Taff Vale Railway

Minerals

Coal mining and iron smelting had been carried out on a small scale in South Wales down to the eighteenth century; it was encouraged by the plentiful availability of coal, at first at a shallow depth; timber (for pit props, and for charcoal); and limestone (for fluxing). The coal was primarily used in iron production, and it was only gradually that surplus coal began to be used for power (in industrial stationary steam engines) and for domestic use.

In time coke replaced charcoal in the smelting process. The availability of the raw materials at the heads of the South Wales valleys led to a number of ironworks being founded there between 1750 and 1800; these included the Cyfarthfa Ironworks, Plymouth Ironworks, and Dowlais Ironworks works in the Merthyr Tydfil area.^[2]

A major difficulty was transport; conveying the finished product away to market was effected by coastal shipping, but the primitive road network made reaching the seaboard expensive and difficult; and the limestone, plentiful as it was, was located some distance north of the location of the ironworks.

In 1767 Anthony Bacon of Cyfarthfa persuaded his fellow ironmasters to join in a scheme to build a trunk roadway from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. He used mule-trains.^[3]

Tramroads

A solution to the difficulty of local transport around the area of the ironworks was the tramroad. Wooden railways had been extensively used elsewhere, but seem not to have been much used in South Wales. The local tramroads were almost all short distance plateways (in which the rails are L-shaped plates, carrying wagons with plain wheels), and in many cases were simple extensions of plateways used underground in mines.^[4]

Canals

Canals were built down some of the valleys, to bring the iron down to the coast for shipping elsewhere. The Glamorganshire Canal was opened in 1794; it ran from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff, a distance of 25 miles. Local mine owners (within four miles of the canal) were authorised to build tramroads to the canal. At least 400 miles of tramroad was built under this and similar arrangements before the coming of modern railways.^[3][2] 200,000 tons of coal were brought down by the canal in 1839 to the dock that became Bute West Dock.^[2]

The Penydarren engine

In 1802 the Merthyr Tramroad was opened, connecting the Dowlais and other ironworks with the Glamorganshire Canal. Richard Trevithick was employed at Penydarren Ironworks, served by the tramroad, and he built a steam locomotive engine. In 1804 a demonstration run took place in which ten tons of iron and 70 persons were transported nine miles. This was the first use of a steam locomotive engine in the world.^{[note 1]} However many of the cast iron tramplates were broken due to the weight of the engine.^[5]

A railway proposed

The Taff Vale Railway

For the first decades of the nineteenth century, the transport situation for Merthyr and the surrounding area changed relatively little; the Glamorganshire Canal prospered, but became overwhelmed by the volume of trade. Tramways continued with horse haulage and plateway track. Mule trains carried iron down the turnpike road.

Edge railways began to be made elsewhere in the country; the Stockton and Darlington Railway of 1825^[6] and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway of 1830^[7] showed what current technology was capable of.

Widenings

The line was originally single, except for the Quaker's Yard and Llancaiach inclines, which were double; Cardiff to Taff's Well was doubled in 1846, and through to Navigation House in 1847. The doubling was completed to Merthyr in 1862.^[2]

Extending to Aberdare

The original purpose of the Taff Vale Railway had been deeply connected with the ironworks of Merthyr. In the years immediately following the railway's authorisation, the rich seams of high quality coal in the Aberdare area came into prominence, and began to outshine the Merthyr trade. Sixteen steam coal pits were sunk there between 1840 and 1853. Those collieries required transport to the sea, and the proprietors of the Taff Vale Railway responded by sponsoring the Aberdare Railway, a nominal independent company.

The Aberdare Railway was incorporated on 31 July 1845 to make a ​7 ¹⁄₂ mile branch from Navigation House to Aberdare. It was worked by the Taff Vale from the outset and leased to it from 1 January 1847. It opened for passenger and goods and mineral traffic on 6 August 1846.^[13] Navigation House station was renamed Aberdare Junction on the opening of the branch. There was a 49 chain branch off the Aberdare line from Cwmbach to Abernant colliery, also opened in 1846; it crossed the River Cynon to get access.^[8][2]

