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(built 1945 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn)
on the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway.
Brecon Mountain Railway
and Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
Sunday, 17th May 2015
Tickets: £40
Join members of the Slough & Windsor Railway Society on a luxury coach trip to two contrasting steam railways in South Wales.
First stop is the narrow gauge Brecon Mountain Railway, for a steam-hauled journey through the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park. You will ride along the full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir, to Torpantau. On the way back you can visit the new steam museum (or the café!) at Pontsticill station, and look round the loco shed at Pant.
Remembering South Wales' industrial past, our second stop is the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway; the highest standard-gauge heritage line in the UK. Starting from Furnace Sidings, you have the option of travelling to the famous Whistle Inn, then down the line to Blaenavon, or visiting the Big Pit National Coal Mining Museum, where you can enjoy a 50 minute underground tour, if you wish. (Please see the 'Options' section for further important details.)
Tickets are £40, which includes train fares for both railways. Entrance to Big Pit is free.
There is a detailed itinerary below.
Coach departs Slough railway station at 5.45am, returning to Slough around 21:30. (tbc)
If interested, please contact John Coke (01753 860567) or John Appleton (01628 417529).
Brecon Mountain Railway
The Brecon Mountain Railway is a 2ft (603 mm) narrow gauge tourist railway that runs through the Brecon Beacons along the full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir and uphill passing the nearby upper (Pentwyn) reservoir to Torpantau. It is located three miles north of Merthyr Tydfil.
The line is 5 miles (8.0 km) in length and runs along part of the trackbed of the northern section of the former standard gauge Brecon and Merthyr Railway, from Pant to a new station at Torpantau, just short of the southern entrance to the 667yd long Torpantau tunnel, the highest railway tunnel in Great Britain.
The usual motive power on the BMR is a US-built Baldwin 4-6-2 of 1930, rescued from South Africa in 1990 and restored to full working order in 1997.
Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a 2-mile (3 km) line between Whistle Inn halt (near the pub famed for its collection of miner's lamps), southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of the former furnace of the Big Pit colliery ("Furnace Sidings").
The line is the highest preserved standard-gauge line in the United Kingdom, and also uniquely has the only standard-gauge rail-over-rail bridge on a heritage railway.
Motive power for the steam-hauled services is usually one of a pair of 'Austerity' tank locomotives. The railway has an extensive collection of steam and diesel locomotives, some ex- main line, but mostly industrial in origin; however, the majority of the fleet is 'in store' or under restoration.
Big Pit National Coal Mining Museum
Big Pit was a working coal mine from 1860 to 1980. Opened to visitors from 1980 under the auspices of the National Museum Wales, the museum is dedicated to the operational preservation of the Welsh heritage of coal mining. Big Pit is part of the industrial landscape of Blaenavon that was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
The museum makes use of many of the original buildings, and there are many items of old mining railway equipment scattered about. The pithead gear is still fully functional, although the winding engine is no longer driven by steam.
The highlight of any visit is a 50-minute underground tour, 90m (300ft) below ground, where visitors are kitted up with helmet, lamp, and safety gear, and guided around the subterranean passages by an ex-miner.
Options – Big Pit
For the second part of the day you have two options:
- Unlimited travel on the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway (see timetable).
- Visit Big Pit, optionally taking the 50-minute underground tour. Please note, the museum and railway are operated independently, and the last train departs before the last underground tour finishes. So, although you can take the train to Big Pit, you will have to walk back. Big Pit is a large site, on the side of a steep hill. Although adapted for visitors, it is still essentially an industrial environment, and the underground tour involves a 700 metre walk carrying 5kg of safety equipment. Consequently, the museum provides an Access Guide for visitors, particularly those with any kind of physical impairment.
Please say if you intend to visit Big Pit as we need to give them advance notice of how many visitors to expect.
Return to top...The itinerary includes the additional timings for those visiting Big Pit.
Itinerary
| 05:45 | Coach departs Slough Station |
| --:-- | Comfort break |
| 10:15 |
Brecon Mountain Railway (latest) Coach arrives Pant Station |
| 10:30 | BMR train to Torpantau and back: round trip takes 90mins. On return leg, includes 20min stop at Pontsticill station, with time to visit the new steam museum (or the café). |
| 12:00 | Train returns to Pant – time to visit loco shed |
| 13:00 | Coach departs Pant |
| 13:30 |
Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway Coach arrives Furnace Sidings |
| 14:15 | P&BR train departs for Whistle Inn Halt. |
| 14:23 | Train departs Whistle Inn Halt. |
| 14:33 | Train arrives Big Pit Halt for the museum. The last underground tour is at 15:30 and lasts around 50mins. Everyone should be topside by 16:45, and then you have a 5 minute walk back to Furnace Sidings, with time to look around before the coach leaves. |
| 18:00 | Coach departs Furnace Sidings for journey back to Slough |
| --:-- | Comfort break |
| 21:30 | (approx) Coach arrives back at Slough Station |
Refreshments: as we shall only be making short stops, it is strongly recommended that you bring enough food and drink to last you the whole day.
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