page_title: Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company
section_title: Upgrading the Western Valley Line
hierarchical_section_title: Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company / Upgrading the Western Valley Line
caption_attribution_description: English: System map of the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company, Wales, in 1855
context_page_description: The Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company was a canal and railway company that operated a canal and a network of railways in the Western Valley and Eastern Valley of Newport, Monmouthshire. It started as the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation and opened canals from Newport to Pontypool and to Crumlin from 1796. Numerous tramroads connected nearby pits and ironworks with the canal.
  After 1802 the company built a tramway from Nine Mile Point, west of Risca, to Newport, and an associated company, the Sirhowy Tramroad, connected from Tredegar. Steam locomotives were used from 1829. By 1850 pressure was mounting to modernise the line, and in 1848 an Act of Parliament authorised conversion to a modern railway, construction of a new railway from Newport to Pontypool, and a change of name for the Company to the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company.
  The high volume of mineral activity in the area kept the Company in good financial health for many years, but it failed to keep abreast of competing developments, and faced with unforeseen major loss of business it sold the rights to operate its network to the Great Western Railway in 1875.
context_section_description: The Newport to Risca (and Nine Mile Point) tramroad was extended from Risca to Crumlin in 1829, directly paralleling the canal. It became known as the Western Valley Line. Most of the traffic was still horse-drawn. The Rumney Tramroad was under construction, running on the eastern side of the Rhymney Valley it joined the Monmouthshire Tramway at Tydu (later named Bassaleg), and ran along the Park Mile. It was completed in 1836, and a further five carriers started to use the line, which was becoming seriously congested.
  New locomotives had to be ordered for the Western Valley Line; the first was received from Grylls of Llanelly during December 1848. It weighed nearly 20 tons, more than double the weight of any locomotive previously seen on the Western Valley lines.
  With the Company absolved from the supply of mineral wagons, it now published a specification for the carriers' wagons so that they could operate together in trains, as few of the existing wagons were compatible with each other. The carriers had 4,000 wagons between them and there was a protest at the cost of converting them. Captain Simmons of the Board of Trade was called in to adjudicate.
  In fact Simmons reviewed the whole of the Company's proposed operation, and on 28 April 1849 they received his judgment. He was critical of the combination rail and wheel arrangement, and he recommended that "proper" railway track should be used, laid adjacent to the existing tramplate to allow for continued operation during the conversion. He wanted the railway fenced, and level crossing gates and signalling to be provided. All the wagons in use were unsuitable for a passenger carrying railway, and they had to be replaced with those of an approved type, with wrought iron wheels, springs and buffers.
  A similar report had been received by the Canal Company in 1847, so that it was impossible to claim lack of knowledge of the recommendations, and the Company was obliged to proceed with the work. By 1 August 1849 it appeared that opening to locomotive operation could take place. In fact eight new locomotives were delivered shortly before the proposed inauguration, but the combination tramplates were to be used. The locomotives were so heavy at about 20 tons, that widespread breakage of the new tram-plates took place, causing serious damage to the locomotives in addition. The Company reverted to horse traction, and the intended passenger service was abandoned.
  To ease the situation, Crawshay Bailey of Nantyglo offered them 2,000 tons of urgently needed rails, valued at £10,000, in exchange for an equivalent value of shares in the Company. The new rails were of a completely different design to Barber's combination rail, and similar to the Great Western design of bridge rail which the South Wales Railway was laying on its line through Newport. The rail weighed 120 lbs. to the yard, and was described as a kind of rail and tramplate combined in such a way that neither would interfere with the other, but would allow the present antiquated trams and the locomotive engines to travel with perfect safety and ease.
  David Jones, the new Company Engineer worked quickly, applying himself fully to the whole of the Western Valley section. Tenders were invited for booking offices and waiting rooms at Crumlin, Aberbeeg, Cwmtillery, Blaina and Ebbw Vale. Additional tenders were also invited for extra wagons suitable for carrying hay, straw, pitwood and coke.
  Towards the end of 1850 the whole of the line had been re-laid on wooden sleepers, and at the sharp curves the new type of rail was laid, and the curves eased. Captain Laffan inspected the line on 15 October 1850, and at last the opening for passenger operation was approved. The work in the Western Valley had cost £136,000, and the line opened for passenger traffic on 23 December 1850. Initially there were two passenger trains a day in each direction. In fact at the half-yearly shareholders' meeting on 15 May 1850 it was announced that "as regards the western valleys the whole of the goods and mineral traffic is now conveyed by means of locom
caption: The Monmouthshire Railway and Canal system in 1855
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