Left hand running

In 1847 the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway obtained powers to build its Taff Vale Extension Railway westwards from Pontypool Quaker's Yard. to connect the TVR. This would be the first connection with the rest of the narrow (standard) gauge railway network; the TVR reviewed its policy of right-hand running and decided to change to left-hand running in preparation for the connection.^[14]

Taff Vale Extension Railway

The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway reached Quaker's Yard on 11 January 1858, and made a connection with the TVR there. This gave a route for minerals from the TVR network to reach much further afield, but reduced the haul length on the TVR system.^[15] The Taff Vale Extension Railway was later extended to Middle Duffryn, near Aberdare, opening in April 1864.^{[note 4]} The extension crossed the Llancaiach colliery sections of the TVR on the level, and Llancaiach coal was transported via Quakers Yard on the TVER in preference to using the Llancaiach line inclined plane.^[12]

The coalfield around Aberdare was proving to have abundant resources of high quality coal, and the Taff Vale Extension line was able to take the output direct to London (via Hereford—the South Wales Main Line was still broad gauge) and to Birkenhead and Southampton, where bunkering of sea-going ships was an important market.^[16]

Rhondda

The Rhondda valleys too began to be the source of excellent coal, and that trade started to exceed that of Merthyr. The branch line from Newbridge (Pontypridd) to the tramroad leading to the collieries called Dinas had been opened in 1841, and this stimulated interest in mining in the valley.

Spurred by the threat of a possible broad gauge line from Ely, the TVR obtained authorisation on 26 August 1846 for the Rhondda Fawr Valley Extension, in time reaching what is now Treherbert, opening to there on 7 August 1856. Passenger services were not started until 7 January 1863.^[17][2]

In 1849 the Taff Vale offered a £500 premium for proving the existence of deep-seam coal in the Treherbert area. At the same time a 77 chain extension from Porth to Ynyshir was opened for mineral traffic; that stub was extended to Ferndale in 1856 and later to Maerdy, which at 900 feet above sea level was the most elevated location on the Taff Vale system.^[8]

In 1854 the Eirw Branch was opened; under a mile long it left the Rhondda line at Trehafod to serve nearby collieries.

In 1857 the TVR board authorised the doubling of the Rhondda Fawr as far as Porth; by February 1858 eight collieries were sending their coal down the extension of the Rhondda branch.^[17]

In the subsidiary Rhondda valley, the Rhondda Fach, the line was opened from Porth to Ferndale in the summer of 1876, and to Maerdy not until 1889.^[8]

Pwllyrhebog

The Pwllyrhebog branch (as it became known) was authorised in 1857 to reach into Cwm Clydach from Tonypandy. Its actual construction was much delayed, a contract being let in December 1861; it was opened early in 1863.

It climbed away from the Rhondda very steeply, on a 1 in 13 gradient for ​³⁄₄ mile and then on to Blaenclydach.

At first the Pwllyrhebog incline was worked on the balanced load system, and the TVR refused to install a stationary engine, although increasing volumes of output were putting a strain on the capacity of the system.

At this stage the Pwllyrhebog branch served two collieries, Cwm Clydach and Blaen Clydach, but in 1871 Thomas, Riches & Co sank an important new pit further up the Clydach Valley at Clydach Vale. In November 1871 the TVR agreed to extend the Pwllyrhebog branch to the new pit; in fact the colliery company built the line and transferred it when completed to the TVR. The Company also undertook to send all their traffic out via the TVR.

The new pit was at a much higher altitude even than the previous connections, and a zigzag arrangement immediately above the Pwllyrhebog incline was necessary to gain further height.^{[note 5]}

An Act of 13 July 1899 formalised the ownership.

Writing in 1951, Casserley refers to a later time when a stationary engine had been installed:

The incline was worked on the counterbalance system, but there were two separate ropes for the ascending and descending trains, in contrast to the endless loop rope more commonly used in this situation.^[18]

The winding engine worked at a pressure of 25 lb. per sq. in., and the speed on the incline was about 5 m.p.h. The Taff Vale Railway used three 0-6-0 tank engines specially designed for the incline, acquired from Kitsons in 1884. They were had taper boilers to ensure that the firebox crown was covered when on the gradient; Casserley speculates that they probably were the first engines anywhere with taper boilers. The TVR gave them nos. 141 to 143; after 1923 they became GWR nos. 792 to 794. and were nos. 193 to 195 in British Railways days. Under the GWR a spare engine was kept as a standby; it was a standard pannier tank, No. 7722. Casserley does not explain how the firebox crown was kept covered in the case of this locomotive.^[18]

