Pontarddulais/Abertawe Cledrau Coll

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-Gwyn, we're here at what was once

-Pontarddulais Junction station...

-..as we concentrate this week on the

-line from Pontarddulais to Swansea.

-We're standing on the spot

-where the double line ran...

-..and there was a crossing here too.

-The station stood behind us at

-the point of the junction itself.

-It's possible to imagine

-the line leading away from us.

-Yes, it's still fairly visible

-at this point.

-The station has changed but there's

-still a waiting room here...

-..but today it's a doctor's

-waiting room.

-It used to be extremely busy here.

-There were six tinplate works

-in Pontarddulais, a foundry...

-..as well as the chemical works

-- all supplied by the station.

-Anything that went in or out

-went via the station.

-There were no lorries in those days.

-There were five stations between

-Pontarddulais and Swansea Victoria.

-There was the halt at Groves End.

-Then you had Gorseinon,

-Gowerton, Dunvant, Killay...

-..Mumbles Road, Swansea Bay

-and Swansea Victoria.

-I used to go down with the children

-at ten on Saturday night...

-..to collect the papers

-and then run back up with them.

-The shops would be open with

-everyone waiting in Pontarddulais...

-..ready to receive

-their Saturday night paper.

-We'd run back up from the station,

-selling our papers on the way.

-During the rugby season...

-..the train journey to Scotland

-was a regular highlight.

-I remember the trains when Wales

-used to play against Scotland.

-They used to come back

-on the Sunday afternoon.

-We used to stand at the gates

-and wave to them...

-..but the lads were all too tired.

-Thank goodness the trip to Scotland

-only happened once every two years!

-But instead of going north today,

-we'll head south.

-Leaving Pontarddulais Junction, the

-first stretch is straight and level.

-Waving goodbye

-to the town's industries...

-..the route of the M4 today

-cuts across the old railway line...

-..near the site of the former

-Groves End colliery.

-Gorseinon is today

-completely transformed.

-The station buildings, the platform,

-the signals, the bridge, the track.

-All of them have disappeared.

-Today, memories are all that remain.

-It would be too risky to walk

-where the track used to be...

-..because that's where

-the main road is now.

-Yes, a new road took over

-when the line was closed.

-But this adjacent path

-is quite convenient.

-It's easy to imagine the trains

-rushing past here, Gwyn.

-I'm not sure about rushing past.

-You had a lot of slow freight trains

-with their clattering wagons...

-..and the banging sounds

-as they shunted.

-This northern stretch of the line

-serviced the industry around here.

-It's still busy enough, anyway.

-The nature of the line changes

-as it heads south.

-Next stop, Gowerton. Away we go.

-Goodbye to the old station at

-Gorseinon and on with our journey.

-At one time there were

-two stations here in Gowerton...

-..as well as the junction

-for Penclawdd on the left.

-Now, only the old GWR station on the

-Swansea to Fishguard line remains.

-What used to be on this site, Gwyn?

-The junction was here and the line

-to Penclawdd went off that way.

-When was that line closed?

-When was that line closed?

-

-It closed to freight in '52.

-It had already closed to passenger

-trains before the war in the '30s.

-But our line continues ahead.

-But our line continues ahead.

-

-Yes, it does.

-The old station and the bridge

-have long since disappeared...

-..but the authorities have granted

-due respect to the line's old route.

-Some people still have

-happy memories of the trains.

-We used to call it the push'n'pull,

-because it couldn't turn around.

-It would push us on the ride down

-to Swansea Bay and Victoria...

-..and then pull back up

-towards Pontarddulais.

-It was great, with our heads out of

-the window on the ride to Swansea...

-..but coming back wasn't such fun.

-The train was pulling

-and the steam was blown backwards.

-As children, we had our heads out.

-But we'd get the sand and steam from

-the loco coming back into our eyes.

-When we got home we were blind,

-our eyes full of sand and steam!

