no.37
Rheidol Review Newsletter
Celebrating 1989 - 2 0 1 9
YEARS
of Private Ownership
Photo by Jeremy DeSouza
Issue 3 - 2019
www.rheidolrailway.co.uk
Telephone us: 01970 625 819 - Park Avenue, Aberystwyth SY23 1PG Regular steam train services running throughout the year
Celebrating 1 989 - 2 0 1 9
YEARS
of Private Ownership
2019 Events
COME AND VISIT OUR NEW STATION IN ABERYSTWYTH
• DRIVER FOR A FIVER - Footplate Experience
27th to 30th May & 15th July - 29th August 2019 (YELLOW & GREEN TIMETABLE DAYS) Drive a real steam engine at Devil’s Bridge station
• RIDE AND DINE EVENING EXCURSIONS
29th May, 31st July and 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th, 17th, 21st & 24th August 2019 (GREEN TIMETABLE DAYS) Upgrade your ticket for a Fish and Chip supper at Devil’s Bridge station (see website for full menu)
• STEAM FESTIVAL WEEKEND - FORGOTTEN ENGINES
14th & 15th September 2019 Join us to celebrate 30 years of private ownership. 3 mystery engines, ‘hidden for decades’ will be on show plus see all 3 GWR Rheidol tanks in steam together for the first time in 20 years. (Special timetable for weekend see website for details)
• MONSTER BALL - 1st November 2019
Join us for an adult only event on the ghoulish steam train journey through the Rheidol Valley to the Hafod Hotel, Devil’s Bridge for spooky entertainment and buffet.
• HALLOWEEN GHOST TRAIN - 29th, 30th & 31st October 2019. Join us for a frightfully good trip up the Rheidol Valley! SUNDAY LUNCH SPECIALS •Park Avenue,
SY23 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th November 2019. 1PG Telephone End your weekend with an 819 extra special trip to Devil’s Bridge, : 01970 625 taking in the ever changing stunning scenery and stop at the Hafod info@rheidolrailway.co.uk Hotel for a sumptious roast before heading back.
Welcome
New platform is just the ticket!
A
fter an eggcelent easter period, complete with fantastic weather, we look forward to our first evening excursion of this year in the last week of May. Will you be joining us for a Fish & Chip Supper? The 27th May also sees Margaret our Quarry Hunslet begin our Driver for a Fiver experience. The new accessible platform, booking office and toilets have been greeted with many positive comments and we hope that the next phases of our development project will be met with just as many positive thoughts as we work towards developing phase 2, 3 & 4 of our museum project. What are your thoughts on our new platform and facilities? As well as improving our physical store, we have also recently been working on improving our online store too. This work has included listing our instore products to make them available on the internet and the ongoing task of improving of their
C O N T E N T S
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News
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Workshop Updates
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Volunteers
Page 11 Mines of the Rheidol Valley Page 14 An image from the Archive
descriptions, which is a longer process. Our overhauled online store can be found at: https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/ We are always on the lookout for new local products to offer to our visitors from all over the world. Some of the recent new additions on offer in our shop include artwork by the magnificent Ag Cain & the fantastic Anita Woods, who are both highly regarded local artists. Come and check out their work for yourselves when you are next in the area.
Gareth D Jones Editor
STEAM FESTIVAL WEEKEND 14th & 15th September 2019 Celebrating 30 years of Private Ownership
Page 15 Picture Gallery Page 17 Photo Charter Gallery Page 19 Photo Charters - Inside Story Page 21 Why Third Class Page 23 Railway Reviews Page 24 Our Staff Page 25 Shop Products Page 27 Garden Railway Products Page 29 Timetable
Visit
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FORGOTTEN ENGINES
See all 3 mystery engines, 3 GWR Rheidol ‘hidden for tanks in steam plus decades’ together for the loads will be on first time in more... show 20 years Special weekend timetable will be operating see website for details www.rheidolrailway.co.uk
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Vale of Rheidol Railway News
I
oan Lord, a fireman and guard at the railway and professional caver has come to the rescue of 2 four legged friends! In March Ioan was called out by a friend to rescue two farm dogs who had fallen down a deep shaft near Talybont. On arriving at the scene with his friend Hugh Ratzer they found that one dog had fallen down a short way to a ledge, whilst the other had gone much further and out of sight. Ioan abseiled on a rope down to the ledge, while his friend passed a bag down on a rope where he managed to put the first dog into it to be hoisted up safely.
