Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway

Check out the carriage sheds:-
https://en-gb.facebook.com/pbrailway/

That was fast. Due to the sheer length and colour choice I'm tempted to call it the ''rolling mills'' after Port Talbot Steelworks' very own.

 

Fantastic! The colour does help to blend it a bit more than the standard metal shed.

 

Any news on future extensions also how is llantarum Abbey coming along

 

No news on future extension at the moment, efforts are being concentrated on laying new track into our new carriage shed.

Llantarnam Abbey is progressing slowly in the workshop, recent work completed is machining of valve faces, new valve rods and buckles, new tyres, new crank pins, journals and boss faces skimmed. We have just had six new axle box bearings cast and the overhaul of the axel boxes is about to commence, hopefully we will have a rolling chassis within the next six months.

The railway has just purchased 0-6-0 Bagnall 3061 'Empress' which has 5 years remaining on its boiler ticket.

Alex.

 

Are you able to say who machined the valve faces? Just interested for future reference.

 

Hi Steve,

They were done by a company called Unerversal Steam Engineering. The machine they used was hand operated and made for doing valve faces on traction engines. I have attached a few pictures of the process.

 

that carriage shed is very impressive just what you need to protect coaches and wagons from the harsh welsh climate

 

Many thanks.

 

Any more progress on track laying in the new shed?

 

Their were a few photos on Facebook last week of the first track going into the shed.

 

Couple of pictures attached of the recent progress on the track laying into the new carrage shed. The intention is to get the first road in by mid January to allow our operational carriages to be undercover and this will also release space in other sheds for carrages to go in for restoration.

Alex.

 

How long is the shed track?

 

According to previous post shed is 91.5 m and will take 4 mk 1

 

anybody know which diesel will be used at Blaenavon this year as I understand the 31 is out of use.

 

Hello all.

It's been a while (to put it mildly!) since this thread was last updated, so I thought I'd take the chance to share some of the latest developments at Blaenavon.

The carriage shed at Furnace Sidings is now largely complete, with all three roads connected. Long overdue, it is already proving a massive game-changer for the upkeep and restoration of our rolling stock, allowing them to be safely stored and worked on in shelter from the Blaenavon weather! Also on the matter of rolling stock, throughout 2020 we have been sending our frontline Mark One fleet to West Somerset Restoration at Williton. Aside from undergoing a general overhaul, they have been repainted into Crimson and Cream livery; attracting many positive comments from visitors in August and September. At present, BSK SC35494, SK M25444 and TSO E4300 have received such treatment, with long-stored TSO E4677 currently awaiting its turn at Williton. RMB E1854 is currently in the final stages of an in-house overhaul (also into C and C livery), and we hope that it will join the rest of the fleet next year.

On the steam locomotive front, in 2019 were extremely fortunate to welcome Mike Pearce's Hunslet 0-6-0 'Jessie' to Blaenavon. She has been completed transformed from her previous alter-ego as a famous blue tank engine back into her original East Moors Steelworks black with bumblebee stripes livery. An instant with volunteers and the public alike, she seems to have opened up our railway to many new visitors from Cardiff, who have fond memories of her days as a static display in the city's Splott Park.

After many years of relatively little work being completed at Blaenavon High Level, a small but very dedicated team have taken on the task of improving the heritage atmosphere of the station. Externally, a new fence and lamp posts in red and cream livery have been installed, whilst internally the station building has been transformed from a relatively bare shell to a replica LNWR waiting room/ticket office. The team are not done yet and hope to begin on platform two when resources become available. After this it is intended to move onto the other stations to help improve the heritage experience for our visitors and volunteers alike.


These are just a few of the things that have been going on in recent times. After what may have seemed like a relative lull, the railway is now once again looking to move forward in earnest, and I'll do all I can to keep things up to date on here as they happen!

- Jamie Warner
Interim Secretary, Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Company

 

Thanks for the update Jamie.

 

Just watched Alex Hinshelwood driving Empress along the P&BR on Channel 5’s World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys.
The program should be available on Catch-up.

 

Had a very good visit to Blaenavon on Sunday. It was one of their Coal Train days, and very nice to see at least one railway putting on a good show (when so many others are cutting back steam operations to preserve coal stocks). Pleasant though scenic railways with nice passenger stock are, there is something about seeing a former industrial railway doing what it was originally intended for that really appeals to me. A real 'heritage' railway rather than a tourist attraction only offering train rides (Not that I mind those either).

 

Three from the recent Coal Train weekend.

 

Two updates regarding the P&BR’s steam fleet - Barclay ‘Colin McAndrew’ (EDIT:1219 Caledonia Works, sorry!)is going on loan to the Mid-Suffolk Railway to replace Wissington which I understand is going back to the NNR. The railway’s other Barclay, Rosyth No.1, is out of ticket shortly.

From what I can remember, this only leaves Hudswell Clarke 1857 in service. I don’t think 71515 is that close to returning - anyone know if they’ve plans to hire in a loco this year?