In 1889 the line was extended privately to Clydach Colliery, making a little over two miles in all; the private extension was acquired by the TVR in 1896.^[8]

Blaenrhondda

In 1867 a Bill was presented for a railway from Treherbert to Hirwain (Hirwaun from 1926). The Rhondda Valley and Hirwain Railway was authorised by Act of 12 August 1867. It was nominally independent. It opened a short section from immediately north-west of Treherbert to Blaenrhondda, with a short spur to Blaencwm Colliery, in June 1878 for mineral traffic only. It abandoned its ambition to cross the 1,561 feet pass to Hirwain, and leased its line to the Taff Vale Railway from 1878: on 26 August 1889 it was absorbed by the Taff Vale.^[8][2]

Widening the main line

An act passed in 1857 gave the railway authority for a number of improvements over the coming years. The line was doubled throughout from 1858 to 1862, and later quadrupled between Pontypridd and Cardiff to accommodate the growth in traffic. New viaducts were built alongside the existing structures at Pontypridd and Quaker's Yard to carry the second line. In 1864 work started on bypassing the incline with a gentler bank (but still steep and 1 in 40). This required significant earthworks, and inclement weather meant that it was not completed until August 1867. Top of Incline station had already closed in 1858, replaced with a new station at Quaker's Yard. Pontypridd station was greatly extended during the 1860s.^[8]

Merthyr station

The TVR's original station in Merthyr at Plymouth Street was opened on 12 April 1841, and was a short distance south of the town. This was joined in 1853 by the High Street station of the Vale of Neath Railway. A short joint line (TVR and GWR) was built to connect the TVR line to the new station in 1877. A year later, in August 1878, the Taff Vale transferred all of its passenger services to the High Street station, and used Plymouth Street as a goods depot instead. High Street station thus became the only passenger station in Merthyr, and was used by a total of six separate companies prior to the 1923 grouping. The TVR also opened stations at Merthyr Vale in 1883 and Pentrebach in 1886.^[2]

Penarth Town

A short branch from the Penarth Dock line to the town was opened on 20 February 1878. Known as the Penarth Extension Railway, it was a mile long, running up a gradient of 1 in 40 from Cogan Junction to Penarth Town.^[8][2]

Treferig Valley Railway, and the L&TVJR line

Seeking further expansion north of Llantrisant, the Taff Vale encouraged the formation of the Treferig Valley Railway, incorporated on 21 July 1879. This opened a 2-mile 56 chain branch from Treferig Junction, near Common Branch Junction on the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction line, to Treferig and Glyn Collieries in April 1883 for mineral trains only.^[19]

In 1865 the Ogmore Valley Railway was opened. It was a standard gauge line, and there appeared to be enormous potential to bring standard gauge mineral trains to Penarth. The Taff Vale obtained authority to build a north-west to south-east diagonal line across the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway system to handle this traffic. Financial difficulties delayed construction, and in the meantime the South Wales main line of the GWR was converted to standard gauge.

Now a main line railway was available for the Ogmore Valley traffic via Bridgend, and at a stroke most of the (unbuilt) diagonal line was of little value. However, there were severe penalties in the legislation if it were not constructed, so the TVR used delaying tactics. It was eventually built throughout: the section from Common Branch Junction to Waterhall Junction, between Radyr and Penarth, giving direct access to the docks opened in 1886 for goods and mineral traffic only.^[19]

Roath branch

The volume of mineral traffic exported through Penarth Docks had continued to grow, and capacity of the railway and of the docks was overwhelmed. On 23 April 1888 the Taff Vale Railway opened a branch railway to the Roath Dock, itself opened in 1887, on the east side of the Cardiff complex of docks. The line diverged from the main line at Roath Branch Junction and arched round the east of the built-up area of the city of Cardiff as it was at that time, connecting with the Cardiff Railway lines in the docks.^[2]

The Queen Alexandra Dock was opened in 1907 and was also served from the branch.^[8][2]

Ynysybwl branch

The Taff Vale Railway obtained powers to build a branch to collieries in the Clydach Valley in 1872, but then lost enthusiasm for the project when anticipated colliery development in the area did not materialise.