Pictured from left to right: Ioan Lord, Hugh Ratzer and the rescued dogs
The real problem was the second dog, as the shaft down which it had fallen was barely 2 feet square. As he abseiled down it, Ioan could see that the entire shaft was packwalled, resting on weak timbers underneath. Emerging from the bottom of the tiny hole, he saw the second dog standing quite unharmed in a level about 20 feet below him. After some communication problems up the deep shaft, the bag was lowered down again through the narrow hole and he managed to get the second dog to sit inside. It took half an hour to raise him since the bag kept getting stuck between the narrow packwalls. Ioan climbed back up the rope underneath the heavy bag to help it on its way, and eventually his friend and the owners of the dogs at the top managed to pull it to safety. Altogether a very rewarding experience, and both dogs were practically unhurt. Page 3
Vale of Rheidol Railway News
J
eff Cargill, is one of our seasonal booking clerks at the railway. He previously worked as an archives conservator and instructor in the repair and conservation of historic wax seals for the Archives and Records Association Archives Conservation Training Scheme (ACTS). For his professionalism he has been nominated for an All Party Parliamentary Group for Archives and History Lifetime Achievement Award. Jeff is the first conservator to be nominated for this award.
During his career he delivered talks and seminars on conservation techniques and issues during many conferences and for courses. Jeff was a visiting lecturer at the University of the Arts, London, teaching both BA and MA students. He was a member of the conservation profession for over 38 years. He worked at National Library of Wales, and at the Cheshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire archives respectively, taking voluntary retirement in 2017. Page 4
WORKSHOP Baldwin No.44699
W
ork has been continuing on the overhaul of the chassis for the Baldwin as steps are taken towards making it a rolling chassis. Included in steps toward this work has been the machining of the axles and preparing the six driving wheels for mounting on them. New wheels for the front bogie have also been machined and mounted onto newly fabricated axles. Further work has included the hot rivetting of the main tank sections. Once they have
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been sealed internally the ends will be rivetted and the tanks prepared for mounting at the appropriate time.
UPDATE Garratt No.60
T
he boiler of the NGG13 is currently awaiting hydraulic testing with work soon to begin to overhaul the two power units.
Carriage Project
A
large amount of work has been undertaken towards the rebuild of our first class carriage No.11. This has included the manufacture of several moulds for shaping the newly made bespoke roof panels and the creation of several mock up parts to provide templates from which to work.
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To visit the 300ft Waterfalls, Punchbowl and 3 Bridges built one on top of the other, turn left from the train station and walk down the hill past the Hafod hotel (approx 5 minutes). The Nature Trail circular walk includes views of the waterfalls, 3 Bridges, Robbers Cave and Jacobs Ladder (A steep flight of 100 continuous steps). It takes roughly 45 minutes and is a challenging walk with 675 steep steps. It is not suitable for pushchairs and those with walking difficulties. Adult £3.75 Child £2.00 20% discount on Nature trail walk by showing this advert to the attendant.
Not enough time for the long walk? Too many steps? To view just the 3 Bridges and the Devil’s Punchbowl enter through the coin operated turnstile. Only £1.00 per person Recommended time 10 minutes.
