Pontypool & Bleanavon Railway
The P&B Rly is famous for being the highest preserved railway in Wales. The Railway was built in 1866 by the Brynmawr & Bleanavon Railway company and immediately leased to the LNWR to transport coal to the Midlands, in 1874 the railway was extended Abersychan and down the valley to Newport. In 1922 the LNWR was grouped into the LMS.
The line closed to passengers in 1941 and to goods in 1954, though the section between Bleanavon & Pontypool remained open for the local Coal mines till 1980, it was then the preserved railway was born, based on what is called furnace sidings they have extended the railway North & South and are currently rebuilding the platforms and station building at Bleanavon top level. Much of the rail link to the Big Pit mine museum remains and plans are being put into action to reopen this section of line in the future. The railway also boasts the highest station in England & Wales with Whistle stop halt being a massive 1307 feet above sea level to the north of furnace sidings.
Its a fascinating area with lovely heath covered valley tops with mans impact on the landscape so obvious in the valley below with slag heaps piled up where ever you look, but it provides us photographers a unique place to play, the volunteers who run it are so friendly and welcoming i cant wait to go back in 2010!
My first visit to the Pontypool & Bleanavon railway coincided with my first charter with the Infamous Compo Club, organised by the superb photographer Simon Hopkins & legendary for the piss taking & charters with added interest. The charter centred around the visiting pannier tank 6435 on loan from the Bodmin & Wenford railway, we had 2 Mk1 maroon coaches for the morning session, followed by a mixed freight in the afternoon which consisted on a low mac 4 box vans & a lovely GWR guards van. To complete the scene we had a Grey massey tractor along with a Old Bedford Horse box and a beatifully restored AEC Bus, painted in Welsh Omnibus Livery....With the scene set all we needed was fine weather......We had dull flat skies all morning which allowed me to get some gritty monochromes then the sky broke for mid afternoon to give us the best shots of the day....And what lovely late September afternoon shots they were! To complete the day we had a short night shoot where the Loco was matched up with the guards van and some of the road vehicles...All in all a cracking day and i cant wait till my next visit to the railway...
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