However Lady Windsor Colliery, near Ynysybwl, was sunk in 1885, and promised to be a substantial activity. The Taff Vale Railway decided to build a branch line to serve it. It ran from a north-facing junction a mile or so south of Abercynon to collieries near Llanwonno, some way west of Ynysybwl itself; the branch was 4 miles 67 chains in length and it opened for goods and mineral traffic in 1886, though some informal use may have taken place in 1884; the passenger service as far as Ynysybwl started from Aberdare Junction, (known as Abercynon from 1896) on 1 January 1890.^[12]

In 1900 a south curve connection to the main line was opened, but the TVR was concerned about congestion at Pontypridd, and held off from starting the southward passenger service. After a delay, a motor car (railmotor) passenger service connecting Pontypridd and Ynysybwl was started on 17 October 1904, the northward service to Abercynon being then discontinued.^[12]

Llancaiach

The original Llancaiach branch had left the Merthyr main line at Stormstown Junction, just south of Abercynon, and crossed the River Taff and then swung east to reach its objective. It had opened in 1841. After a period of dormancy, in 1878 a deviation was built avoiding the rope-worked inclined, but due to a dispute over running rights with the GWR the new line was little used.

Several decades later other collieries required to be connected on the east side of the Taff, in particular Albion Colliery, in preparation, and productive from 1887, and Cardiff Dowlais Colliery, productive from 1889. The decision was taken to make a branch from a junction further south, in fact at Pont Shon Norton, at the northern margin of Pontypridd. This was opened in 1887 as far as Cilfynydd.

In 1900 the branch was extended northward to join the earlier Llancaiach branch, at Ynysdwr Junction; this was opened to traffic on 1 June 1900. A passenger service operated from Pontypridd to Nelson, on the TVR line a little short of the junction with the Taff Vale Extension line, and did not use the GWR Llancaiach station there.^{[note 8]} A motor car (railmotor) service was inaugurated on 10 August 1904.^[12]

Rhymney Railway

The Rhymney Railway was the main competitor to the Taff Vale in bringing coal down from the valleys. For many years, until 1871, this involved Rhymney Railway coal trains running over the Taff Vale main line from Walnut Tree to Cardiff. The line was extremely congested.^[2]

In 1867 the Rhymney Railway obtained running powers over the Taff Vale Extension line between Hengoed on the Rhymney system, through Aberdare to Hirwaun, giving it direct competitive access to the Aberdare coalfield.^[12][21]

Cardiff Dock congestion and Barry

The phenomenal increase in volume of coal shipped out of the various Cardiff docks had long been such that the capacity was overwhelmed. There were constant complaints that congestion on the railway, and in the harbour, resulted in unacceptable delays and costs. One outcome of the situation was the promotion and construction of docks at Barry, and the Barry Railway, which ran direct from the Rhondda collieries to Barry. The Barry Railway was authorised in 1884, and Barry Docks opened on 18 July 1889.

The Barry Railway went on to promote a direct Cardiff, Penarth and Barry Junction Railway, which would run direct and also have a roundabout line following the coast. The Taff Vale opposed this and promoted its own alternative lines. Parliament decided on a compromise, in which the Barry Railway could build the direct line from a junction with the Taff Vale and Cogan, and the Taff Vale would build the coastal route, from Penarth Town, joining the Barry Railway at Biglis Junction, near Cadoxton. The Taff Vale scheme was authorised by the Cardiff, Penarth and Barry Junction Railway Act of 6 August 1885. The line was ready and opened on 1 December 1887, but the junction connection at Biglis was not made at first; for the sake of diplomacy it had to wait until the Cogan connection of the Barry line was ready, and they both opened on 20 December 1888. Taff Vale passenger trains ran through to Biglis Junction station of the Barry Railway from August 1889. (The station was renamed Cadoxton on 1 June 1890). The Cardiff, Penarth and Barry Junction Railway became vested in the Taff Vale Railway by Act of 26 August 1889.^[8][2][14]

