Overview

The book begins with a history of the industrial development of the Tondu Valleys, including the succession of great industrialists who led the way in the area. This is followed by a chapter on the position of the Tondu Valleys in the South Wales Coalfield with colliery and colliery company details. Railway passenger services are next covered, followed by railway coal services. Then follows a detailed account of the sole railway depot which covered all the operations in the Tondu Valleys. A location specific account then follows of Llynfi Valley detailing both railway and colliery aspects, following the line from Bridgend, through Tondu, and all locations to Cymmer Afan and on to the original terminus at Abergwynfi, then from Blaengwynfi through the Rhondda Tunnel to Treherbert. The north end of the South Wales Mineral Railway became an adjunct to the Tondu Valley with the closure of the former Rhondda & Swansea Bay line and this is also included in similar detail. The closure of the passenger service in 1970 and renaissance of a new service from Maesteg to Cardiff in 1992 concludes the account. Detailed Appendices of operating statistics completes this very comprehensive account. The book is the fullest account ever produced of this part of the South Wales scene and is a must for anyone interested in either the railway or mining activities (or both) in this part of South Wales. A further volume covering the Ogmore & Garw Valleys (and associated lines) and the Porthcawl branch is planned. AUTHORS: The book has been produced jointly by John Hodge and Stuart Davies. John Hodge is well known for his series on the South Wales Main Line and North & West and for other books and articles on South Wales and GWR railway matters. He is also an established railway photographer with a huge archive of South Wales material. Stuart Davies is a native of the Ogmore Valley and spent much of his formative years observing the operations at Tondu depot and its associated railway environs. This inspired him to pursue a railway career based initially in South Wales, then Carlisle, Bristol, East Anglia and the West Midlands, finally becoming a Senior Operations Executive.

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9781526727251

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The book has been produced jointly by John Hodge and Stuart Davies. John Hodge is well known for his series on the South Wales Main Line and North & West and for other books and articles on South Wales and GWR railway matters. He is also an established railway photographer with a huge archive of South Wales material. Following graduation, he joined British Railways in the Cardiff District Office in 1961, and as a member of the Divisional Office took a leading role in the replanning of all freight services in South Wales in 1970, and was project officer for the development of the first Freightliner Depot in South Wales in 1967\. He became long term Coal & Oil long term planning assistant at Paddington in 1971 and joined the WR Consultancy Team in 1976, moving to the Railways Board in 1980, where he worked on various national operating schemes. He retired in 1992 when he took up writing articles and then books. Stuart Davies is a native of the Ogmore Valley and spent much of his formative years observing the operations at Tondu depot and its associated railway environs. This inspired him to pursue a railway career based initially in South Wales, then Carlisle, Bristol, East Anglia and the West Midlands, finally becoming a Senior Operations Executive. On the privatisation of British Railways, he participated in a number of successful bids for train operating companies. Recording in detail the railway activities around the Tondu Valleys has been a long-held ambition, now realised in this work.

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