CARAVAN PARK 01970 890233
Looking for somewhere to stay near the train station at Devil’s Bridge? Call our friendly staff and enquire about our 2 bedroom self catering bungalow or Gypsy Pod. Alternatively pitch a tent or bring your touring van or motor home. We are situated just 10 minutes walk from the train station and 5 minutes walk from the waterfalls and Hafod Hotel & Brasserie. enquiries@woodlandsdevilsbridge.co.uk
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www.woodlandsdevilsbridge.co.uk
Platform Posters By Debbie Morgan, Marketing Manager
T
he roaring twenties were a time of great prosperity, as the economy boomed after World War I. The nation was intent on having fun and a jazz obsession swept the nation. Advertising at the time reflected the wealth of the nation, and a naivety and optimism that science was on the precipice of a golden age. The 1920s were a strange time, full of wacky fads and too much trust in unproven science. Advertisers were beginning to figure out what worked and what didn’t, and their enthusiastic ad copy would attempt to sway even the most incredulous purchasers. The art deco style was seen as elegant and refined… the peak of modernity. Ads from this time period are actively sought by collectors because of their distinctive look. This year we have invited local businesses to advertise on our platform in the style of 1920s’ adverts. These posters will be A1 size on aluminium boards so they will be hard wearing and weather proof. Historically the stations were a key area to advertise and we look forward to seeing our stations in full use. Below are some of the adverts that we have designed in readiness for our platforms. If you are a business that would benefit from over 60,000 visitors seeing your poster, then please get in contact with Debbie on 01970 625819 or debbie@rheidolrailway.co.uk for further information.
A ROOM with a VIEW
Gwesty’r Marine Hotel
Promenade, Aberystwyth
Freshly cooked Carvery every Sunday from 12.30pm to 2pm
To book call
01970 612444
www.gwestymarinehotel.co.uk
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Vale of Rheidol Volunteers
T
By Clive Higgs, Railway Volunteer
he volunteers have been busy sprucing up the gardens and station areas ready for Easter at Aberystwyth, Capel Bangor, Nantyronen Halt, Aberffrwd, Rheidol Falls Halt and Devil’s Bridge. At Aberystwyth the car park and platform gardens were meticulously weeded and trimmed and wallflowers were planted to give some colour to the three tubs before the geraniums are planted. A week later, five volunteers turned up in the rain to empty three large bags of woodchips over the car park gardens. Everyone enjoyed this and testing the new platform shelter as coffee drinkers. A complete successs. Capel Bangor platforms were tidy apart from weeds and dead daffodil flowers in the troughs and tubs. After removing these and sweeping the waiting room floor, there was enough time to trim and weed the two garden patches. Some new red primulas were added to brighten up a tub that had no plants after the trimming. The Nantyronen Halt platform and waiting room were tidied before all the daffodil flowers were dead-headed and the garden and troughs were weeded and trimmed. The tulips in the troughs were spectacular. Nantyronen was similar to Capel Bangor in having very few dead leaves on the platform. We suspected freak winds had blown them along the line to Aberffrwd Station. Here, three leaf-blowers were used to clear all the leaves from the waiting room, garden,
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platforms and both tracks between. The platforms seemed very long and fifteen large bags of leaves were collected and pulled to a large pile at the foot of the bank to the west. So far, the freak wind hasn’t blown the leaves back up to the station but the pile is nervously inspected at each visit. After the leaves were cleared from the platforms, we saw that carpets of moss needed removing. People at the railway were really helpful suggesting the best moss-killers that wouldn’t kill the nearby plants Someone even suggested spraying diesel over the platforms but eventually a commercial moss-killing spray was tried. It needed dry weather and a temperature of at least 15˚C to be effective so we waited until Easter week for this.