Pontypridd to Newport

The extensive and modern dock facilities at Newport were serving the Monmouthshire valleys well enough, but there was a natural desire to handle some of the profitable business of the Cardiff Valleys too. The docks at Newport were operated by the Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway, the railway part of their operation being confined to the docks area. They encouraged the formation of a nominally independent railway, the[Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway, authorised in 1878. The line ran from a junction immediately south of the Taff Vale Railway station at Pontypridd to near Caerphilly, relying on running powers from there over the Rhymney Railway and the Brecon and Merthyr Railway to reach Newport. The line was opened in July 1884. Seeing this as an opportunity, the Taff Vale worked the mineral trains for the PC&NR (until 1906).^[2][22]

Rhondda and Swansea Bay

Swansea docks too was expanding its facilities: the new Prince of Wales Dock opened in 1881; during construction the owners saw that attracting coal shipments from the Rhondda valley could be beneficial, and the result was the promotion of the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, which was to run from Treherbert, at the head of the Rhondda Fawr, through a long tunnel to cross the watershed, and the down the valley of the River Afan. The construction of the tunnel took a long time, and the line opened in 1890.^[2]

Cardiff Railway

The Bute Docks Company was created on 1 June 1887 when the Bute Docks properties were vested in the new company. In 1897 it succeeded in getting authorisation to build a railway, which became the Cardiff Railway, to build from Heath on the Rhymney Railway to Treforest on the Taff Vale Railway, and a southward line from Heath to the docks at Roath. It took until 1911 to construct he line from Heath as far as a point close to the Taff Vale line at Treforest, but the Taff Vale succeeded in fending off the incursion. In fact the connection was never made, and the Cardiff Railway never achieved its potential.^[8][12]

Steam railcars

The emphasis throughout the nineteenth century existence of the TVR had been on mineral traffic. When Ammon Beasley became General Manager in 1891 he sought to increase the passenger income of the company, particularly in the face of street-running passenger tramcars. In 1903 he introduced steam "motor cars" on the TVR. These were self-contained passenger coaches incorporating a small steam engine; the intention was to adopt a low-cost means of serving wayside communities by opening very basic stopping places (referred to as "Platforms") and having a more frequent timetable.

Consideration was given to whether the "platforms" could be at ground level, accessed by folding steps on the vehicle, but the decision was taken to make them elevated.^[12]

The first experimental run was on the Penarth branch on 21 December 1903

The TVR used the system in both rural and suburban situations, and it was commercially successful for some time; the TVR had 19 steam railcars at the peak, with first and third class accommodation. They had the disadvantage of inflexibility at busy times, and the small traction units became worn out after a decade and a half. At that stage the TVR converted the coaches to push-and-pull control trailers, using small independent locomotives as the power unit.

As well as starting to use steam railcars in 1903, the TVR obtained Parliamentary powers in that year to install electric traction equipment. However the powers were never used.^[8]

From 1922

The Taff Vale Railway system in 1922

Following World War I the government decided to restructure most of the railways of Great Britain into one or other of four large companies. The process was called the "grouping" and was legislated in the Railways Act 1921. The old Great Western and six of the South Wales railway companies were constituents of the new Great Western Railway. The other smaller railways in the GWR area were "subsidiaries". The Taff Vale Railway was the second largest constituent of the new Great Western Railway; the old GWR was the largest. The Taff Vale Railway was amalgamated into the putative new GWR on 1 January 1922.^{[note 9]}

Immediately prior to the amalgamation, the trading position of the Taff Vale was (compared to the GWR in brackets):

Issued capital: £6.42 million (£101 million); net income in 1921 £464,654 (£6,188,433); annual dividend on ordinary stock in 1922 4% (7 1/4%); route length 112 miles (2,784 miles); number of employees 5,690 (91,985).^[23]

The Grouping meant that the competitive situation with the Rhymney Railway no longer existed, and in July 1928 a new connection was installed at Cardiff Queen Street to enable the Rhymney trains to use Queen Street instead of the unsatisfactory Parade station adjacent.

