It was a beautiful viaduct. My father is from Crumlin, and was there when Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren filmed the ending of the film Arabesque there! He still has photos of them standing next to the viaduct. An absolute tragedy that it was pulled down, it should have been listed and preserved as a monument to the skilled men that designed and built it!

Thank you so much for these wonderful and evocative videos. I was seven when this incredible structure was destroyed and remember it in the papers - an outrage at the time. See how many trains and buses there are in this film - it was normal - most people used public transport - it was everywhere and for everyone ... my how things have changed !

One of the many 1960's acts of destruction of our much need now railway system

Wonderful structure which I remember from my youth. Utter desecration to demolish it!! People now visit South Wales to marvel at the few remains of our industrial heritage. SO SAD!

I can remember like it was yesterday as a 5yr old in 1959 visiting my Uncle George and Auntie Eileen Oliver and cousin Brian at Kier Hardie Terrace and going down the road to view the steam trains going over the viaduct from the top of the valley. Happy days and such a shame now to see it gone forever. Should have been saved and probably would never have been allowed to happen these days.

A beautiful and melancholy little film that captures not only the magnificent bridge but the rows of houses on the hillsides bathed in old faded sunlight, the buses below winding through the stone lined streets, even a grubby class 37 trundling along underneath. There is a brooding sense of gloom prior to part two, a tragic footnote to the story. The cine film is remarkable, the hue like a faltering afterglow, a terrible ending in all its beauty. Thanks for uploading. I try to make films like this. When Blurton Had A Railway, The Last Days Of Blurton Priory. But yours is better.

Brilliant footage, thanks for uploading. I was researching the Crumlin viaduct online for modelling inspiration when I found your video. Loved it!

Great vintage video thanks for that lovely memarable viaduct footage, its s shame it had to come down!

Whenever I pass through crumlin, I can just about see the ends of the viaduct where it was dismantled and the abandoned works underneath it, so sad for a lovely peice of line that has so much history with wales and it’s collierys

What a great video, thank you for sharing.

A fantastic video, thank you. Not being good with heights though, I don't think I would have fancied a trip over it!

I never realised Crumlin Viaduct had a subtle curve along its length. Nice detail!

J.B. JONES. Corn and feed Merchant just below viaduct, Used to deliver to our farm at Manmoel. Always popped down to their depot if we ran short of anything. Happy times. Lyndon Isaac.

Awesome footage

Should never have taken it down !

@LlywelynapGruffydd

7 жыл бұрын

the location proved to be susceptible to high winds and resultant swaying, resulting in continual expensive maintenance. The NA&HR route, due to a combination of its height and steepness, proved to be one of the most expensive railway lines in all of the UK to operate.

@PreservationEnthusiast

6 жыл бұрын

What an eyesore. Good that it was cut up for melting down and recycling.

@welsh_Witch

4 жыл бұрын

@@PreservationEnthusiast it looks lovely

@neiloflongbeck5705

Жыл бұрын

​@@LlywelynapGruffydd after the Tay Bridge collapsed all iron and steel viaducts got fitted with wind gauges and if they registered a wind speed giving a pressure of 28lb/sq ft the line had to close until such structures had been thoroughly inspected.

So much was taken from our valleys and so little put back.

Notice the signalman handing over a token to the driver (at 2.44mins) so that he can safely go over the single track with fear of meeting an on-coming locomotive. He would have to hand it over to another signalsman when reaching the end of the single track. a token is a physical object which a train driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the names of the section it belongs to. A token system is more commonly used for single lines because of the greater risk of collision in the event of a mistake being made by a signaller or traincrew, than on double lines.

My dad would always say, " who built these things !! ?? " Also, love the total lack of health and safety !!

Lovely! I remember my granny taking me up there when “Arabesque” with Gregory Peck & Sophia Loren was filmed. My grandfather was the chemist H.H.Sheppard &Sons. Part of the shop was the old ticket office.

@pvincent651

Жыл бұрын

Was your father Paul Shepard, the chemist’s son who I knew at boarding school in the 50’s

@davidlewis2626

11 ай бұрын

Wasn't Shepherds chemist in Newbridge?

@lindaodd9681

11 ай бұрын

@@davidlewis2626 H.H Sheppard & Son the chemist was in Crumlin

@davidlewis2626

11 ай бұрын

@@lindaodd9681 Sorry my mistake. It's been 60 years since I've been in the area, and 45 years since I've been in the UK.

@lindaodd9681

11 ай бұрын

@@davidlewis2626 oh wow! Where are you now? I was with them all at the weekend. Celebrating my aunt & uncles 63rd wedding anniversary Usk July 1960👏🏼💕I was their bridesmaid.

This bridge was used in the film "Arabesque" which starred Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck.

Amazing!

The view from the train going over the viaduct must of been amazing .anyone rem member going over the viaduct so sad 😢to see it all gone the roads are a mess now should of kept the the trains .full respect for the men who built .and took the viaduct down must of been a lot of hard work ❤👍

Damn Beeching.

@ericsmallwood2009

6 жыл бұрын

Geoffrey Lee. No! That bloody Tory Mr Marples DID all the damage!

mesmerizing film.

Would love to have heard the sound of those piers coming down. Shame it’s gone though, looked great.

My late dad was a fireman on the valleys and often was on a train over the viaduct he uesd to say was not pleasent on a windy day

Vandalism and short sighted. Look at the rail system the Valleys would have had now if they kept all the lines like this open.

