Ten of our members led by Barnaby Clark met at Radyr station to begin a tour of signal boxes in the South Wales Valleys. Our first port of call was Radyr Junction Signal Box - a 1998 single storey portable cabin style building - where we met Mark Carribine, Local Operations Manager and our guide for the day.

Radyr Panel fringes with Wales Railway Operating Centre (Cardiff Valleys Work Station) to the south and Abercynon to the north. It is an NX (Entrance Exit) panel, with two signallers; one responsible for Radyr Junction, and the main line to Trefforest, while the other signaller controls the two Pontypridd Junctions, the Treherbert branch, and the Abercynon line to Milepost 14½ (the fringe with Abercynon Signalling Centre). Most of Radyr's area of control works under Track Circuit Block regulations, except the Treherbert branch between Porth and Treherbert, which is controlled on the No Signaller Token Remote (NSTR) system. There are two token sections, separated by a passing loop at Ystrad Rhondda.

Drivers obtain a token by phoning the Radyr signaller, who presses a button on the panel, releasing the instrument which allows a token to be removed. For convenience, token instruments are provided on both platforms at Porth and Ystrad Rhondda, leading to a token imbalance (some instruments are normally used only to remove tokens, but they are normally returned to the corresponding instrument on the opposite platform). To correct this a Mobile Operations Manager visits each evening to transfer tokens from one instrument to another. [Hopefully they receive more than a token payment for this.]

We were also shown photographs of seven former mechanical signal boxes in the area now controlled by Radyr Junction Panel. After a short train ride or car move, we reconvened at Abercynon to visit Abercynon Signalling Control Centre (SCC). From the station car park, we could admire the former Abercynon loco shed (BR code 88E), now a warehouse. The SCC dates from 2008 and is also a portable building, this time two storeys high. It is built on the *Down side of the line opposite the site of the former mechanical box that once stood on the island platform. The box uses the Westcad VDU and Trackerball system to control the line from MP 14½ south of Stormstown Jn to the south, where it fringes with Radyr Junction panel, and the branches to Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (and on to Tower Colliery) in the north. A peculiarity on the Aberdare branch is that drivers need to report their arrival at Aberdare, and request line clearance for the return journey. This is because Cwmbach Sidings User Worked Crossing is situated before the first stop signal in the Down direction from Aberdare.

The safety procedure enables the signaller to warn the driver if anyone is using the crossing prior to departure in the absence of a stop signal. The Abercynon signaller can also release the ground frame at Aberdare, which gives access to the line onwards to Tower Open Cast Disposal Point. Unfortunately this is now mothballed, the last coal train left for Hope Cement Works on 11 May 2017. The final train of all beyond Aberdare is thought to have been the Sun 20 Jul 2017 'Valley Legend' UK Railtour.

When Abercynon SCC first opened, it retained a small Individual Function Switch Panel dating from 1977 controlling the Stormstown area. This had originally been housed in the Abercynon mechanical signal box. In 2013 this panel was abolished and its area incorporated into Abercynon's Westcad system, however we were able to view the old IFS panel behind the work desk.

We were made very welcome in both boxes; thanks to Barnaby Clark for organising the visits, and all the operational staff who kindly accommodated us on the day. Further visits followed the next day...

[*As with most lines in the South Wales Valleys, 'Down' is 'Down the Valley' towards Cardiff.]

The modern (1998) Radyr Junction Signal Box.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

A curled up photo of the previous box which was at the Llandaf end of the station.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

Some Society signalling aficionados studying Radyr Junction panel, unusually in plain clothes this day.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

Radyr Junction Panel south end, Treforest top left, Taffs Well top right, Radyr bottom left, Llandaf middle right and the City Line below.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

A close up of the Pontypridd area of the panel.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

Ystrad Rhondda Loop on the Treherbert branch.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

Abercynon Signalling Centre; the railway and station are on the right.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

The signalling workstation.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

Abercynon, the old locomotive shed.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

An old BR jacket at the Signalling Centre. Well there is always eBay…
[© Nick Jones 2019]

Abercynon, the disused IFS (Individual Function Switch) panel. Well there is still always eBay…
[© Nick Jones 2019]

The Aberdare branch screen.
[© Nick Jones 2019]

Abercynon station from the box, looking northeast. The Aberdare branch (note lit feather) is off to the left and Merthyr Tydfil is to the right.
[© Nick Jones 2019]