The Order of the Bed Planning: WVR 4

Part 4: Sweeping into Monmouth

Warning - The Order of the Bed Planning Department does not draw basic plans to scale.

This is Part 4 of the Order of the Bed's plans for reopening the Wye Valley Railway

Throughout the four principle articles of this section we will feature three ways to re-open the line. Option 1 is a simple system of four steps, around which these webpages were orientated. Option 2 is a simple case of re-opening the entire line in one go, which is merely provided in stages to fit in with the page format. Option 3 is a confused mess made worse by our decision not to restructure the pages for it. These are example plans which anyone trying to re-open the Wye Valley Railway is welcome to nick providing you let us join in the fun. They are not by any means on the verge of being implemented.

Part 4 is a very mixed section of line. If any sidings or maintenance facilities were provided it would require a tunnel, as such luxuries would have to be built at the west end of Monmouth Tunnel. Only two stations would be involved (Monmouth and Wyesham) but these would be joined by residential estates, Monmouth viaduct, farmland and a section of hillside running in the woods - essentially every aspect of the line (except for Tintern Abbey) condensed into 3 miles. A proposed Sustrans Connect2 route would link Troy station with its former fellow station at May Hill (also closed) and associated developments.

Option 1: Continued extensions a short while later would return rail to Monmouth and Wyesham. This would encourage tourism in the area as well as encouraging people to visit Monmouth, its shops, and the area nearby. It would also reduce the need for Monmouth to surrender itself to the car in order to obtain tourists.

Option 2: The line would be completed to Monmouth Troy. Final consolidation would take place and Tidenham station would be rebuilt into a country station fit to face the future. The railway could then be re-opened with suitable fanfare to through services from Cardiff and Newport.

Option 3: Work would be completed with the rebuilding of Monmouth viaduct and Monmouth Troy. With the line complete and trains running from Monmouth to Tintern Quarry it would be time to overhaul the line for year-round traffic. This would include refreshing the line between Tintern Quarry and Wye Valley Junction, which would then be re-opened, allowing through services from the main line to operate.

Long term aims

Long term aims involve continuing extensions to Ross-on-Wye, Pontypool, and the Forest of Dean. However, as these plans are still on the drawing board, we don't want to be too precise about them yet.

<<<Return to Planning<<<

>>>Next>>>

<<<Previous<<<

East of Redbrook is the Coleford Branch - a railway built in 1883 by the Great Western Railway to assist in carrying larger amounts of coal and iron out of the Dean Forest. To a greater extent it followed the course of the earlier Monmouth Tramroad, running from Monmouth to Coleford where it made a very poor quality link with the Severn & Wye Railway-owned branch which carried the same name. Unfortunately the trade was in decline and the line closed west of Whitecliff Quarry in 1917. There were 4 tunnels on entire length of the line (about 5 miles) - these were Whitecliff, Newlands, Redbrook 1 and Redbrook 2. This photo shows the railway in early winter with the portal of the first Rebrook tunnel not quite visible on the left. The trackbed is in fact in fairly good condition considering the length of time it has been disused. Access to the two Redbrook tunnels should not be possible - both were used as ammunition stores during World War 1 and World War 2 and were securely bricked up for the purpose. The trackbed here is visible skirting the edge of the hill. The Tunnels in detail

The railways from Chepstow and Coleford met at Wyesham Junction. This was the furthest east the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway got and the closest to Coleford. In 1861 Wyesham Wharf was opened here for transshipment of goods from tramway to railway. The wharf grew in importance with the opening of the WVR but was done away with in 1882 to make way for the Coleford branch. This was the site of the junction for many years but the closure of the Coleford branch saw the WVR become the sole line at this point. The last rails at this point were removed in 1967. The Coleford branch came in from the left down the fairly visible incline from Coleford while the WVR arrived in on the fairly level line on the right. Just on the left amongst the brambles was Wyesham Junction signal box, which was taken out of use on the closure of the Coleford Branch and abolished in 1922. After a few years of general decay it was demolished. The two railways are still in use and visible paths run for considerable distances along each one, shown here by the mud strips following the two routes.

This was Wyesham Halt, which holds the record for having the least trace left of any stop on the line - not only has the platform gone but the embankment has gone too. On the other side of the wall covered in ivy is the A 466, where there is still a dip for the railway to pass over the road. Wyesham Halt opened in 1931 and had a wooden trestle platform with a rather small corrogated galvanised steel shelter on the platform. It survived 18 years before closure in 1959. On the 4th of January 1959 the last passenger passed here in the morning to what was probably a unique greeting for a last train - a pelting of snowballs as it passed the suburb. The trackbed on the approach to the halt to the south has now been infringed upon by a collection of houses. The new line and Wyesham Junction would be built with a minor refinement to the route to avoid the houses, possibly easing the approach curve to the viaduct.

Monmouth Viaduct is quite possibly a listed structure, but would unfortunately probably cost around £1,500,000 to restore due to the need to remove bushes and grass from the top, repair stonework, and replace the centre steel girder. Although using a single girder to cross the river was also done by the WVR, this bridge was built under the direction of Engineer Joseph Firbank for the Coleford, Monmouth Usk and Pontypool Railway. This bridge was built in 1864 but only used for freight traffic to Wyesham until the WVR opened in 1876. Note the different colours of stones depending on the part of the bridge. It is located between the sites of Wyesham Junction and Monmouth Troy - indeed, it is the only structure of note on the short section of line between the two places and makes up the majority of the run.

