Railtour at Brynmenyn Station

Image: © Martin Tester Taken: 14 Oct 1967

Brynmenyn was the junction for steeply graded lines up the Garw & Ogmore valleys & at one time had 4 platforms! On the right the DMU railtour is about to travel up the Garw valley line to Blaengarw. It was opened to goods traffic in 1876 but not until 1902 for passenger traffic. Closure to passengers came in 1953. Coal traffic ended post-2000 but more recent photos on geograph suggest the track might have been left in place. The train will subsequently return & travel up the Ogmore valley line on the left to Nantymoel. This was opened to goods in 1865 & passengers in 1873. Closure to passenger traffic came in 1958 & finally to coal traffic in 1989. Notable is the station nameboard - 9 years after the last passenger needed it! Ben Brooksbank's 1962 photo Image was taken from the far end of the Garw valley line platform. In both photos the signal box can be seen. The railtour, 'South Wales Valley Tour No.1', was an extensive & fascinating ramble along many goods-only branch lines marred only by the miserable weather. Details of the route can be found on the Six Bells Junction website http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/ .

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