The production of steel at Dowlais ceased in 1930; the inward haul of iron ore had sustained the Cilfynydd line, and the GWR decided that the thinly patronised passenger service was unsustainable; it was taken off, and the line closed completely above Cilfynydd from 12 September 1932.^[12]

Main line

Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil
mi+ch to Cyfarthfa Ironworks 24+28 Merthyr Plymouth St Merthyr High St Brecon & Merthyr Rly to Brecon Dowlais Incline to Dowlais Ironworks Vale of Neath Rly to Hirwaun Quakers Yard & Merthyr Rly 23+03 Pentre-bach 21+68 Troed-y-rhiw 19+77 Merthyr Vale Quakers Yard & Merthyr Rly Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Rly to Aberdare 17+73 Quakers Yard Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Rly to Nelson & Pontypool Incline Top Aberdare Branch to Aberdare 16+28 Abercynon Llancaiach Branch to Nelson Ynysybwl Branch to Ynysybwl Llancaiach Branch to Nelson via Cilfynydd Rhondda Branch to Treherbert & Maerdy 12+74 Pontypridd Pontypridd, Caerphilly & Newport Rly to Caerphilly 12+01 Treforest Cardiff Rly to Coryton Barry Railway to Barry Docks Llantrisant Branch to Llantrisant 7+24 Taff's Well 5+31 Radyr Llandaff Rhymney Railway to Caerphilly 1+08 Cardiff Queen Street South Wales Railway to Gloucester and London Paddington Cardiff (Great Western) South Wales Railway to Swansea Bute West Dock 0+00 Cardiff Bay

• Merthyr; opened 21 April 1841; closed 1 August 1877; passenger trains transferred to High Street station;
• Brandy Bridge Junction; convergence of line from Merthyr High Street;
• Pentrebach; opened 1 August 1886; renamed Pentre-Bach 1980;
• Troed-y-rhiw; opened by December 1841; still open;
• Merthyr Vale; opened 1 June 1883; still open;
• Quaker's Yard; opened 11 January 1858; renamed Quaker's Yard Low Level 1924; renamed Quaker's Yard 1968; now Quakers Yard; still open;
• Incline Top; opened 29 September 1841; closed December 1857;
• Navigation House; opened 9 October 1840; renamed Aberdare Junction 1849; renamed Abercynon 1896; renamed Abercynon South 1988; renamed Abercynon; still open
• Llancaiach Branch Junction / Stormstown Junction;
• Clydach Court Junction;
• Berw Road Platform; opened 17 October 1904; closed 1 July 1906;
• Pont Shon Norton Junction; convergence of Llancaiach branch;
• Pontypridd Northern Junction; divergence of Pontypridd Loop towards Porth;
• Newbridge Junction; opened 9 October 1840; renamed Pontypridd 1886; still open;
• PC&N Junction; divergence of Caerphilly line;
• Treforest; opened by December 1846; later renamed Trefforest; still open;
• Treforest Junction; divergence of line to Llantrisant, and of Cardiff Railway;
• Maesmawr; opened 30 October 1840; closed 20 April 1841;
• Treforest Estate; opened 5 January 1942; later renamed Trefforest Estate; still open;
• Taff's Well; opened 9 October 1840; alternatively known as Walnut Tree Bridge and Walnut Tree Junction; now Taffs Well; still open; convergence of Nantgarw branch; convergence of Walnut Tree Branch from Penrhos Junction;
• Radyr; opened 1 June 1883; still open; divergence of Radyr Branch (to Penarth);
• Llandaff Loop Junction; convergence of Llandaff Loop;
• Llandaff; opened 9 October 1840; renamed Llandaf; still open;
• Roath Branch Junction;
• Maindy North Road Platform; opened May 1907; renamed Maindy North Road Halt 1922; renamed Maindy Halt 1952; closed 15 September 1958;
• Cathays Woodville Road Platform; opened July 1906; renamed Cathays Woodville Road Halt 1922; renamed Woodville Raod Halt; closed 15 September 1958;
• Cathays; opened 3 October 1983; still open;
• Crockherbtown Lower Junction; divergence of line to Cardiff East Dock;
• Queen Street North Junction; convergence of connection from Heath line;
• Cardiff; opened 9 October 1840; later known as Cardiff Queen Street; still open;
• Cardiff East Branch Junction; divergence of Cardiff East branch;
• Cardiff Bute Dock; opened after April 1841; renamed Cardiff Docks, then Cardiff Bute Road, more recently Cardiff Bay; still open.

