Aberdare Tunnel - Fictional Story

----------------------ABERDARE TUNNEL---------------------


Aberdare Tunnel at two and a half miles in length, is a long, narrow, single track bore with a S bend in the middle, preventing daylight from penetrating its length.

The tunnel sits on a 1 in 63 gradient in the direction of the Merthyr coal field, loaded coal trains (or black gold as the Welsh coal barons referred to it as) would have to firstly climb through Aberdare tunnel to gain access to Merthyr freight sidings to run the locomotive round the train, before heading back down grade towards the docks at Cardiff or Barry, again transiting the tunnel on the downgrade.

The usual practice is to provide a banking locomotive to assist long heavy coal trains up the grade to Merthyr, as the S bend in the wet, damp and dark tunnel could quite quickly get the better of even an experienced crew, bringing the train to a stall midway through. The result of a stall in the tunnel could quickly cost the lives of those trapped in the Carbon monoxide filled depths of the Welsh hillside.

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"This doesn't look to good" said Dyfed Jenkins the locomotive driver of the 10:30pm loaded coal to Cardiff docks, as he slowed his Great Western 28XX heavy freight locomotive to a stop at Llandaff Junction.

"What you on about Jenks" shouted Dai Jones, Dyfed Jenkins young firman from across the other side of the cab of the big freight loco.

"The pegs on boy, that's what, we'll never get a good run at the bank now" Dyfed replied in a barely legible South Wales accent, an accent only a fellow countryman could make head nor tail of.

"We'll be alright Jenks, I'll build the fire up whilst we're waiting then you can open her up for the climb.....we'll be in the cabin for a tea by midnight" Dai reassured his driver.

As the locomotive came to a stand at the home signal protecting Llandaff Junction, the bobby (railway signalman) emerged from warm glow that lite up the signalbox. The signalman walked down the steps from his box and towards the locomotive.

"Sorry driver I've stopped you" said the signalman "you've got no banker tonight.....the loco failed at Pant shed"

"Bloody hell" splutter Dyfed "you realise I've got 600 ton on here don't you! how the hell am I meant to climb the bank with no bloody banker?"

"What's this Jenks?" asked Dai

"No banker tonight, that's what" " I hope that fire is good, we've got to do the bank alone" explained Dyfed in a concerned, hushed tone. "you better walk back and tell the guard not to expect a banker, and tell him what's what will you"

"Right oh" Dai replied, as he climbed down from the footplate and started walking back towards the brake van.

"I'll pull the peg off, and you can have a clear run to Merthyr driver" said the signalman as he walked away from the locomotive back to the warm glow of his box.

It was a bitterly cold night, the moon was hidden by low cloud and a mist was starting to build up along the cutting leading to Aberdare Tunnel. A frost was rapidly forming the damp railhead as fireman Jones returned to the footplate.

"Have you told the guard what's happening Dai?" Asked Dyfed.

"Yes, he's not best pleased, he's hoping for an early finish, no chance now. Lazy git" replied Dai.

Dai wound off the hand brake, whilst Dyfed opened the regulator, the heavy freight locomotive replied with a hiss of steam and a slight slip of the driving wheels as the loco found its feet on the frosty railhead.

As the train passed the signalbox Dyfed blow the whistle, more in anger at being stopped, than the customary hello peep that is usually exchanged, either way the bobby didn't sense Dyfed's displeasure and waved as the train slowly steamed away towards the climb towards Aberdare tunnel.

Click

Arthur the Llandaff Junction signalman pressed his block instrument to summons the attention of Merthyr Vale signal box.

Merthyr Vale signal box was situated three miles from Llandaff Junction the other side of
Aberdare tunnel.

Ding

The Merthyr Vale bobby replied to Llandaff box's attention bell.

Click Click Click

Llandaff signalman sending loaded coal train into Methyr Vale section.

Ding Ding Ding

Merthyr Vale signalman accepting loaded coal train into section.

