Held at:	Private Collection
Reference:	CG Smith Collection
Source:	Original photographs and notes
Title:	Digital Archive: Photographs of the Golden Valley Railway – Pontrilas Pre-war [part 1 of 3]
Place name:	Golden Valley
Date:	c.1900 - 1938

 

Description:

 

PONTRILAS:
In the peacetime hands of the Great Western Railway, 1900 to 1938

 

114

 

Pontrilas Station and surroundings, from the 25-inch  Ordnance Survey of 1920

 

195

 

Track layout diagram at Pontrilas

 

194

 

Official GWR plan of the Engine Shed at Pontrilas

 

 

120

 

Pontrilas Engine Shed and surroundings, from the 25-inch  Ordnance Survey of 1904

 

0121

 

GWR Locomotive 1385 John Owen in use on the Golden Valley Railway [Pontrilas and Hay] sometime before the closing of the independent GVR in 1898. The man standing with his back to the bunker is Mr James Edwards, a fireman on the GVR and who was afterwards the Ganger on the section of the branch between Pontrilas and Vowchurch when it was owned by the Great Western Railway.

This 0-6-0 Saddle Tank locomotive was built in 1872 by Fox, Walker and Co, originally for the Whitland and Cardigan Railway which was taken over by the GWR in 1886, after which the locomotive was transferred to the Golden Valley.

 

49

 

Pontrilas station c. 1905. The GVR branch train [left] connecting with a main line down passenger train [right].

 

50

 

Pontrilas station and staff [?1920s]

 

51

 

Down express at Pontrilas with the Golden Valley branch train at the left platform, 1909.

 

52

 

Pontrilas station and GVR branch bay [?1900s]

 

53

 

Pontrilas goods yard, [with stacked timber probably brought down the GVR branch.[?1900s]]

 

54

 

Pontrilas chemical works, with Pontrilas station in the background [?1900s]

 

55

 

Pontrilas station looking towards Hereford c.1900. A mainline passenger train alongside the Golden Valley Branch train at the platform.

 

56

 

Engine No 1437 with a Golden Valley Branch train at Pontrilas, 1909

 

57

 

A mixed train from the Golden Valley Branch arriving at Pontrilas c.1910

 

58

 

Pontrilas signal box and the Golden Valley line branching off from the main up line. C.1910

 

59

 

A mixed train from the Golden Valley Branch arriving at Pontrilas c.1910

 

60

 

Approach to Pontrilas station on the Golden Valley branch c. 1909.  The turnout to the engine shed is in the foreground.

 

61

 

Engine No 1437 taking on water at Pontrilas engine shed, 1909.

 

69

 

Engine No 1469 at Pontrilas [?1920s]. Left to right, Fireman Cyril Davies, Engineman Charlie Smith, Guard Bert Jennings, Pontrilas Station Master Bob Thurtle.

 

0079

 

View of top end of Pontrilas Yard showing part of Down Refuge siding before being converted into the Down Running Loop. Small wooden hut [built of sleepers] is the old salt hut. Long building with a sloping roof is a building belonging to the old Pontrilas Chemical Works. Block of two houses  and bungalow were built after CG Smith came to Pontrilas in May 1924.

 

0073

 

Looking towards Pontrilas Station from the ladder of the Up Outer Home Signal. [?1930s]

 

116

 

[Pontrilas Station and Signal Box looking towards Hereford from the Up platform; Golden Valley Branch bay is to the left [?1930s].]

 

117

 

Pontrilas Village and the Railway Goods Yard, with the station up the road incline to the right. The hut marked with an ‘x’ served as a coffee and reading room. Date unknown. [?1930s]

 

121

 

The starting signal for the Golden Valley Branch line, adjacent to the bridge over the Abergavenny to Hereford road at Pontrilas. The first bridge over the river Dore is in the background. [?1930s]

 

122

 

Golden Valley Branch goods train approaching Pontrilas [?1930s]

 

123

 

Engine No 5818 outside the Pontrilas Engine Shed in the mid 1930s.

 

0109

 

[Short goods train on the Golden Valley Branch, ?1930s]

 

0110

 

[Short goods train on the Golden Valley Branch at Pontrilas Station. [? 1930s]]

 

0114

 

Golden Valley Branch line near Pontrilas; taken from the bridge over the Abergavenny and Hereford road looking towards Hereford before the Up Loop was made. [?1930s]

 

0116

 

Pontrilas Station. Left to right, Guard George Lewis, Porter Sid Powell, Porter Harry Wainfer [of Pontypool Road], Locomotive Shedman James Hargest [Jimmy] [?1930s]

 

0120

 

[Locomotive 5818 at Pontrilas engine shed; [?1930s]]

 

0147

 

Pontrilas Signal Box from a point near Platelayers Cabin. Signal off for LM& S Excursion S Wales to Aintree for the Grand National 1938

 

0172

 

[Main line at Pontrilas looking towards Hereford before alterations [?1930s]]

Observations:

Original photographs from a collection by CG Smith, Engineman on the Golden Valley Branch of the Great Western Railway from 1924 to c.1960. Reproduced by kind permission of his son, David Smith of Ewyas Harold.

 

Return to Index page for photographs of other stations on the Golden Valley Branch.