Merthyr High Street

• Merthyr (Vale of Neath Railway station); opened 2 November 1853; Taff Vale passenger services transferred in 1 August 1877; renamed Merthyr Tydfil 1980; still open;
• Mardy Junction; divergence of line to Vale of Neath Railway;
• Brandy Bridge Junction; above.

Aberdare line

• Mill Street; opened 5 April 1847; closed 21 November 1852; reopened 26 November 1904; closed to public June 1912 but miners' use continued until 1940s;
• Dare Valley Junction; convergence of line from Nantmelyn;
• Commercial Street Platform; opened 26 November 1904; closed June 1912;
• Aberdare; opened 6 August 1846; renamed Aberdare Low Level 1924; closed 16 March 1964;
• Treaman; opened January 1857; renamed Aberaman 1888; closed 16 March 1964;
• Aberaman; opened 5 April 1847; closed 14 July 1856; divergence of Aberaman Colliery branch;
• Aberaman first station; convergence of line from Aberaman colliery; convergence of Cwmbach branch;
• Duffryn Crossing Platform; opened 26 December 1904; renamed Abercwmboi Platform 1906; renamed Abercwmboi Halt 1922; closed 2 April 1956;
• Fernhill; opened 3 October 1988; still open;
• Mountain Ash; opened 6 August 1846; renamed Mountain Ash Oxford Street 1924; closed 16 March 1964; reopened as Mountain Ash 3 October 1988; still open;
• Penrhiwceiber; opened 1 |June 1883; renamed Penrhiwceiber Low Level 1924; closed 16 March 1964; reopened as Penrhiwceiber 3 October 1988; still open;
• Matthewstown Platform; opened 1 October 1914; renamed Matthewstown Halt 1922; closed 16 March 1964;
• Pontycynon Bridge Platform; opened 26 December 1904; renamed Pontcynon Bridge Platform 1910; renamed Pontcynon Bridge Halt 1922; renamed Pontcynon Halt 1954; closed 16 March 1964;
• Abercynon North; opened 3 October 1988; closed 2008;
• Abercynon; above.

Dare Valley Branch

• Bwllfa Colliery;
• Nantmelyn Platform; opened 1 July 1904 for miners only; closed 1 April 1949;
• Aberdare LL (above)

Rhondda Fawr

Rhondda Valley
miles-chains Blaenrhondda Branch Rhondda & Swansea Bay Rly to Swansea Blaencwm Branch 23-50 Treherbert 22-02 Treorchy 20-75 Ystrad Rhondda 19-07 Llwynypia Clydach Vale Pwllyrhebog Branch Jn 18-03 Tonypandy 17-40 Dinas Maerdy Colliery 22-46 Maerdy 20-60 Ferndale Tylorstown Pontygwaith Halt Wattstown Platform 17-11 Ynyshir Rhondda Fach Junction 16-10 Porth Cymer Colliery Aerw Branch Junction 14-74 Trehafod Hafod Junction Barry Railway to Barry 12-74 Pontypridd to Cardiff │ to Merthyr

• Fernhill Colliery, Blaenrhondda;
• Fernhill Colliery; opened 1875 for miners; closure date uncertain;
• R&SB Junction; convergence of R&SB line;
• Treherbert; opened 12 January 1863; still open;
• Tylacoch Platform; opened October 1906; closed November 1912; reopened as Ynyswen 29 September 1986; still open;
• Treorky; opened 27 September 1869; relocated by 30 chains 3 March 1884; renamed Treorchy 1892; still open;
• Pentre Platform; opened October 1906; closed November 1912;
• Ystrad; opened 4 February 1861; renamed Ton Pentre 29 September 1986; still open;
• Ystrad Rhondda; opened 29 September 1986; still open;
• Llwynypia; opened May 1871; still open;
• Tonypandy and Trealaw; opened 9 March 1908; renamed Tonypandy 1973; still open; convergence of Pwllyrhebog branch;
• Dinas Rhondda; opened 2 August 1886; closed 12 April 1917; reopened July 1919; now Dinas (Rhondda); still open
• Pandy; opened 1 May 1861; closed 2 August 1886;
• Porth; opened 4 February 1861; still open;
• Hafod; opened 30 August 1861; closed 17 October 1892;
• Hafod; opened 17 October 1892; at 14m 72c over three miles from previous station at 18m 8c; renamed Trehafod 1905; still open; convergence or Airw Branch;
• Trehafod Junction; divergence of Barry Railway line;
• Gyfeillon Platform; opened 5 June 1905; closed July 1918;
• Rhondda Cutting; divergence of north curve towards Merthyr;
• Pontypridd; above.