-From Gowerton,

-the landscape changes.

-The line twists and gradually

-descends through the trees...

-..in the direction of Dunvant,

-Killay and Swansea Bay.

-Gwyn, this is all that remains of

-the old platform at Dunvant station.

-No trains, but there's still

-coming and going along these tracks.

-It's busy and even dangerous at

-times with all the bikes going past.

-You can ride as far as Swansea

-on your bike now.

-So I hear.

-So I hear.

-

-When did you last ride a bike?

-I haven't been on a bike

-since the age of steam!

-Many old railway routes have

-been reopened as cycle paths...

-..under the auspices of the cycling

-charity that renovates paths...

-..giving memorable, appealing

-and safe detours for cyclists.

-I don't know how safe this

-cycle path is with us riding on it!

-It's almost forty years

-since trains passed this way...

-..but the name on the inn

-is a reminder of past times.

-At the Railway Inn we met an old

-guard who once worked on the line.

-Every Thursday we had

-two large wooden boxes...

-..chained around the brake

-and padlocked.

-I'd lock the door to the train.

-In my book, everyone

-had to sign for their pay.

-I'd give out the pay at every

-station from here to Llandrindod.

-Then I'd send the box

-back to Swansea.

-I bet you were popular.

-I bet you were popular.

-

-Yes, every Thursday!

-On the way back we'd pick up calves

-at nearly every station.

-They were tied inside sacks

-but could stand up.

-Sometimes they'd

-work themselves free.

-If the corridor door opened they'd

-end up charging through the train!

-At the next station

-I'd have to herd them back together.

-People would bring me pigeons in

-baskets and pay me half a crown...

-..to release the pigeons in Builth

-or Llandrindod or Craven Arms.

-Once, after releasing the pigeons...

-..they flew into the train

-instead of out!

-The passengers must have enjoyed

-some wonderful views, Gwyn.

-Yes, although they may not always

-have fully appreciated them...

-..if they were reading newspapers

-or sleeping.

-Look there in the trees.

-Look there in the trees.

-

-Is that the original one?

-Yes, it is.

-What is the significance

-of the number 8 on each side?

-It denotes eight miles,

-visible from both directions.

-Does it also tell us

-we've come halfway?

-I suppose so. We're about halfway

-between Pontarddulais and Swansea.

-

-When we heard the Sunday School trip

-was going on the train to Swansea...

-..we were over the moon!

-We had never been on the train,

-the war was over...

-..and we were so excited we just

-couldn't wait for the day to arrive.

-When the day finally came,

-we all met outside some local pubs.

-That was ironic

-for a Sunday School outing!

-So we stood outside the Fountain

-or the King or the Farmers...

-..and then walked down together

-to the station.

-Before us is the sight that

-awaited passengers coming through.

-Let's take a look from

-the top of the wall here.

-There's the first glimpse

-of the sea.

-Was the track at this level too?

-Yes, the track crossed

-above the road on a high bridge.

-Opposite, you can still see the high

-ground which the bridge joined up.

-From Mumbles Road

-to Victoria station...

-..the line practically

-runs along the beach.

-Today's cycle path closely

-follows the train route.

-Here we are Gwyn,

-not at the end of the journey...

-..but the end of the line on

-the site of Swansea leisure centre.

-Victoria station was roughly here...

-..but can you identify

-any points on this old map?

-There's this small building.

-We can see the location

-of the station itself...

-..and on the other side of the road

-stands the Baptist chapel.

-In this old photograph we can see

-the corner of this building...

-..which can still be

-clearly identified today.

-The station was bombed

-during the war.

-The glass panes on the roof

-were destroyed and never repaired.

-No more money was spent on it and

-it became quite a depressing place.

-It was a wooden construction.

-Well, iron constructions

-with the buildings made out of wood.

-The original station was built

-out of wood, which was widely used.

-The line came to an end here but

-where did the trams go from here?

