 1914 during the First World War. there. The line’s name came from its Upon consulting thy almighty operation between the Camber Depot Google it brought up a great website and wireless station along the long
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headland of the north shore known as the Camber. The Railways motive power came from two engines shipped to the islands specifically for the railway, both were Kerr Stuart Wren class 0-4-0 locomotives, works numbers 2388/15 & 2392/15 and were ordered by the admiralty. Their design, as delivered, offered little protection to the loco crews, particularly in the brutal Falklands winters. It didn’t take the engine men long before they had modified the cabs with makeshift side panels fabricated from wood in an effort to reduce the effects of the wind. One of the engines received the legend ‘Falkland Islands Express’ painted on the side tank, a testament to the humour of those who worked on the railway.
The wagons used on the line were initially of two types and both can be seen in the image on the first page of this article, they comprised tipper wagons and flat wagons. The flat wagons received locally made bodies and these were later further modified with the addition of raised end panels and removable seats that could be fitted for the conveyance of workmen, this also led to the legends 1st class, 2nd class, 3rd class and smoker being applied to the wagon bodies, further attesting to the humour of those who worked on the line. A photo featuring the ‘named’ engine and makeshift carriages can be seen overleaf, this image was later used on an official Falkland Islands stamp, and revived on a special commemorative stamp set issued for 90th anniversary of the
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line’s opening in 2005. The railways industrial use came to an end during 1927, however, this was not the complete end of the railways use. The line was not only used for official purposes, it was also used for recreation by the islanders who built their own 4 wheeled wagons with a mast and a sail using the power of the wind to traverse the line. These home made sail powered wagons provided great variety in the ways in which they were made, with several differing arrangements for setting up their sails. The engines themselves were largely forgotten about and their remains were lying derelict at Navy Point around 1943, as can be seen in the photo below, though the saddle tanks had disappeared by that point, assumed to have been utilised elsewhere. After this date the line’s existence had been largely forgotten about, that was until 1982 when BBC TV Page 30
news broadcasted maps showing the route of the line on them, which raised the existence of the line within the enthusiast community. A few enthusiasts visited the islands after this and found the remains of the engines buried under a pile of scrap and several wagons laying around in the edge of the water along with the remains of a broad gauge steam crane believed to have been delivered around the same time as the two engines. The conflict had led to the lifting of a large part of the railway’s track, with several sections of rail finding new use as cattle grids, shed rafters and use within defensive positions constructed by the Argentinian soldiers, being utilised as roofing materials on bunkers fabricated along Wireless Ridge and elsewhere. The wireless station had for a time been used by the Marines as a barracks, with the Argentinian forces believing this still to be the case upon
their invasion they destroyed the buildings. In the late 2000s a team from the Royal Engineers recovered what remained of the two engines and placed them in a container to protect what remained. There was a plan derived for one of the two engines to be repatriated for restoration, whilst the other was to be cosmetically restored for preservation in the Falklands, sadly this proposal fell through. The engines to this day still remain within their protective container, hopefully one day they will see restoration even if it is just cosmetically, I certainly think it would make a great exhibit in the museum within Port Stanley which already features a fascinating array of artefacts. As for the line itself, traces can still
be seen today, where the rotting remains of some of the sleepers still remain and in a couple of places small sections of rail exist also. The trackbed can also be walked, though it is a little boggy in places. If ever you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the wonderful Falkland Islands in person I can highly recommend taking a walk to discover more of the history of this often forgotten about and little heard of line. If you’d like to learn more about the railways of the South Atlantic I can highly recommend visiting this website; http:// www.railwaysofthefarsouth. co.uk/11acamberrailway.html which also features several photographs of the extant track bed.
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Photo by John R Jones
www.rheidolrailway.co.uk Telephone us: 01970 625 819 - Park Avenue, Aberystwyth SY23 1PG