1104pm loaded coal train accepted by Merthyr Vale - train out of section. Wrote Arthur in the signalbox train register.

A train register was kept in all signal boxes to record train movements through each signal boxes area, and the time the trains entered and exited each section.

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Meanwhile, the heavy freight locomotive 3822 of which Dyfed and Dai had charge was making slow but steady progress towards Aberdare tunnel. The air was getting colder and colder, even with the roaring fire from the firebox seeping into the open cab of the heavy freight loco. The mist now was really low, hugging the cutting sides the outer home signal for Llandaff signal box was off as the signalman has said.

"Pegs off" shouted Dai across the cab to Dyfed.

"Right oh, I'll open her up see if she can keep her feet' replied Dyfed with some trepidation in his voice.

Dyfed eased open the regulator, and 3822 responded with a determined blast from its chimney, after a slight slip on the wet rails leading up to the month of Aberdare tunnel the loco found its grip on the rails and slowly moved towards the gaping black mouth of the two and half mile tunnel.

"Give it plenty of sand Dai" Dyfed shouted across the cab, as they plunged into the confined single bore.

Dai opened the fire hole door to provide some much need light in the pitch black cab.

"You've got plenty of steam Jenks, she looks alright so far" Dai shouted.

"Let's just pray she keeps her feet, round the bends" Dyfed replied, more to reassure himself than to respond to this fireman.

Meanwhile at the rear of the train, the brake van had just entered the tunnel. The train was down to around 15 mph and getting slower as the locomotive dug into the stiffening upward grade towards the S bends midway through.

The Guard, a Mr Ewen Jones was based at Newport Ebbw Junction yard, he'd been allocated to work from Barry Yard this evening as cover for the booked Guard who had booked sick. Mr Jones was a very experienced hand, with over 30 years working freight trains up and down the Welsh valleys.

The brake can in which Mr Jones was in charge of was the complete oppersite to the conditions outside in the tunnel, the wood burning stove in the centre of the van was emitting a warm glow, if it wasn't for the loud barking of the locomotive up front Mr Jones could have easily forgotten he was at work, and drifted soundly to sleep.

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The Guard of freight trains, especially unfitted ones was in charge of keeping the couplings tight going up hill which didn't present much of a challenge as the upward grade did this for him, and then to ensure there was no stanching as the train crested the top of the incline and then started to make its way downhill. To do this the guard would wind his brake in the van tight to keep the coupling on rear portion of the train tight. If he allowed the coupling to stanch there was the risk of a shackle snapping and the rear of the train breaking away down grade.
As trains travelling towards Merthyr were climbing all the way the Guard could sit back, read the newspaper or even slip into a light sleep, without the risk of a break away.

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"Entered Aberdare Tunnel upgrade at 1119pm, speed slow due to no banker" read Mr Jones Guards logbook.

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The entrance and exit to the S bend in Aberdare tunnel was marked by a white painted ring on the tunnel wall, this was to indicate to train crews the impending difficult section of the tunnel and the increased grade in the climb through the tunnel, there were also two blue lights either side of the track again to indicate the location of the bends.

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"I can see the bend now Jenks" shouted Dai into Dyfed's ear.

Dyfed gestured that he had heard and glanced at the pressure gauge on the boiler backhead.

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Dyfed was also a very experienced loco driver, he'd started working for the Great Western Railway at 14 as a loco cleaner, working his way up through the ranks to fireman and then driver over his 35 years of railway service. He'd driven up and down the Valley and through Aberdare tunnel 1000s of times as both a fireman and driver, but this time he could feel not all was well.

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3822 had been dropping sand for just under a mile as the train approached the S bends. The sand is dropped in front of the main driving wheels to add adhesion on wet or greasy rails, just like those found in Aberdare tunnel.

"Dai" Dyfed shouted.

"What's up Jenks?" Dai replied.

"The sand has finished, we've used it all!" Dyfed looked and sounded concerned, he knew without sand on the rail a head of them and through the bend there was a very real risk now of the locomotive stalling.