The pebbles of the ABERFFRWD notice on the bank opposite the station have been restored after some winter slippage and repainted. Beside the usual weeding, deadheading and trimming at Aberffrwd, new berberis plants were added to the back of the garden, together with carefully trimmed 2018 osteospermum and geranium plants that had overwintered in a greenhouse. Watered every few days, these plants have survived the warm, dry Easter weather. With all the spring tidying and planting, progress has slowed with fencing the wood under Aberffrwd station. We were given two unwanted metal gateposts so we pulled them up and used them to build the gateway to the wood. We added a wooden straining post to re-attach the fence to it. It is steep below the gate and a ramp is being built to the gateway. There was some weeding of the brambles in the bank opposite Rheidol Falls Halt. There was more weeding at Devil’s Bridge and some new flowers were planted at the gateway. 360 geranium plugs arrived in March
and these were potted up and put into a greenhouse. All grew well to start with, but the growth slowed when the frosty nights caused condensation and dampness in the heated greenhouse. With the Easter warm weather, growing has now speeded up. Hopefully the plants will be large and budding enough for planting by late May. It’s a hectic time but very enjoyable in the beautiful valley.
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 Page 10
Photo of train passing Nantglas Mine, with location of Foxpath Adit shown at X.
An underground “through route” into Cwm Rheidol
A
By Ioan Lord
bout 50 feet above the VoR Rheidol Falls Halt is a long level called Foxpath Mine, which extends over a quarter of a mile into the mountain.
This level was opened to exploit the lead and zinc lodes west of the main Rheidol United Mines at Nantglas, Gwaithcoch and Erwtomau (all beside the railway). Whilst preparing my book Rich Mountains of Lead, an important feature of the Foxpath Adit was discovered in that it passed directly underneath the A4120 road at the top of the mountain, and eventually holed through into the huge workings of Pantmawr or Silver Mountain Mine, which is situated where the lane to Aberffrwd leaves the A4120 near the ridge. Over the past few weeks, my friends and I have been restoring a half-mile-long “throughtrip” which involves paddling into the flooded Pantmawr Mine on an inflatable raft, before abseiling over 100 feet vertically through the huge chambers (“stopes”) in order to reach the end of the Foxpath Adit and emerge on the slopes of Cwm Rheidol above the railway. In 2017, we dug through two heavy collapses Page 11
in Foxpath Mine, and restored a route which had not been trodden since 1874 to reach the far end of the adit, 300 feet directly underneath the Aberffrwd turning on the A4120. In April 2019, we started to work our way down from above, by boating along the flooded Taylor’s Adit into Pantmawr, which starts from Cwmdauddwr below the Aberffrwd lane. Once at the lode, we could see where vast amounts of ore had been extracted, leaving chasm-like “stopes” where the entire width of the lode (some 10 feet) had been stripped almost vertically for hundreds of feet. We inserted rock bolts and abseiled on ropes down the workings, eventually landing on a ledge beside the remains of a wooden wheelbarrow and a collection of gunpowder tampers. Nobody had stood here since the late 1860s, when this part of the mine was abandoned prior to Foxpath Adit breaking through a decade later. Us being the first explorers was proved by the absence of previous bolts or any other way of getting down here. Peering down the next stope, we saw that it was a vertical shaft with the water level visible part-way down. This was evidently the Imperial
Shaft, into which Foxpath Adit holed through in 1874 and afforded drainage to a certain depth. We knew that in order to find Foxpath we had to follow the water drainage, so one of our group abseiled down the Imperial Shaft and landed on an old timber frame which had been installed across the shaft over 140 years ago. Without this timber frame, we would not have been able to edge our way across the 100-footdeep water and clamber into a wide open level at the far side. The fact that the submerged planks rolled from side to side as we edged across them, us still tied to the rope dangling from above, did little to help. Once in the wide open level, we started to follow it westwards towards Cwm Rheidol. Sections of ventilation pipes leaned against the wall, suggesting that this was the end of a very long level which initially had no air circulation. Almost certain that we’d made it to Foxpath, we passed through two large
stopes with old wooden ladders still in place, before squeezing through a “funnel” of collapse material into familiar territory - we were in the Foxpath Adit. We made our way a quarter of a mile along the adit before being greeted around a corner by the dull gleam of evening light at the far end of the passage - we were through. 10 minutes later we emerged onto the twilit slopes of Cwm Rheidol high above Rheidol Falls. We had completed the through trip from Pantmawr to Foxpath Mines, descending half way down the mountain underground, for the Another Iron wagon first time in recorded history. Bothinmines found No. 8 were Adit abandoned immediately after holing through, therefore there would have been no need for any miners to go from one to the other, and the modern explorer’s route was blocked by collapses until cleared by us in 2017, with no bolts or other means of descending until April 2019. This achievement has proved the exact location of the underground connection, and will help me greatly in my mapping and surveying of the underground systems in Cwm Rheidol for future publications.
