Taff Bargoed Joint Line

23rd March 2006

The Taff Bargoed Joint Railway was built by the Rhymney and Great Western Railways primarily to serve the ironworks at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil. It began at a junction with the Pontypool Road-Neath line at Nelson and Llancaiach. It climbed steeply up the valley of the River Bargoed Taff to a windswept summit at Cwmbargoed, then descended into Dowlais. On the approach to Dowlais, the line divided at Zigzag Lines Junction; the right-hand line ran to the passenger terminus at Cae Harris and the left-hand line reached a location called Furnace Tops, which served the ironworks.

The main Dowlais works closed in 1930, but one part of the complex, known as the Ivor Works, remained open. It was part of the Guest, Keen & Nettlefold group, but was latterly taken over by British Steel. Passenger trains on the branch were withdrawn in 1964, but the line remained busy with opencast coal from Cwmbargoed and traffic for the Ivor Works, which manufactured ingot moulds for use in other steel plants. The right-hand branch at Zigzag lines Junction was removed, leaving only the line to Furnace Tops, but the lines at Cae Harris station remained accessible via Furnace Tops.

The Ivor Works finally closed in 1987, rendered redundant by advances in iron industry technology. I have seen a closure date of 1984 for the Cwmbargoed-Dowlais railway, but I'm not sure if this is accurate. The line as far as Cwmbargoed has seen periods of disuse but is still in place and may see a further lease of life thanks to renewed opencast workings.

I have not revited the Cae Harris since 1974 but an inspection of aerial photographs on Google http://maps.google.co.uk/ seems to show that most of the evidence of the steelworks has been obliterated, the tips have been smoothed over, a dual carriageway passes through the site and Cae Harris station site is now occupied by houses.

Radyr. The start of our journey. 1200x773	On the four-track section of the Taff Vale approaching Taffs Well. Castell Coch, the Marquess of Bute's fanatasy castle is seen on the hillside. 1200x800	Our train to Dowlais forked right at Walnut Tree Junction to reach the Rhymney Line. 1200x841	A train of limestone from Penderyn passes Walnut Tree Junction. 1200x793
Approaching Aber Junction north of Caerphilly. We are about to join the Rhymney main line. 1200x770	Approaching Ystrad Mynach south junction, where we will diverge onto the branch for Nelson. 1200x800	Passing the former station at Nelson and Llancaiach. 1200x801	Just above Bedlinog in the valley of the Bargoed Taff. Between here and Cwmbargoed the valley has neither public roads and scarcely any human habitation. 1200x801
Climbing the 1-in-40 up the valley of the Bargoed Taff. 1200x799	The site of Cwmbargoed Station on my first visit in July 1973. 1200x801	The dramatic curved embankment high above the valley of the Taff, July 1973 1200x799	The same location in June 1974 1200x785
Descending into the former Dowlais steelworks, having just passed the site of Zigzag Lines Junction. 1200x801	Having run round its train, the loco propels its train of scrap ingots into the exchange sidings. 1200x803	1200x803	A Hudswell Clarke shunter emerges from the Ivor Works on its way to the sidings at Cae Harris. 1200x815
The track at this point looks as if it might benefit from a little maintainance. 1200x864	The friendly driver poses with his locomotive. 1200x803	1200x786	Shunting the sidings by the former Cae Harris passenger station 1200x802
Awaiting departure from Furnace Tops 1200x803	Map of Dowlais showing the Taff Bargoed Joint Railway under construction 2666x1786	The crane used for breaking up castings at Dowlais. 799x1200	The site of Dowlais Central, the former Brecon & Merthyr terminus. 1200x762