Penywaun Viaduct History display at Pontypridd Museum

February 14, 2007

Part of Penywaun’s History is on display this week… A model of the Dare Viaduct and Gamlyn Viaduct which traversed Penywaun is on display at Pontypridd Museum.

The model was made by Phil Moates of Cynon Valley Model Railway Society. The actual viaduct was built in 1855 by world famous Victorian engineer Brunel and it was built on the Dare and Amman branch of the Vale of Neath Railway.

The viaducts were both timber structures - click on the photograph to see further detailed photographs. The Dare or Cwm viaduct was 70 feet high and 450 feet long while the Gamlyn (Penywaun) viaduct was 70 feet high and 600 feet long. These two constructions were the last of Brunel’s timber structures to remain in active use. They were closed to traffic in 1939 and demolished in 1947. Only the stone supports remain in Penywaun.

Useful Links

Isambard Kingdom Brunel on Wikipedia

Filed Under Events, History

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