Ioan has recorded some of his underground Miner’s shovel and explorations on a helmet mounted camera. ammonal tin See some of the footage here: https://youtu.be/rAtfvqG_CpQ
‘Rich Mountains of Lead’ The Metal Mining Industry of Cwm Rheidol and Ystumtuen by Ioan Lord Available for purchase in our shop or online £45 https://shop. rheidolrailway.co.uk/ products/richmountains-of-leadioan-lord 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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Vale of Rheidol Photo Archive By Rob Bance,VoR Archivist
A
An Aberystwyth Departure
view which we unfortunately can no longer see. As a passenger train leaves Aberystwyth along the original route of the line beside the edge of the river
wall. Taken during 1961, the above view is from the Manchester & Milford railway over bridge and embankment, with the football ground to the right. The passenger train is headed by locomotive No.7 Owain Glyndwr. Note the original locomotive shed along with harbour sidings in the background.
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Photo: Jeremy DeSouza
Picture
Photo: John Barrance
Photo: Peter Rosier
Gallery
Photo: Richard Jones
Photo: Richard PageJones 18
Photo Charters - A Behind The Scenes Look By Will Smith
D
id you know that as well as the regular timetabled services, it is possible to charter your own private train or hire the railway for a full day? Photographic specials have been a regular fixture in the railway calendar for many years with various events promoted by either David Williams of Timeline Events or Martin Creese of 30742 Charters. These typically take place during March or November and offer photographers unrivalled access to capture scenes of the railway that would not be possible on a normal day. Previous events have drawn photographers from all corners of the UK and overseas. Often, these trains utilise some of
the railway’s heritage wagon fleet which gives the opportunity to see “mixed trains” or goods trains, prototypical of the railway’s early days. Pride of the fleet is the newly restored cattle wagon No 38089, resplendent in Great Western lettering, often joined by some of the 4 wheeled wagons, some of which originated on the short lived Plynlymon & Hafan Tramway, and have been resident on the VoR for over a hundred years. Usually these events have an early start in order to maximise the early morning light glinting off the polished locomotives and stock. After a quick safety brief, we board
the train and head off up the valley. The train will stop in a number of locations along the route that are inaccessible to the general public. The railway staff know the line inside out and are able to point out all the best locations. Once photographers are in position, the crew set the train back out of site and are able to stage a number of “run pasts� giving everyone the chance to capture the shot from a variety of angles. Some of the stops are particularly important such as our first arrival at Capel Bangor, as this is our first stop for a brew of the day. Whilst we cannot guarantee the sunshine, we always have a great day out!
A fantastic photo full of character by David Fowler If you want to enquire about booking your own charter or joining an existing one then get in touch via marketing@rheidolrailway.co.uk
Why Third Class?
