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Great Western Steam in Wales and the Border Counties by Colin Williams 1974 DJ
Great Western Steam in Wales and the Border Counties by Colin Williams
Copyright 1974 Tag on first blank page
Hard Cover with Dust Jacket
96 pages
The region covered in this volume comprises north and central Wales plus the line marching north to south through the Border counties from Chester through Shrewsbury and Hereford, to Newport. It includes busy main lines with heavy traffic and the quietest of rural branches, with 'Kings' at Shrewsbury and lumbering 2-8-0 tanks at Hereford to 'Dukedogs' at Morfa Mawddach and 'Moguls' at Barmouth. The range of scenery through which these lines passed was equally varied, from fertile English farmland to rocky Welsh mountainsides. The branch from Ruabon up the valley of the Dee and over to the Mawddach estuary, as well as the ex-Cambrian route from Welshpool over Talerddig summit to Dovey Junction and Aberystwyth, were scenic routes of the first order-perhaps the best anywhere on the old G.W.R. The coast line skirting the shores of Cardigan Bay from Aberystwyth up to Portmadoc and Pwllheli was of almost equal splendour and variety, not least the magnificent crossing of the wide Mawddach estuary encircled by mountains. Alas, the first named Ruabon-Dolgellau line through Bala has gone, lifted in 1967, though with a roadbed still intact that might ultimately carry rails again for the benefit of tourists. Two lengths, on the upland section near Bala and nearer sea level along the lower reaches of the estuary close to Dolgellau, have been considered and would be a commercial success, judged by the results of other-admittedly narrow gauge-lines nearby.
Diesels now growl over the steep gradients of the surviving Cambrian line and its coast links where once there was the bark of hard-pressed 'Manors'; the scenery, however, remains unchanged, and the climb from Dovey Junction up through Commins Coch for six or so hard miles that are followed by three more at 1 in 52 to Talerddig cutting at the summit, is still there. In steam days under the Western Region this was 'Manor' county, with 'Dukedogs' for pilot duties and lighter passenger work on the coast lines. 45XX tanks helped out, with the 22XX 0-6-0 class on freights. When operational control passed to the London Midland Region, a considerable number of Standard classes were introduced, impairing much of the former Great Western flavour.
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