"Jesus!" Dai let out a cry of panic, as he to knew that unless they found their heads quickly the locomotive would slip to a stand on the steepest part of the climb.

Dyfed shut the regulator and wound down the reverser to the lowest forward setting, speed dropped but 3822 keep her feet on the first bend.

"Come on old girl, don't let me down now" Dyfed said to himself.

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3822 was a dedicated heavy freight tender locomotive with four sets of small driving wheels ideal for heavy freights and twisting lines like those found in South Wales. Built by the Great Western Railway in 1928 at Swindon works. The class were built for this kind of heavy work, hauling long loaded coal trains from the South Wales coalfields to the docks in the Barry, Cardiff and Newport and long distance runs to London.
The locomotive was a long standing member of the locomotive allocation at Cardiff East Dock steam shed, one of the more reliable members of the class. As the 1960s were just around the corner the steam fleet in South Wales was being run down in favour of new diesel locomotives, the steam locomotives that remained were becoming more and more run down, steam leaked from the cylinders and their steam pipes, this made the job of the fireman even more difficult, that combined with the increasingly poor quality of the coal the remaining freight locomotives had to burn wasn't helping Dyfed and Dai tonight.

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"Come on, Christ girl, come on !" Shouted Dyfed as 3822 slogged on through the increasingly smoke filled tunnel.

The air was thick with smoke, visibility on the footplate was very poor, the low ceiling and tight single bore of the tunnel was pushing the thick black smoke down the tunnel towards the cab and train.

Dai resorted to tying his neckerchief over his mouth soaked in water in an effort to filter the smoke.

As the increasingly desperate loco crew fort with their charge, the rails became soaked from a leak in the tunnel roof. The locos wheel began to slip, with the increased noise from the loco, with near zero visibility in the cab now Dyfed failed to react to the slip, the locos wheel increased in speed and the locomotive began to rock from side to side. Dyfed needed to shut the regulator and stop the slip before the locomotive stalled.

"Jenks!" "Jenks!" "She lost her feet! She's going to destroy her motion" Dai screamed across the cab to Dyfed.

Dyfed didn't react to Dai, he just gaze ahead into the thick black smoke that was now filling the cab.

Dai ran across the cab to Dyfed and shook him hard "Jenks!" Dai shouted at him!

But it was to late, the big heavy freight locomotive had slipped to a stand in the smoke and fume filled tunnel.

Mr Jones was blissfully unaware of the impending danger on the footplate, his hot tea and newspaper were keeping his attention far enough a way from his job to not notice his train come to a stop.

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In such circumstances he would leave a suitable amount of time, if they were stopped at signals then make his way to the front of the train to speak with the crew. However, if Mr Jones has been paying attention to the location of his train he would would noticed that the train was stopped on a upward grade out of course, and in a tunnel. This would have resulted in Mr Jones referring to Rule 53 of the railway rule book. Which states that should a train stop out of course, or not by signals the locomotive fireman or guard should lay train protection and contact the controlling signalman to make him aware of their trains presence.

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As the warm air in the brake van continued to flow out of the well stocked wood burner Mr Jones gradually lost this 'battle' with sleep, and drifted away newspaper in hand on the bench seat down the side of his brake van. Little did he know that his loco crew were in the mist of a battle to save their lives.

"Jesus Jenks, wake up man!" Dai screamed as he shook Dyfed, but his driver had been overcome by the smoke and fumes from the stalled locomotive.

Dai now faced a heartbreaking decision, should he abandon his mate and save himself by making his way toward the Merthyr portal and raise the alarm or try and drag his driver to safety.

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Dai was a former boy solider, unlike his father who was a career miner he joined the army at 16, and saw service in World War Two. On demobbing in 1945 he answered the call from the new British Railways joining as a loco cleaner Cardiff East Dock steam shed. Due to the increasing shortage of manpower in the post war period Dai was rapidly promoted to passed cleaner and then fireman. He and Dyfed were a regular crew and got on well both in and out of work, Dyfed was teaching Dai the art of locomotive driving, unofficially of course. On quiet Sunday morning runs to Barry and Newport, Dyfed would allow Dai to take control of the loco to aid his learning.