W
By Geraint Roberts
e are occasionally asked for second class seats on our trains. It is something that the Vale of Rheidol railway has never offered and indeed, second class was not always available on the railway network. Until 1956, the network provided first and third only; What happened to second class before then? And what happened to third class? Railways were originally established as fast and economic ways of moving freight, but as early as the time of the Liverpool & Manchester railway in the 1830s, there became a demand for passenger traffic. The original first class carriages were adapted
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from the stagecoaches they had superceded. Partly to attract the less wealthy and partly to keep people in their place in a rigid classbased society, some railways began to offer a lesser quality carriage which was labelled as ‘second class’. As there appeared to be a demand for the working population to be able to travel (for example to the big towns to market their wares), railways introduced a third class carriage. The comfort was variable and basic. It ranged from wooden boards to no seats at all, not all these wagons were covered! From 1844, Parliament passed the Railway
Regulation Act. This set a basic standard for comfort, that as a minimum, each railway line had to run one train a day with a third class covered coach with seats. The train had to stop at every station and average at least 12mph. The price could not be higher than a penny a mile. Also a passenger could carry up to 56 pounds of luggage free. The sweetener for the railways was that there was no duty to pay on third class tickets. Many railway companies responded by rebranding their second class carriages as third class. The Midland railway in particular, led the way with purpose built carriages. Braving the criticism that it would lead to the destruction of the class structure, Sir James Allport abolished second class in 1875 for the Midland. Slowly, other railways followed suit, the Great Western being the last in 1910. From this point on, the railways offered
Pictured above: Interior of a British Railways Mk 1 Second Class open carriage
Pictured above: Interior of a British Railways Mk 1 First Class open carriage only first and third class. This quirky (and some would say, very British‌) structure, continued until the 3rd June 1956, when British Rail chose to rebrand their third class stock as second class, a situation that most of us have only ever experienced. Our own carriages were never rebranded to second and we have kept that tradition moving forward to today. Perhaps the Oswestry division under Oliver Veltom wanted to retain some element of old style charm for their vintage train service. Knowing the Western Region, there was always the desire to be different, as the network seemed to be standardising to Midland region lines and colours.
Liverpool - Manchester railway 1830. These 150th anniversary set of 5 stamps depict what train travel was like in the early 19th century
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About our staffAbout Our Staff Jack Evans
Fireman & Guard
J
ack joined our line in March 2015. He is currently studying towards a degree in engineering at the University of Liverpool. As well as working as part of our team, he also volunteers with the Corris and Talyllyn Railways. It’s fair to say that he has been bitten by the steam railway bug.
Josh Mayhew
Apprentice & Fireman
J
osh started an apprenticeship with us in August 2016. As well as spending time in our workshop, he can be spotted on the footplate as a fireman. When away from work Josh enjoys spending time on two wheels, being accomplished in both motocross and mountain biking. He competed in the British Motocross Championships in 2018 and qualified to the final round. Josh also loves spending time in his VW Caddy
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BRANCH LINES TO CHARD
by Ian Harrison
Chard in Somerset has a history of manufacturing, and a claim to be the birthplace of powered flight. In the nineteenth century it hoped to be placed on key transport routes – firstly a canal linking the English and Bristol Channels, and then the main railway routes to the South West.These visions floundered – instead there was a local canal, while the main railway routes bypassed the town. So in Victorian times, with the canal failing, local businesses and landowners took the initiative and promoted branch lines from Chard, to join the South Western main line at Chard Road (later Chard Junction) some three miles south of the town, and northwards to Taunton. There were three stations bearing the name Chard, remarkable for a town of its size. This book closely examines the nineteenth century efforts to bring communications to Chard and Ilminster, drawing on records of the companies and their promoters, and provides a detailed look at each of the stations along the route. It uses archive material to explain how the branch lines to Chard were operated, and is enlivened by recollections from railway staff. It is extensively illustrated by photographs spanning the whole period of the railway’s existence, together with plans and historic documents. Several of the line’s buildings survive today and this volume includes specially prepared drawings of these attractive structures.
£35.00
https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/products/chard-branch-lines-to-lightmoor-press
FERRIES AND PLEASURE STEAMERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES
by Richard Danielson
This book takes a nostalgic look at many of the favourite ferries and pleasure steamers which have plied the rivers, lakes and seas all around Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Wales, the Irish Republic, the Scillies, the Channel Islands, and England. It comprises around 260 photographs taken over the last eighty years, most never previously published, accompanied by detailed and informative captions. This round Britain trip ends with ‘Cruising BR Style’, showing views of railway-owned ferries in distant cruise ports and in the far north, well above the Arctic Circle, where in years gone by British Railways used to operate popular trips. There are biographies of those photographers who have now passed away, and a complete index. Author Richard Danielson, a well-published maritime writer and historian, has selected some of the best and most interesting images from his collection, which includes slides and negatives taken by some of the leading maritime photographers of the age. From the largest ferries of the era to some of the smallest trip boats, all much-loved and fondly remembered, this book will help to keep alive those happy memories of local trips and excursions to sea, reminding us of those photographers who ventured out in all weathers to leave us with this splendid pictorial legacy.
