The fireman's view of the Mochdre troughs installed at Aber, taken from
the
footplate of a Llandudno Junction to Bangor train.LOCAL
RAILWAY
HISTORY
Llandudno Junction Steam
Locomotive and
Carriage Shed
Surrounding Area.
MOCHDRE TROUGHS
The first experimental water- troughs were originally laid near Mochdre & Pabo station in 1860 by the LNWR. Mochdre & Pabo was a small station , now demolished , on the main line between Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay.
The troughs were designed by John Ramsbottom, the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company's Engineer , to enable fast moving steam engines to take on water.
They were long troughs, typically 600 yards to half a mile in length,
which
allowed a mechanism on the steam engine to scoop up the water and
replenish the
tender without the need to stop , saving valuable journey time.
Most railway companies adopted the same general dimensions, for the troughs, which were usually in 14 feet sections made of mild steel, 18 inches wide and giving a typical water depth of 5 inches. The troughs were cradled in brackets , bolted to the sleepers, and located in the center of the track. A large water tank was used to feed the troughs, with a floating ball-cock system, similar to domestic water storage tanks.
At the optimum speed of 40 to 50 mph a locomotive could pick up in the region of 2000 gallons of water. Although the design proved very successful, the saving on time really couldn't justify the cost of installation. Worldwide only a small number of railways in France and the USA installed them, and in fact, only 141 were installed in the UK with none on the Southern Railway.
In 1871 the Mochdre troughs were lifted, and installed further along the main line at Aber near Bangor . The remains of the original distinctive grass covered mounds, which marked the site of the reservoirs, were still apparent up until 1985, when they made way for the making of the new A55 Expressway.
A section of the original troughs was on show at the Railway Exhibition of Conway in 1948.
[PHOTO NORMAN KNEALE]
The fireman's view of the Mochdre troughs installed at Aber, taken from
the
footplate of a Llandudno Junction to Bangor train.
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This Colwyn Bay Library archive photograph, from the air in 1963, shows the railway goods yard, encircled by a ring of trees. It has since been demolished and the Bay View Shopping Centre stands on the site. The Pier, which is still standing today, can be seen adjacent to the yard.
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Many thanks to Bill Roberts of Mochdre for the use of the two very old and rare photo's below, from the Weekly News and Visitors Chronicle, of the Penmaenmawr Railway Disaster of 1899. Coincidentally the same date as the opening of 6G.
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