Monmouth (Troy) was opened in 1857 and lasted for 102 years until closure in 1959 to passengers. From here it was downhill all the way, as in 1964 it closed to freight, in 1986 the main building was taken off into North-east Gloucestershire and in 2002 the goods shed was demolished to make way for a housing estate. Today there is little trace of the station other than a tunnel at the west end (hidden by trees, but the light stone arch is just visible among the darker stones and trees) and the two viaducts to the east. Work here would take ages due to the need to supply a decent access road, proper foot access over the busy, nearby A449/ A40 dual carridgeway, new buildings and a track to get trains in on. As well as this, the rather natural but untidy brambles, grass and several of the trees would all have to go. The cost would probably be around £100,000 and would hopefully be met by grants and the local authority. We don't really want loans because people always expect you to pay them back and get rather angry when you don't.

<<<Return to Planning<<<

>>>Next>>>

<<<Previous<<<

24/09/08

	East of Redbrook is the Coleford Branch - a railway built in 1883 by the Great Western Railway to assist in carrying larger amounts of coal and iron out of the Dean Forest. To a greater extent it followed the course of the earlier Monmouth Tramroad, running from Monmouth to Coleford where it made a very poor quality link with the Severn & Wye Railway-owned branch which carried the same name. Unfortunately the trade was in decline and the line closed west of Whitecliff Quarry in 1917. There were 4 tunnels on entire length of the line (about 5 miles) - these were Whitecliff, Newlands, Redbrook 1 and Redbrook 2. This photo shows the railway in early winter with the portal of the first Rebrook tunnel not quite visible on the left. The trackbed is in fact in fairly good condition considering the length of time it has been disused. Access to the two Redbrook tunnels should not be possible - both were used as ammunition stores during World War 1 and World War 2 and were securely bricked up for the purpose. The trackbed here is visible skirting the edge of the hill. The Tunnels in detail
	The railways from Chepstow and Coleford met at Wyesham Junction. This was the furthest east the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway got and the closest to Coleford. In 1861 Wyesham Wharf was opened here for transshipment of goods from tramway to railway. The wharf grew in importance with the opening of the WVR but was done away with in 1882 to make way for the Coleford branch. This was the site of the junction for many years but the closure of the Coleford branch saw the WVR become the sole line at this point. The last rails at this point were removed in 1967. The Coleford branch came in from the left down the fairly visible incline from Coleford while the WVR arrived in on the fairly level line on the right. Just on the left amongst the brambles was Wyesham Junction signal box, which was taken out of use on the closure of the Coleford Branch and abolished in 1922. After a few years of general decay it was demolished. The two railways are still in use and visible paths run for considerable distances along each one, shown here by the mud strips following the two routes.
	This was Wyesham Halt, which holds the record for having the least trace left of any stop on the line - not only has the platform gone but the embankment has gone too. On the other side of the wall covered in ivy is the A 466, where there is still a dip for the railway to pass over the road. Wyesham Halt opened in 1931 and had a wooden trestle platform with a rather small corrogated galvanised steel shelter on the platform. It survived 18 years before closure in 1959. On the 4th of January 1959 the last passenger passed here in the morning to what was probably a unique greeting for a last train - a pelting of snowballs as it passed the suburb. The trackbed on the approach to the halt to the south has now been infringed upon by a collection of houses. The new line and Wyesham Junction would be built with a minor refinement to the route to avoid the houses, possibly easing the approach curve to the viaduct.
	Monmouth Viaduct is quite possibly a listed structure, but would unfortunately probably cost around £1,500,000 to restore due to the need to remove bushes and grass from the top, repair stonework, and replace the centre steel girder. Although using a single girder to cross the river was also done by the WVR, this bridge was built under the direction of Engineer Joseph Firbank for the Coleford, Monmouth Usk and Pontypool Railway. This bridge was built in 1864 but only used for freight traffic to Wyesham until the WVR opened in 1876. Note the different colours of stones depending on the part of the bridge. It is located between the sites of Wyesham Junction and Monmouth Troy - indeed, it is the only structure of note on the short section of line between the two places and makes up the majority of the run.
	Monmouth (Troy) was opened in 1857 and lasted for 102 years until closure in 1959 to passengers. From here it was downhill all the way, as in 1964 it closed to freight, in 1986 the main building was taken off into North-east Gloucestershire and in 2002 the goods shed was demolished to make way for a housing estate. Today there is little trace of the station other than a tunnel at the west end (hidden by trees, but the light stone arch is just visible among the darker stones and trees) and the two viaducts to the east. Work here would take ages due to the need to supply a decent access road, proper foot access over the busy, nearby A449/ A40 dual carridgeway, new buildings and a track to get trains in on. As well as this, the rather natural but untidy brambles, grass and several of the trees would all have to go. The cost would probably be around £100,000 and would hopefully be met by grants and the local authority. We don't really want loans because people always expect you to pay them back and get rather angry when you don't.