£25.00
https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/products/ferries-pleasure-steamers-of-the-british-isles
Call in or phone our shop on 01970 625819 Page 25
SIMPLEX LOCOMOTIVES AT WORK
by Alan M Keef
The locomotives built by Motor Rail Ltd and its successors over a period of some seventy years were sold across the world and many of them are in regular use to this day. The design was based around the development of an equal speed forward and reverse gearbox for the petrol tramcars on the East India Tramways in Karachi in 1910, of which John Dixon Abbott was Chief Engineer. It was not until 1916 that the first locomotives were built for use behind the trenches of the First World War and to which some 1,200 were eventually supplied. This book demonstrates all this in pictures, many of which have not been seen before, with captions detailing their history and where they are operating at the time. The brand name of Simplex became synonymous with a design which was very much mass produced before that concept became the norm but the product has stood the test of time with many putting in fifty years of service before changed circumstances and other methods of materials handling overtook them.
£15.00
https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/products/simplex-locomotives-at-work-industrial-alan-keef
A HISTORY OF THE FULLER’S EARTH MINING INDUSTRY AROUND BATH
by Neil Macmillen with Mike Chapman
There is evidence of fuller’s earth mining in the Bath area from Roman times and the industry only finally ceased in 1980. Indeed, this detailed and well illustrated history of the Bath fuller’s earth workings is based on papers which were discovered literally ‘blowing in the wind’ a few years ago, having escaped from the derelict works on Combe Down. Although this was the final place where fuller’s earth was processed in the Bath area, at one time there were also mines and works at South Stoke, in Horsecombe Vale, at Tucking Mill, at Combe Hay and around Wellow. The Somersetshire Coal Canal and the Somerset & Dorset, GW and Midland railways all featured on the transport side, whilst the fuller’s earth was won by traditional mining methods. Steam and diesel engines and even a windmill at one stage provided power for the processing works. This was a multi-faceted industry, carried out largely unnoticed for nearly 200 years in the picturesque countryside to the south of the city of Bath. Few people have ever realised the importance of this obscure corner of the mining industry, or the manifold uses to which fuller’s earth can be put, so this new account fills an important gap in the literature of British mining. Fuller’s earth is no longer mined and processed anywhere in Great Britain, so this history of the Bath fuller’s earth mines and works is timely, documenting as it does another lost industry. There is still a demand for ‘this useful earth’ but now it is largely Bentonite from the USA.
£15.00
https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/products/fullers-earth-mining-industry-around-bath-a-history
Vsit our online shop - https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/ Page 26
Garden Railway Shop IP ENGINEERING KITS 16 mm Scale Fendyke Loco Range This range of kits are manufactured using cnc machines to cut out precisely plastic sheet so It is easy to glue. All chassis and motor parts are supplied including steel wheels and brass bearings and they are scale models of the range of Alan Keef Ltd that are in use today on jobs like the channel tunnel and typical quarry and tunnel work K40 AND K80 CABBED £50 EACH UNCABBED £45 EACH
Vintage Mary Loco Kit - 32 mm Gauge or 45 mm Gauge available
Dimensions Length 160 mm Height 110 mm Width 80 mm
The kit is complete. It is made from CNC machined sheet and 3D printed chassis. The 280 motor is powered by two AAA batteries and uses a heavy duty gear set. There is a forward and reverse switch on the cast metal dashboard. Also there are cast metal radiator, axleboxes and multi height couplings. When built the kit makes a nice addition to any garden railway.