-The trams came out from the station

-and crossed the road over there.

-Let's see if there's any

-indication of the old trams.

-There are no trams now for certain.

-Ten stations were scattered along

-the line from Swansea to Mumbles.

-It's nearly 200 years since

-the Mumbles Railway opened.

-Its appearance changed

-several times over the years...

-..and some of Swansea's residents

-still remember it fondly.

-Wonderful memories - walking along

-the coastline brings it all back...

-..the Mumbles Railway running

-along the beautiful Swansea Bay.

-It was a black day on 5 January 1960

-when they closed the line.

-Tourism and everything went with it.

-What kind of an experience

-was the ride on the tram?

-It was great fun, everyone looked

-forward to arriving at the beach.

-The trams used to be full of mothers

-with their children - it was great!

-We tend to think of trams

-as catering for tourists...

-..but not so the Mumbles Railway.

-No - it was useful and practical

-to come into Swansea for shopping.

-Mumbles wasn't such a big place

-at the time...

-..and cars weren't such

-a common sight in those days.

-So the tram ran a regular service

-and was always full of passengers.

-What about safety?

-Were there accidents on the tram?

-It used to rattle as it went!

-It used to rattle as it went!

-

-Apart from the sand...

-..the biggest problem was people

-who were drunk crossing the line.

-They said they used to carry a look

-out on the front of the tram...

-..to see if there was a drunk

-on the line.

-But it was always great fun.

-Here we are on the bridge, looking

-towards the old Victoria station.

-I still find it hard to imagine

-how at one time...

-..three different modes of transport

-used to pass beneath this bridge.

-The line from Pontarddulais ran

-more or less where the pavement is.

-You had two lines slightly wider

-than the width of the pavement.

-Then you had a stone wall

-like this one...

-..with the Mumbles line

-the other side of it.

-Beyond the Mumbles line

-was the main road.

-Was the sand a major problem?

-Yes - you can imagine how the wind

-blew the sand during storms...

-..over the wall and onto the track

-and right inside the steam engines.

-Gwyn, we've walked along the

-old route of the Mumbles Railway...

-..which has tremendous

-historical significance.

-It is unique in that it was

-the world's first passenger line.

-Passenger services started in 1807

-when horses drew the carriages.

-It's said there were sails on

-some carriages to harness the wind.

-After that, passengers travelled

-on steam engines...

-..and then on electric trams.

-If it were running today it would

-attract visitors from everywhere.

-There is such interest

-in railways today...

-..people would flock here from

-America, Europe and everywhere.

-Then they could say they'd been

-on the world's first passenger line.

-Cars now occupy the route

-of the old Mumbles Railway...

-..but the pier has survived

-with little change.

-There I met Mair Griffiths

-from Pontarddulais...

-..who once worked on the railway.

-She was the only female

-member of staff at the time.

-We were always on it as children.

-If the tide was in,

-the view was beautiful...

-..with the sun shining on the water

-and I loved it on the little train.

-On the pier we can hear

-the lighthouse in the background.

-Did a lot of people come here

-for the day from Pontarddulais?

-Yes, yes, the train would leave

-at about 1.50pm.

-Mothers would ride

-with their children...

-..and we'd be busy selling tickets

-and loading prams and pushchairs.

-They'd alight in Swansea Bay...

-..and the porter would escort them

-across the line to the beach.

-The journey's end, Gwyn

-and I must say I've enjoyed myself.

-The combination of train and tram...

-..and the geographical variety

-from the mountain to the sea.

-It's a pity we've lost this line...

-..as a result of mismanagement

-more than anything.

-The loss of this line

-is a loss to Wales.

-The seagulls are crying above us

-and as we're at the seaside...

-..I think we deserve an ice cream

-as we search for the next line.

-I think it's my turn to buy,

-isn't it, Arfon?

-I think so, after all

-the cups of tea I've bought you!

-S4C subtitles by

-Testun Cyf