StoneRoad2013's photos

VoR[19] - No.1213

VoR[19] - No.1213

22 Sep 2019 12 6 141
aka No.9 "Prince of Wales" - on the layover at Devil's Bridge. last time I saw this it had an extremely striking livery ... not the sober GWR one carried at present.
VoR[19] - was a farm, once

VoR[19] - was a farm, once

22 Sep 2019 21
Lit up by the sun, some ivy growing over the walls of a derelict farm-house and outbuildings near Devil's Bridge.
VoR[19] - old farmhouse

VoR[19] - old farmhouse

22 Sep 2019 25
This ruined farmhouse has fallen even further into dereliction. Nature reclaiming her own, you could say.
VoR[19] - almost there

VoR[19] - almost there

22 Sep 2019 20
If I remember correctly, this little cutting opens out into Devil's Bridge station ... This last stretch of the line has enough of a gradient to make the locomotives work quite hard.
VoR[19] - trees and more trees

VoR[19] - trees and more trees

22 Sep 2019 22
I know it's quite a few years since I last visited, but the amount of tree growth did surprise me a little. The little side valley has almost disappeared.
vor[19] - mining spoil

vor[19] - mining spoil

22 Sep 2019 5 5 34
One area of land with spoil from mining, I assume lead was the material being sought as the waste from that is notoriously toxic to vegetation. Viewed from a moving train on the Vale of Rheidol line, hence the cross-hatched fence in the foreground.
VoR[19] - was a red kite !

VoR[19] - was a red kite !

22 Sep 2019 22
Just missed what I am sure was a red kite ... there has been quite a colony of them in the VoR for many years, which I believe helped with the re-introductions [although birds from other areas in Europe were also used, to improve genetic diversity] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kite#United_Kingdom
VoR[19] - Pen Dinas

VoR[19] - Pen Dinas

22 Sep 2019 1 23
Pen Dinas & monument in the distance.
VoR[19] - climbing

VoR[19] - climbing

22 Sep 2019 1 22
GWR1213 was making a splendid sound climbing the gradient here. The steepest section - at 1 in 50 - is from Aberffrwd to Devil's Bridge. I was also impressed by the standard of the almost manicured permanent way [the track]
VoR[19] - farmland

VoR[19] - farmland

22 Sep 2019 19
The flat[ish] land in the lower level of the valley are divided into fields, with the steeper slopes forested and "heather moorland" as sheep grazing on the hill tops. The Afon Rheidol has a number of weirs, used to regulate the river water levels.
VoR[19] - Cwm Rheidol Power Station.

VoR[19] - Cwm Rheidol Power Station.

22 Sep 2019 21
The business end of a network of reservoirs, steams, aqueducts and pipework. The station has an installed capacity of 56MW spread over six turbines. Constructed between 1957 and 1962, it began contributing to the national grid in 1964. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheidol_Power_Station Back in the early 1980s I remember this area being illuminated in a very colourful way, the reason for that, I don't recall just now.
VoR[19] - the deer or stag {3 of 3}

VoR[19] - the deer or stag {3 of 3}

22 Sep 2019 55
Zoomed in to get more detail of the deer / stag. This was, I believe, formed as the result of tipping waste from lead mining, which is why the vegetation is very limited in some areas. Several decades ago, the shape was somewhat more clearly defined - and included "legs" , but I can't remember if the "antlers" were visible.
VoR[19] - the deer or stag {2 of 3}

VoR[19] - the deer or stag {2 of 3}

22 Sep 2019 25
There is "The Stag" , not a particularly good angle ... This was, I believe, formed as the result of tipping waste from lead mining, which is why the vegetation is very limited in some areas. Several decades ago, the shape was somewhat more clearly defined - and included "legs" , but I can't remember if the "antlers" were visible.
VoR[19] - the deer or stag {1 of 3}

VoR[19] - the deer or stag {1 of 3}

22 Sep 2019 21
Finally, I can see "The Stag" ... This was, I believe, formed as the result of tipping waste from lead mining, which is why the vegetation is very limited in some areas. Several decades ago, the shape was somewhat more clearly defined - and included "legs" , but I can't remember if the "antlers" were visible.
VoR[19] - Afon Rheidol {2 of 2}

VoR[19] - Afon Rheidol {2 of 2}

22 Sep 2019 22
Cwm Rheidol - the lowest lake of the three lakes that make up the Hydro-Electricity generating scheme on the Afon Rheidol. There's a glimpse of the dam in between the trees.
VoR[19] - Afon Rheidol {1 of 2}

VoR[19] - Afon Rheidol {1 of 2}

22 Sep 2019 21
Cwm Rheidol - the lowest lake of the three lakes that make up the Hydro-Electricity generating scheme on the Afon Rheidol.
VoR[19] - 1213 is almost ready

VoR[19] - 1213 is almost ready

22 Sep 2019 25
Almost ready for departure, the carriages were lightly loaded. ps I really hate that air pump, I wish they would hide it inside a fake extension to the side tank or something.
VoR[19] - GWR 1213

VoR[19] - GWR 1213

22 Sep 2019 1 20
GWR 1213 [aka No.9 "Prince of Wales"] built 1924. The loco that hauled our train on this trip in 2019.
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