Kit Priced £75 each
Visit our online shop: https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/collections/garden-railway Page 27
Garden Railway Shop NORTH INGS COACHES AND WAGONS This range of rolling stock was inspired by the North Ings Farm Museum it has a 2ft gauge railway that was first installed in 1971. It was built to serve the chicken farm, handling feed, eggs and waste from the cleaning of the sheds. Although the poultry business closed in 1981, the original locomotive and wagons are still used around the farm, and have been joined by six other industrial diesel locomotives, and a steam tram engine. The line has been extended over the years and now forms a circuit of just over 1/4 mile.
Only £25 each
We are giving you a fantastic opportunity to
Accucraft 7/8ths Bagnall Live Steam Engine Worth £1250
WIN
£2 ket ic
per t
3 for
£5
Full details of draw on website
Purchase tickets online www.rheidolrailway.co.uk or call 01970 625819
Buy your raffle tickets here: https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/collections/raffle-ticket
Page 28
2019 Timetable 1. Pick your day of travel from the calendar. 2. Match the colour to the relevant timetable below. Please note there are no services on white days.
MARCH 2019 M T W T F S 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30
S 3 10 17 24 31
JUNE 2019 M T W T F S 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29
S 2 9 16 23 30
M 1 8 15 22 29
APRIL 2019 T W T F S 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 26 27 30
S 7 14 21 28
MAY 2019 M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31
S 5 12 19 26
M 1 8 15 22 29
T 2 9 16 23 30
JULY 2019 W T F S 3 4 5 6 10 11 12 13 17 18 19 20 24 25 26 27 31
S 7 14 21 28
AUGUST 2019 M T W T F S 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31
S 4 11 18 25
OCTOBER 2019 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Page 17
FEBRUARY 2019 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
NOVEMBER 2019 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Aberystwyth Capel Bangor Aberffrwd Devil’s Bridge Devil’s Bridge Aberffrwd Capel Bangor Aberystwyth
dep: dep: dep: arr: dep: dep: dep: arr:
ORANGE 10:30 2:00 10:50 2:20 11:10 2:40 11:30 3:00 12:30 4:15 12:50 4:35 1:10 4:55 1:30 5:15
Aberystwyth Capel Bangor Aberffrwd Devil’s Bridge Devil’s Bridge Aberffrwd Capel Bangor Aberystwyth
dep: dep: dep: arr: dep: dep: dep: arr:
10:30 10:50 11:10 11:30 12:30 12:50 1:10 1:30
12:10 12:30 12:50 1:15 2:15 2:35 2:55 3:15
10:30 10:50 11:10 11:30 12:30 12:50 1:10 1:30 GREEN 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00 4:00 4:20 4:40 5:00
SEPTEMBER 2019 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Why not Upgrade to the First Class Saloon?
for seating that yields extra comfort and observation windows.
YELLOW 12:10 2:00 12:30 2:20 12:50 2:40 1:15 3:00 2:15 4:00 2:35 4:20 2:55 4:40 3:15 5:00 3:45 4:05 4:25 4:45 5:45 6:05 6:25 6:45
6:00 6:20 6:40 7:00 8:00 8:20 8:40 9:00
3:45 4:05 4:25 4:45 5:45 6:05 6:25 6:45 GOLD 11:00 11:20 11:40 12:00 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00
Romance of a Steam Train to your Special Day.. Add the
Aberystwyth’s most unique wedding reception venue
With a variety of opportunities and locations, the possibilities are endless. From using the Steam train to get from the ceremony to the reception venue, or even holding your reception at one of our charming stations. The Railway is completely flexible to make your dream day come true.
Contact us on 01970 625 819
marketing@rheidolrailway.co.uk www.rheidolrailway.co.uk Park Avenue, Aberystwyth SY23 1PG
Photo by Jack Evans
www.rheidolrailway.co.uk
Telephone us: 01970 625 819 - Park Avenue, Aberystwyth SY23 1PG Regular steam train services running throughout the year
