Five Go To Swansea

This evening we were entertained by Chris Jones with his presentation, “Five go to Swansea”, all about the many railway companies and terminals that existed in this Welsh City. Many of these companies only lasted a few years from their start-up date before they were taken over by the three surviving larger companies, the GWR, the LMS and the L&NWR. In the mid to late nineteenth century there were eight companies each with their own / shared terminus stations, a couple of these were private industrials purely for transporting coal from the valleys to Swansea docks, which in this period was a very important busy transport hub. The title was a little confusing as the extra companies have come to Chris’s attention, following further research since the presentation was first initiated. One thing that was referred to throughout the evening were the banana sheds complete with their furnaces to keep the bananas in tip top condition prior to distribution. One of the favourite lines shown, was the Mumbles Railways which ran into Swansea Victoria. We saw this line progress from virtually a stage coach, right through to relatively traditional looking double deck trams well into the twentieth century. This line eventually closed in 1960, switching in favour to the use of buses. Majority of the evidence that any of these lines were ever in existence has been lost forever under a modern looking Swansea. An enthralling history lesson very well presented.

Dave Elsdon
Branch Secretary