@neiloflongbeck5705

Жыл бұрын

This viaduct would have closed in nearly every storm that passed through the area making the line unreliable.

@EM-yk1dw

Жыл бұрын

@@neiloflongbeck5705 Yes a valid point indeed

Just seen the video what memories we used to walk underneath on the cat walk looking for birds eggs Occasionally caught the train from the Hafodyrynys to Treowen used to cost 1 old penny Hindsight is a wonderful thing the viaduct could and should have been saved. There was a canal at one time around Crumlin just imagine getting a barge getting off at Crumlin getting a tourist bus to take you over the viaduct what an attraction that would have been. Crumlin would have been on the world map. Still I have happy memories of the viaduct

Crumlin is now a forgoten village, it is shameful how its been left to deterioate.

It would have been nice to seen it i always throught what been like if it still was there now

they were too keen is taking up the track and destroying anything and everything

It was at this moment the Welsh knew, BR was full of shit.

I live about less than s mile from where that bridge stood

Shocking vandalism by council

I needed to know why they don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so that they can extend the unused abandoned underground train stations. Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock and that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into Five cars per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those Five cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers. A Stock Trains and also having 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the Waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it more Larger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Railway tunnel into a High-Speed Railway lines? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Railway line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. Then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised Waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 47 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project if that will be OK for London Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from the Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden more Easily. Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly Line and also build a brand-new underground train stations so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street can they also make another brand new underground train station in Chingford and could they extend the Piccadilly Line and the DLR right up to Chingford? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Five carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains. Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and can they order Every 37 Octagon and Every 17 Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique small no.13 and unique small no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 142MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 142MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units, can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!!!!, oh can you make all of those Coal Boxes’s 17 Tonnes for all of those 142MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are told!!!!! And please do something about these very very important Professional ideas Please? Prime Minister of England, Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister of Germany, Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.

Reminds me slightly of the first Tay Bridge.

I hope they won't have to take down bennerly viaduct illkeston I remember when trains used to go over that loved it

@stanchandler5393

6 жыл бұрын

ls Bennerley listed ??

A pity it still isn’t here.

Cant leave nothing alone!

Does anyone know the colliery early on in the video. That was a great peace of engineering, then and nowadays. I’m a valley boy and proud of all we had, it’s a shame we gave a lot up with out realizing what it meant to our communities.

@yeehar99

3 жыл бұрын

Crumlin Navigation Colliery kzread.info/dash/bejne/kWet3KaRp9ewqdo.html

@davidlewis2626

Жыл бұрын

That would be the Navigation colliery.

@davidlewis2626

Жыл бұрын

It was dismantled by a scrap iron company. If memory serves, it was Birds, just down the valley in Risca.

@pauljohn6637

Жыл бұрын

@@davidlewis2626 Hi David. Thanks for you’re reply. I do remember Birds, back then it was Birds and OG Yem of Caerphilly that got scrap from the steelworks, railway’s and collieries. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇺🇸

@davidlewis2626

Жыл бұрын

@@pauljohn6637 Paul, I remember a siding full of locomotives waiting for Birds when my father was station master at Risca.

Yes life and death indeed . 📵🏧🛂♿

it open in the end of years of steam age close in the started of Desail age

Would be a listed monument now

@uttaradit2

3 жыл бұрын

would have been then but someone wanted the scrap value

Great to see history been destroyed,if only they could have seen what a mess our transport infrastructure is like now, this would still be up and running,a great shame it wasn't left if only to walk across like maesycymmer

@None-zc5vg

Жыл бұрын

"Our transport infrastructure" was deliberately ****ed up, as happened in the U.S..

I remember the Ebbw being that polluted. I fell in it at least twice, not good. lol.

Shocking waste!

Not only the destruction of great engineering, a;so the the Valley towns that depended on it.What use they would have now to take heavy traffic off the road and use the railway structure to bring back industry to the Valleys

Agree with all the comments - absolutley criminal this structire was demolished. Hailed as "one of the most significant examples of technological achievement during the industrial revolution" [RIBA] designed by Thomas W. Kennard in 1852 using an amended Warren truss design the iron was cast at Falkirk Ironworks. A structural survey of the cast iron showed its poor state and resultant need for high investment to secure its future let alone ongoing maintenance costs - thus on these grounds it was demolished. It featured in the finale of the film "Arabesque" with Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren seen riding horses across the viaduct being chased by a helicopter - see www.flickr.com/photos/ben_salter/4578821897/in/

This is going to be revived ...as CGI anyway

Just imagine if drumlin was not taken away I live near and did a lot history and now crumlin is dead now road is a public footpath and to think that drumlin had such beauty and fame now it is empty bring what could of been a great town and popularity to never again getting visitors

we were always short sighted back then.....such a waste

Another example of wanton destruction of many of Britain's golden age of engineering. Amazing how they thought the train was finished for cars. OK, the rail system needed trimming prior to Beeching but not with the ruthlessness it was delivered. And yet now it has gone full circle and more than ever people need and want to travel by train the infrastructure has gone. Pathetic shortsightedness and history down the drain. This viaduct should have been preserved, but they didn't go much on that back then.

Just look at the comments here - the British are wedded to their cars almost as bad as the Americans - yet when it comes to railways (they hardly ever use) they go all weak at the knees !

thanx to the labour arse oles who decided to knock it down and build a tesco instead