Beaufort railway station was a station on the London and North Western Railway's Heads of the Valleys line serving the village of Beaufort in the Welsh county of Brecknockshire.[1]
Beaufort | |
|---|---|
 Station site in 1965. | |
| General information | |
| Location | Beaufort, Blaenau Gwent Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°47′53″N 3°12′24″W / 51.7980°N 3.2067°W |
| Grid reference | SO168116 |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1 March 1864 | Opened |
| 2 September 1867 | Becomes a junction for Ebbw Vale |
| 2 April 1951 | Ebbw Vale branch closes |
| 6 January 1958 | Closed to passengers |
| 2 November 1959 | Closed to goods traffic |
History
editThe first section of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway from Abergavenny to Brynmawr was opened on 29 September 1862.[2] The line was leased and operated by the London and North Western Railway which acquired the smaller railway company on 30 June 1866.[3][4] Beaufort station opened on 1 March 1864.[5][6] It became a junction station on 2 September 1867 with the opening of a branch to Ebbw Vale.[7][8] The station nameboards read "Change for Ebbw Vale" even though the branch service started at Brynmawr.[9][10] Beaufort was busy with Ebbw Vale traffic until c. 1925 as there was a daily service to and from Brynamwr of over thirty trains.[11] Ebbw Vale was reached by the 93-yard (85 m) Beaufort Viaduct before reaching Ebbw Vale Junction and the 93-yard (85 m) Rhyd Viaduct.[12] Ebbw Vale station was near the area which is known locally as 'The Crossing', in the town centre.[citation needed]
Beaufort station was situated in a cutting to the west of a road bridge.[13] It stood opposite the Beaufort Ballroom and adjacent to the Beaufort Arms Public House.[citation needed] It had two platforms accessible by flights of steps leading down from the road bridge.[14] The main station building was built of stone, with a timber waiting shelter was provided on the opposite platform.[9] As Beaufort is situated 1,200 feet (370 m) above sea level, harsh winters such as that of 1946-47 could result in the cutting being blocked with snow.[15] The line to Ebbw Vale closed on 2 April 1951.[16][17] The Abergavenny line was the next to close when passenger services ceased on 4 January 1958.[18] The last passenger service over the line was an SLS railtour on 5 January 1958 hauled by LNWR 0-8-0 49121 and LNWR 0-6-2 tank 58926'[18][19] Final closure came on 2 November 1959 when coal traffic from Tredegar ceased.[9][20]
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevil Halt Line and station closed |
London and North Western Railway Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway |
Brynmawr Line and station closed | ||
| Ebbw Vale (High Level) Line and station closed |
Present
editThe station site has been obliterated following realignment of the junction of the A4047 and B4560 at SO168117.[21] In addition, the cutting which held the station has been infilled to road level.[22]
References
editNotes
edit- ^ Conolly (2004), p. 8, section A4.
- ^ Tasker (1986), p. 18.
- ^ Awdry (1990), p. 93.
- ^ Hall (2009), p. 63.
- ^ Quick (2009), p. 77.
- ^ Butt (1995), p. 30.
- ^ Quick (2009), p. 161.
- ^ Butt (1995), p. 88.
- ^ a b c Hall (2009), p. 65.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 72.
- ^ Tasker (1986), p. 125.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. XV.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. XIV.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 70.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 71.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 74.
- ^ Page (1988), p. 46.
- ^ a b Tasker (1986), p. 139.
- ^ Edge (2002), fig. 65.
- ^ Clinker (1988), p. 10.
- ^ Page (1988), p. 155.
- ^ Hall (2009), p. 69.
Sources
edit- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- Clinker, C. R. (1988) [1978]. Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1980 (2nd ed.). Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 978-0-905466-91-0. OCLC 655703233.
- Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
- Edge, David (September 2002). Abergavenny to Merthyr including the Ebbw Vale Branch. Country Railway Routes. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-915.
- Hall, Mike (2009). Lost Railways of South Wales. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-172-2.
- Page, James (1988) [1979]. South Wales. Forgotten Railways. Vol. 8. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-946537-44-5.
- Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
- Tasker, W.W. (1986). The Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny Railway and branches. Poole: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-86093-339-7.