Rhondda Fach

• Maerdy Colliery;
• Maerdy; opened 18 June 1889; closed 15 June 1964;
• Ferndale; opened 1868 as private station for workers of D Davis & Sons; closed 13 March 1875; opened to public 5 June 1876; closed 15 June 1964;
• Tylorstown; opened 24 May 1882; closed 15 June 1964;
• Pontygwaith Platform; opened 5 June 1905; closed 1 October 1914;
• Wattstown Platform; opened 5 June 1905; closed 12 July 1920;
• Ynyshir; opened by July 1885; closed 15 June 1964;
• Porth (above).

Roath branch

• Roath Branch Junction; above;
• Roath Goods;
• Roath Docks.

Radyr to Penarth Harbour

• Radyr; above;
• Quarry Junction; divergence of Llandaff Loop;
• Danescourt; opened 5 October 1987; still open;
• Waterhall Junction; convergence of Llantrisant No 1 Branch (L&TVJR from Common Branch Junction);
• Fairwater; opened 5 October 1987; still open;
• Waun-Gron Park; opened 2 November 1987; still open;
• Ninian Park Platform; opened by July 1934 although probably for football matches from 1912; closed 3 September 1939; reopened as Ninian Park 5 October 1987; still open; convergence of Leckwith Loop; divergence of line to Cardiff Central;
• Penarth South Junction; convergence of line from Cardiff Central;
• Grangetown; opened 29 May 1882; still open;
• Penarth Harbour Branch Junction; divergence of line to Penarth Town;
• Penarth Dock; opened 20 February 1878; closed 1 January 1962.

Penarth Branch

Penarth Harbour Junction;

• Llandough Platform; opened 13 June 1904; closed 3 June 1918;
• Penarth Dock Branch Junction; divergence of line to Penarth Dock;
• Cogan Junction; divergence of Barry Railway;
• Dingle Road; opened 1 March 1904; still open;
• Penarth Town; opened 20 February 1878; later Penarth; still open;
• Alberta Place Halt; opened 19 September 1904; closed 6 May 1968;
• Lower Penarth; opened 1 February 1897; renamed Lower Penarth Halt 1935; closed 14 June 1954;
• Lavernock; opened 1 December 1887; closed 6 May 1968;
• Swanbridge Halt; opened by July 1906; closed 6 May 1968;
• Sully; opened 24 December 1888; closed 6 May 1968;
• Biglis Junction; convergence with Barry Railway.^[26][27][28]

Locomotive classes

• Taff Vale Railway A class
• Taff Vale Railway H class
• Taff Vale Railway O1 class
• Taff Vale Railway O2 class
• Taff Vale Railway O3 class
• Taff Vale Railway O4 class
• Taff Vale Railway U class
• Taff Vale Railway U1 class

Carriages and wagons

A selection of original Taff Vale rolling stock has survived into the present day.

Taff Vale Railway Coaches Nos. 220, 153, 145, 52, and 31 are all preserved at the Gwili Railway in west Wales, and are in the care of the Gwili Vintage Carriage group.^[32] TVR coach No. 73 has also been restored to service on the Swindon and Cricklade Railway.^[33] Coaches Nos. 277, 210, and 112 stand in a private residence. Coaches Nos. 203, 48, and 51 are now owned by the National Museums & Galleries of Wales.

Only one mineral wagon is known still to exist today, at the Didcot Railway Centre.^[34]

Locomotives

Two locomotives are preserved.

Taff Vale Railway O2 class class 0-6-2T No. 85, built in 1899 at Neilson, Reid & Co., Glasgow, is currently undergoing overhaul on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

Taff Vale Railway O1 class class No. 28, built in 1897 at Cardiff West Yard Locomotive Works, is the last surviving Welsh standard-gauge locomotive. It is owned by the National Railway Museum, under the custodianship of the National Museum of Wales and requires a major overhaul. As of 2013, the cosmetic restoration of No. 28 was to go ahead. The aim was to return the locomotive to original condition.^[35]