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The locomotives safety values lifted and filled the cab with hot white smoke, further choking the two men. It was now or never for Dai.

Dai pulled Dyfed across the cab to the firemans side, then lay him on the floor, climbing down from the footplate Dai pulled Dyfed's legs to the edge of the steps, and then summoning the last of his strength he pulled his lifeless drivers body down over his shoulder into the narrow cess between the locomotive and the tunnel wall.

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As the signal box clock stuck midnight Arthur Williams the Llandaff Junction signalman looked up at his block instruments on the shelf above the boxes level frame.

The needle for the section between his box and Merthyr Vale was still showing Train in Section.

"He should have cleared the bank by now, even without the banker" Signalman Williams thought to himself.

Just then the box telephone rang.

"Hello Llandaff Junction Signal Box" Arthur said.

"Merthyr Vale here, that freight hasn't cleared me yet, have you heard anything from them?" Asked the Merthyr Signal man.

"Nothing yet, no. I was about to telephone you to enquire whether you'd seen her" questioned Arthur.

"I've got a down train waiting to enter the section here, their stacking up now" The Merthyr Vale Signal man responded.

"Right oh, I'll telephone the local P-Way gang to inspect the line, they can walk the tunnel then report line clear or otherwise when they get to you. I'd have thought the freight would be clear of the section by the time they arrived though" Arthur replied.

"Right oh Llandaff Junction" Merthyr Vale signal man replied and replaced the receiver on huge wall.

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The neckerchief Dai had soaked in water and rapped round his mouth was no dry as a bone, the heat in the tunnel was intense. The atmosphere was full of choking fumes, Dai was finding it incredibility difficult to breath and carry Dyfed over his shoulder, but he knew if he stopped for what little breath he could get they'd both be overcome by the poisonous fumes being thrown out of 3822 chimney.

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"Hello, morning signalman. Llandaff Yard P-Way supervisor, you've lost a freight I've been told" the ganger said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I gave permission for a Merthyr bound train to enter the Aberdare tunnel section over an hour ago, but it has presented at Merthyr Vale box" Arthur snapped at the ganger.

"I see, so you want us to walk the section and find you missing train?" Asked the ganger.

"That's correct, I expect the train will have cleared Merthyr by the time you arrive. They've more than likely had steaming troubles so you've had have a wasted journey, but the rules say I've to send a party to inspect the section before I can signal line clear " Arthur explained getting his own back on the ganger.

"Right oh then, I'll take my boys through the tunnel and report to Merthyr Vale signal box on arrival" confirmed the ganger.

The ganger left Llandaff Signal box and explained the situation to his gang of permeant say men as they walked past the box towards the start of the incline leading to Aberdare tunnel.

As the group of permeant way men made their up towards Aberdare Tunnel it was a little over two hours since the freight train was accepted by the Merthyr Vale Signalman, the weather had got progressively worst and the night draw on the temperature now was just above freezing, and the men of the P-Way gang were feeling it.

They had a mile and a quarter walk from Llandaff Junction box to the Southern end of the tunnel, then the two mile walk through the freezing depths of the tunnel itself before a half mile walk to Merthyr Vale signal box, at least on the way back they could hitch a lift in a down trains Guards can and warm up round the stove.

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Dai had managed to drag Dyfed to the front of their locomotive in a bid to get to the Merthyr Vale end of the Aberdare Tunnel and safety. However his strength was going with every breath he took.

"Come on you bastard" Dai muttered to himself in a bid to get his body to keep going.

The tunnel was full of thick black smoke, Dai was down on his knees, crawling alone the ballast trying to keep below the level of the smoke and deadly fumes.

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"At bloody last !" Said the the P-Way supervisor as the Southern end of Aberdare Tunnel loomed into sight through the mist now enveloping the cutting that lead up to the tunnel.

