Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway

History of the Line

The line from Brynmawr to Blaenavon was originally built in 1866 by the Brynmawr & Blaenavon Railway and immediately leased to the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), to transport coal to the Midlands, opening for traffic in 1869. Nine years later, in 1878, it was extended to Abersychan & Talywain, where the following year it made an end-on junction with the Monmouthshire Railway & Canal Co (later the Great Western Railway). From here the line carried on down the valley through Pontypool to the coast at Newport. In 1923 the LNWR was grouped into the London Midland Scottish Railway (LMSR).

The line was closed to passengers in 1941 and to goods in 1964, though the section from Blaenavon to Pontypool was in use for coal from Big Pit and other local mines until 1980. Our line is on part of the northern section, with our main station 'Furnace Sidings' built close to the site of the former washery and some other colliery buildings which were demolished during 1987. The line northwards is the steepest standard gauge preserved passenger-carrying line in Britain, and the steep pull up the line ensures some spectacular starts from our locomotives. The northern terminus, Whistle Halt, stands at 1307 feet above sea level and is the highest (and probably the most windswept!) station in England and Wales.

The Whistle Inn, next to the station, is famous for its extensive collection of miner's lamps. A mile or so further on up the line, the summit of the line at Waenavon is reached and this was once the highest station in England and Wales at over 1400ft above sea level. The landscape through which our railway runs was once dotted with collieries and slag heaps, and still contains a fascinating mix of relics from the days of steel and coal. Today however, there is much which is new, and the addition of the Garn Lakes (with its resident duck population), provides an ideal spot for picnics and walking after a ride on the train.

The passenger services were operated jointly by the LNWR and GWR until 1911 when they were totally taken over by the GWR. Freight services were worked by the LNWR/LMSR until 1945 when they too were taken over by the GWR. An impressive variety of locomotives operated over the year including:

• LNWR 0-6-2 Webb Coal Tanks
• LNWR 0-8-4 Beames Tanks
• GWR 0-6-0 Pannier Tanks
• GWR 2-8-0 Class 42xx heavy freight locomotives
• GWR 2-8-2 Class 72xx heavy freight locomotives

In its BR days the line was solely operated as a mineral line although several "specials" operated passenger trips over the line in the late 1970's, leading to several unusual visitors:

• Class 37 mainstay of the line
• Class 25 often double headed
• Class 31 "Special"
• Class 20 "Special"
• Class 45 "Special"
• Class 101 DMU "Special"
• Class 116 DMU "Special"

The PONTYPOOL & BLAENAVON RAILWAY was started in 1980, and is operated exclusively by volunteers who form the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway Company (1983) Ltd. and its support group the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway Society. After Big Pit stopped producing coal in 1980, the track was lifted from Cwmbran through Pontypool to just south of Blaenavon (High Level) Station. We started running trains in 1983 and have continued continuously for over twenty five years. In May 2010 we opened a 1.5 mile extension from Furnace Sidings to Blaenavon High Level. This was followed in September 2011 with the opening of a further extension to Big Pit Halt. The development of the railway is an ongoing process, if you would like to help us with this important work, then click here for more details on how to join.