The gang made their way into the tunnel, their gas lamps making little difference to visibility in the smoke filled darkness.

"Jesus, they must have been going for it, for the smoke to still be lingering like this" said one for the men.

The men fought their way through the smoke deeper into the tunnel, the smoke was so thick they hadn't noticed that dim red lamp on the rear of the brake van until they were within feet of it.

"Oh god no!" Shouted the supervisor to his men, knowing full well what was about to unfold.

"Tom, run back to Llandaff Box, raise the alarm then train has stalled in the tunnel. Fetch a doctor!. Go man now!" Shouted the P-way supervisor.

Two of the gangers climbed up into the brake van and opened the van door, Guard Jones was laid on the bench seat down the side of the van, the stove has burnt itself out sometime ago. Mr Jones tea can had fallen onto the van floor, as had his newspaper.

The ganger shook the Guard in an attempt to wake him, to no avail.

The supervisor shouted up "is the guard there?"

"I can't find a pulse guv, I think he's........dead" the young ganger said unsteadily.

"Christ" the supervisor replied in a hushed tone, "come on the loco crew are up there somewhere, we need to find them" he continued.

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Tom Evans a 20 year old ganger based at Llandaff Junction Yard had been running down the line to the signal box as fast he could, he crashed through the box door, giving the signalman a visible fright.

"He's, he's........he's......dead" Tom Evans said with a shaky voice.

"Who's dead boy, pull yourself together" the signalman ordered.

"The guard on the missing freight, he's dead. In his van, dead" Tom broke shaking out of control.

"Oh god" Signalman Young gasped in horror.

Llandaff Junction Signalman Young telephoned Merthyr Vale signal box and relayed the horror that had unfolded in Aberdare Tunnel.

Signalman Young telephoned the divisional control in Cardiff, and relayed what he'd been told by ganger Evans.

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As news of the disaster was breaking down the line, Permanent Way supervisor Jon Morgan and his gang were crawling along the ballast down the side of the freight train in Aberdare Tunnel, their neckerchiefs rapped round their faces to try and stem the smoke and fumes effecting them to.

The gang made their way slowly along the train, shinning their lamps under the wagons to see if they could see any sign of the loco crew. As they moved closer to the stranded locomotive, which was still producing steam, although this was as a result of the fire being put out after the unattended locomotives water level dropped to dangerous levels.

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The fusible plugs in the roof the firebox made up of lead melted when the water round them in the outer firebox dropped below the safe level, the heat from the raging fire inside the firebox melted the lead plug releasing water from the outer firebox in the inner firebox putting out the fire inside, this is a safety feature which all steam locomotives have had since the early days of steam locomotion.

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The gang lead by supervisor Morgan finally arrived at the locomotive, Mr Morgan climbed up onto the footplate but there was no trace of the crew.

"No sign of them up here, god let them have made it out a live" Morgan shouted to his men below.

He climbed down from the locomotive and rejoined his gang again crawling along the ballast past he locomotive towards the Merthyr Vale portal.

Supervisor Morgan was leading the gang from the front, feeling his way along the track. Visibility in the he tight confines of the tunnel was extremely poor at the best of times, but with the tunnel now full of smoke and choking fumes it was impossible to see your hand in front of your face.

Supervisor Morgan on his hands and knees was feeling out for the rail to his right when he felt what he thought was a old discarded rag just in front of him, "I've got something" he shouted.

"What is it ?" Replied one of the men behind him.

"I'm not sure, feel likes a rag" Morgan said cautiously.

As he felt further along the rag he found his worst nightmare the hand of one of the lost loco men.

"Bloody hell!" Morgan shouted "I've got one!"

"Someone come here and grab his legs, we're not far from the Merthyr end we'll make a run for it" Morgan ordered his men.

Morgan and the man behind him both took hold of their stricken colleague, rose to their feet and made a run for the Merthyr end of the tunnel.

The other men continued to crawl along the track in the hope that they wouldn't find the second loco man laying in the track like the man their supervisor had just bravely rescued.
Sadly it wasn't to be, as the men had almost completed the hellish crawl on their hands and knees thought the tunnel, a man shouted "I found him!".
The man had found the body of fireman Dai Jones, the young fireman had carried his deceased driver as far as he could before collapsing himself, overcome by carbon monoxide and smoke inhalation. He was within feet of the clean, fresh, breathable air that would have saved his life. The young fireman gave up his own chances of survival to give hope to his already decreased colleague.

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That freezing, moonless night November 1956, three dedicated railwaymen lost their lives in the most horrendous, hellish conditions imaginable. Fireman Dai Jones gave his own life to save his colleague, for his dedication to his post he was awarded a bravery medal, the medal was presented to his mother in his absence.

Early in 1957 a plague was erected outside Aberdare tunnel in the memory of the three railwaymen who lost their lives that night.

As the years rolled by the memory of that night still hung heavy over those involved the signalman at Llandaff Signal box never forgave himself for allowing the train to proceed without banking assistance, he took his own life in mid 1957.

Mr Morgan the Permanent Way supervisor suffered from nightmares and flashbacks for many years after the incident, he was never the same man and took early retirement in 1959.

Tom Evans the young ganger who found Guard Jones in his van, continued his work seemingly unaffected by the horror that he witnessed that night for many years, but the stress and nightmares got the better of him, he also took his own life inside Aberdare Tunnel in 1962.

3822 the locomotive involved was removed from the tunnel some days later, it lead a unremarkable life until it was withdrawn in 1963, and broken up in 1967.

The line itself was a victim of the miners strike and cheap imported coal in the early 1980s, closing to traffic in 1985, however Aberdare Tunnel is still there today and under the undergrowth is the plaque to that night in 1956.



------------------------------THE END----------------------------

 

That was bloody brilliant. I've had a couple of unpleasant experiences in Bewdley Tunnel on photo charters. It's fine on normal service trains, but, if you're travelling really slowly, or you go in and stop before a run-past, it gets very unpleasant, very quickly - and it's frightening.

Regards,

jtx

 

Thank you JTX your kinds word are very welcome indeed.

I know what you mean about tunnels, and their atmosphere. When I walked Tidenham Tunnel a few weeks ago there wasn't anything I would class as unusual in the sense of feeling anyone etc. But when I walked Tintern tunnel last week, my goodness there was a strange sense of company in there, which is very strange as the walk through was fine, but on the way back I felt it. Being only 150 or so yards long and being able to see light at both ends kinda took me by surprise that I had this feeling.

Kind Regards

Great Western

 

During SSS3 at Llangollen my wife and I were on a train which stalled with brake problems in the tunnel. What was most disconcerting was being able to feel movement without knowing which direction one was going in. We eventually reversed out of the tunnel. It is not an experience I want to repeat.

 

I was trying in the story to get across the sense of panic, the crew would have been faced with as their loco stalled and the tunnel filled up with what was ultimately fatal fumes.

This is my first story of this kind, so I hope those who have read it enjoyed it. Not total accurate by any stretch but, the story was more important that factual content of the technical side, although I would welcome advice on the technical side.

Regards
Great Western

 

i think you have done extreemly well if this was your first story. Nothing stood out as wrong.

Over the years I have read a number of loco crew autobiographies, probably ghosted, and many describe the hell hole conditions in single bore tunnels. crouching low with a wet rag is a common theme. Also I wondered if you had seen the real life story of asphixiated refugees during one of the wars. I must haave seen it in a lirary book where an overloaded train stalled just outside a tunnel on the continent. Refugees who had climbed on the train were asphixiated in the tunnel

Good luck with your writing

 

Very moving story, well told and with a lot of detail. Tunnels are always impressive but nobody should be complacent about the possible effects. I have been through this tunnel where 426 people died and it was a sobering experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balvano_train_disaster

 

Great Story! Have sent you a PM with regard to reproduction of story in a local Steam Society magazine.